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Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 15:56:27 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] Squawks
>I can't help wondering if the Leblanc register mechanism is more complex
>than it logically needs to be. Is there a mathematical language for
>converting boolean logic to lever mechanisms? One could start with something
>like:
>R & Bb = Bb hole
>R & D & notBb = lower
>R & notD & notBb = upper
>and then translate that into the logical minimum of lever movements. Perhaps
>a method exists - I'm not an engineer and haven't met one.The current setup is essentially:
LT = upper,
UNLESS A (open Bb instead)
OR RH3 (open lower instead)I haven't tried pressing the A key and RH3 at the same time...
The RH3 linkage is useful for the altissimo register too: for notes
above high D, try fingering with the register key and RH3 down - it
often works better. Also, you may find Terje Lerstad's articles on
altissimo fingerings (for bass and contrabass clarinet) interesting -
see http://home.chello.no/~terje_bjorn.lerstad/altissimo.htmlGrant
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grant Green
Sarrusophones, contrabass reeds, &
other brobdignagian acoustic exotica http://www.contrabass.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 01:10:27 +0200
From: "Klaus Bjerre"
Subject: Re: [CB] photo ID>From: David Richoux
>
> BTW, for any musical folks of contra note in the SF Bay Area - feel free to join
> LTWCMB and participate in our parades and fun stuff - the audition is not at all
> rigorous and if you can sort of play in Bb or sing you are in!
>
> more info at http://homepage.mac.com/ltw/home.html
On background of the skepticism, that I have developed towards community
bands of the less ambitious type, I will have to say this:Thank you so much much for the LTWCMB link!
After reading about the no-nonsense way Isaac Stern taught his master
classes, it is just so utterly refreshing, by contrast, to hear the sound
clips from an all-nonsense band!Very economical way of business! Absolutely not money spent on arrangements!
But lots of free spirit(s). (Was that a triple pun?)And looking through my taxpayer's glasses I maybe should not be that
skeptical towards certain community bands. I guess that the steam finding
such outlets keeps down the costs on mental institutions.A maybe a bit too gloomy
Klaus
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 16:25:24 -0700
From: David Richoux
Subject: Re: [CB] photo ID
Grant Green wrote:
> >BTW, for any musical folks of contra note in the SF Bay Area - feel free to join
> >LTWCMB and participate in our parades and fun stuff - the audition is not at all
> >rigorous and if you can sort of play in Bb or sing you are in!
> >
> >more info at http://homepage.mac.com/ltw/home.html
>
> Does someone prepare lead sheets, or is this a mass improvisation?mostly we do songs you could have learned in primary school - patriotic and popular
American songs from the late 19th and early 20th century... here are just a few of
the songs we do: http://homepage.mac.com/ltw/html/tunes.html you can practice
along with the computer file or make up your own countermelody as you see fit...The rules are very vague with this band, but you do have to be in uniform! (see
http://homepage.mac.com/ltw/html/new_photo.html or
http://homepage.mac.com/ltw/html/band_photo.html for an example of our uniform) -
these photos were taken during 4th of July parades - our winter uniforms are warmer...usually.
>
> And do they accept sarrusophones?Certainly, but you will have to march with it ;-) Do you have a strap or harness?
Dave Richoux
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 20:25:57 -0700
From: "Timothy J. Tikker"
Subject: Re: [CB] Bamboo saxesThere's a website describing these instruments:
http://asiaplus.com/bamboosax/
The Maui Xaphoon also has a sie:
I own one of the latter and really enjoy it.
- Tim Tikker
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 17:30:41 -0700
From: David Richoux
Subject: Re: [CB] photo ID
Klaus Bjerre wrote:
> On background of the skepticism, that I have developed towards community
> bands of the less ambitious type, I will have to say this:
>
> Thank you so much much for the LTWCMB link!
>
> After reading about the no-nonsense way Isaac Stern taught his master
> classes, it is just so utterly refreshing, by contrast, to hear the sound
> clips from an all-nonsense band!We have been doing this since about 1961 so I guess we have perfected the form! ( I
first saw the band in 1971 and joined a few years later - I became the SemiConductor
during the 1980 season.) The variety of instruments and inventive "non-instruments"
that have been presented to the general public of Northern California over the years
has been quite amazing. There was a tuba made of plumbing pipe, funnels and valves,
a 30 foot long PVC Alp horn with wheels, any number of antique "legitimate" brass
horns and even a bowed 6 foot sawmill blade (mounted on a small cart - sounded sort
of like a bass musical saw..)
> Very economical way of business! Absolutely not money spent on arrangements!
> But lots of free spirit(s). (Was that a triple pun?)we do have a beer cart that follows behind the band and after most parades we
serenade the local taverns of the town...
but being inebriated is not, I repeat, NOT a requirement for performance (it does
make the parade seem to go a bit faster sometimes ;-P )
> And looking through my taxpayer1s glasses I maybe should not be that
> skeptical towards certain community bands. I guess that the steam finding
> such outlets keeps down the costs on mental institutions.we have always found much personal growth and amusement (whatever the current
political situation) can come from being silly in public - we marched in a parade
soon after the start of the Gulf War, we will be parading in October - sometimes
some people don't think we are PC or something, but as some prophet said; "F°°k 'em
if they can't take a joke"
> A maybe a bit too gloomy
> KlausIt can only get worse...
Dave Richoux
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 17:59:15 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] Contour Contra
>Today while driving West on I-94 in Michigan (from Ann Arbor to
>Kalamazoo), near mile 114 I passed a black 4-door Ford Contour with
>the personalized license-plate:
>
>CONTRA
>
>Anybody we know?
>
>- Tim TikkerNot me: my license plate shows up at
http://www.contrabass.com/pages/me.html (although the big red van has
since been replaced). Somebody else already has the "CONTRA" plate
in California too.Grant
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 18:03:07 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] LTWCMB
> > And do they accept sarrusophones?
>
>Certainly, but you will have to march with it ;-) Do you have a
>strap or harness?Yes, a nicely padded bari sax neckstrap, which is what I use for gigs
such as the San Jose Saxophone Christmas (not marching, but a lot of
standing around outside).Marching.... hmmmm... perhaps I'll bring a piccolo instead... ;-)
Grant
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 19:38:16 -0700
From: Craig Durham
Subject: Re: [CB] SquawksJohn Kilpatrick reports having more luck with Rico reeds than
Vandoren - to his surprise. I'm not surprised; I've had the same
experience with bass and contra-alto (bass sax).Craig
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 20:22:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: wayne grimm
Subject: Re: [CB] Maui XaphoonI've got a Maui Xaphoon--was my first reed instrument,
actually. Not so much a bamboo sax as a bamboo
clarinet, as the bore is cylindrical.I do love the sound--and the care-free
portability--but find the second register nearly
impossible to hit and the "mouthpiece" rather
cumbersome and awkward. I'd recommend trying to make
your own before dropping the bucks. For starters, you
could follow the pattern for Bart Hopkin's PVC
Chalameau in his book "Making Simple Musical
Instruments" (check your library--and if yr' feeling
more adventurous, check out his "Musical Instrument
Design," too--essential.)I think you'll find your German ex-pat in paradise,
along with his more conical bamboo saxes (including a
baritone!) here:http://asiaplus.com/bamboosax/
--wayne.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 20:30:12 -0700
From: David Richoux
Subject: Re: [CB] LTWCMB
Grant Green wrote:
> > > And do they accept sarrusophones?
> >
> >Certainly, but you will have to march with it ;-) Do you have a
> >strap or harness?
>
> Yes, a nicely padded bari sax neckstrap, which is what I use for gigs
> such as the San Jose Saxophone Christmas (not marching, but a lot of
> standing around outside).
>
> Marching.... hmmmm... perhaps I'll bring a piccolo instead... ;-)That would be the easy way...
just this evening I was watching the presentation of "Victory at Sea" on the local
PBS TV station (a wonderful score BTW, we played the overture in my high school wind
band way back in 1968 - but i digress) There was a rather nice segment of film of
some Italian Army band welcoming some heads of state - from one angle it looked like
a musician was playing a bass ophecleide but on re-wind it looked more like a
sarrusophone or maybe metal contra-bassoon. no way to confirm it more than that the
mouth pipe sort of looked very thin and curly, so I guess it was a bassoon...Dave R
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 20:39:55 -0700
From: David Richoux
Subject: Re: [CB] Maui Xaphoon
wayne grimm wrote:
> I think you'll find your German ex-pat in paradise,
> along with his more conical bamboo saxes (including a
> baritone!) here:
>
> http://asiaplus.com/bamboosax/
>
> --wayne.yes, that is the one - I was wrong about Bali - but I guess Thailand is an equally
tropical paradise ;-)Dave Richoux
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 00:44:24 -0700
From: Jim Katz
Subject: [CB] Funny-looking horns
This photo was cropped from a current motorcycle magazine, from an event
in central Italy:http://www.mwt.net/~jqquist/start/tubists.html
What's with the funny looking horns?
Jim
Speaking of funny-looking horns and other instruments - I just got a
wonderfully silly old movie in a lot of videotapes from a garage sale: THE
5000 FINGERS OF DR. T I think it is called. A kid's movie starring Vincent
Price as an evil piano teacher. Lots of dream-sequence stuff with one scene
of all-singing, all-dancing, player-instrument strange combinations with a
vaguely Busby Berkeley feel to the whole thing. The 5000 fingers refers to
500 captive boy pianists forced to play a multi-level enormous
curving-keyboard piano which would have had tens of thousands of keys if
real. This film must have been lots of fun to design for.---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 22:34:27 -0700
From: "Chuck Guzis"
Subject: Re: [CB] Funny-looking hornsOn 9/25/2001, Jim Katz wrote:
>Speaking of funny-looking horns and other instruments - I just got a
>wonderfully silly old movie in a lot of videotapes from a garage sale: THE
>5000 FINGERS OF DR. T I think it is called. A kid's movie starring Vincent
>Price as an evil piano teacher.Oh dear me, no--Price would never be caught alive in such a tame movie. This one starred none other than Hans Conried (anyone remember a TV show called "Fractured Flickers"? And we mustn't forget that Conried was the voice of Snidely Whiplash and other characters in the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon series).
Cheers,
Chuck
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 08:47:43 -0400
From: "John Webster"
Subject: Re: [CB] Funny-looking hornsHans was also a regular on the Jack Parr "tonight show" in the mid to late 50's. A strangely funny guy. John
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 08:16:31 -0500
From: Jim Quist
Subject: Re[2]: [CB] tarogato> It is noteworthy that Gautrot's name appears on the sarrusophone patents,
> while Sarrus's name does not.
>
> GrantDo you have the Gautrot patent numbers? Are they available online?
Jim
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 09:25:39 -0500 (EST)
From: "Dr. Carole Nowicke, Applied Health Science"
Subject: Re: [CB] Funny-looking hornsOn Mon, 24 Sep 2001, Chuck Guzis wrote:
> Oh dear me, no--Price would never be caught alive in such a tame movie.
I'm sure then, Chuck, you can remember the instrumentation of his dance
band in "The Abominable Dr. Phibes." There was at least one Sousaphone
played by mechanical musicians, no?
Carole
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "Peter Boris Koval"
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 13:19:08 -0300
Subject: Re: [CB] LTWCMB> just this evening I was watching the presentation of "Victory at Sea" on the local
> PBS TV station (a wonderful score BTW, we played the overture in my high school wind
> band way back in 1968 - but i digress) There was a rather nice segment of film of
> some Italian Army band welcoming some heads of state - from one angle it looked like
> a musician was playing a bass ophecleide but on re-wind it looked more like a
> sarrusophone or maybe metal contra-bassoon. no way to confirm it more than that the
> mouth pipe sort of looked very thin and curly, so I guess it was a bassoon...
>
> Dave RI haven't seen the film segment, but can confidently suggest that the
instrument wopuld have been a reed contrabass (contrabbasso ad ancia), which
is still used by most large Italian bands and has the "thin and curly" bocal
(mouthpipe) that you describe.
Regards,
Peter Koval
---------------------------------------------------------
From: <Michael.Kilpatrick>
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 17:49:10 +0100
Subject: [CB] Stand for bass sax?
Folks,
my brain is a bit addled at the moment and I just can't remember if I
asked this question a month or two ago when I subscribed to the
list, so apologies if this is a repitition, but...Where can I find a stand for my Conn bass sax? Especially
one that allows the instrument to be played standing up? Safely?!
I saw Vince Giordani playing his bass sax standing up in a New
York jazz club last November. Perhaps I'll ask him if I ever get to
see him again...thanks,
Michael
P.S. And yes, I am related to John Kilpatrick. I'm sure he bought
that squawky contrabass only in order to out-do me in the low note
department...Hrmmph!____________________________________________________
Michael Kilpatrick
Senior VLSI Design Engineer Tel: +44 1223 400971
ARM Ltd
Fulbourn Road
Cambridge CB1 4NJ
United Kingdom
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 10:03:16 -0700
From: "Chuck Guzis"
Subject: Re: [CB] Funny-looking hornsOn 9/25/2001, Dr. Carole Nowicke, Applied Health Science wrote:
>I'm sure then, Chuck, you can remember the instrumentation of his dance
>band in "The Abominable Dr. Phibes." There was at least one Sousaphone
>played by mechanical musicians, no?Carole, I remember the "Clockwork Wizards", but for the life of me can't remember if there was a sousaphone in the bunch or not. I was probably too preoccupied with watching Vulnavia play her violin!
Cheers,
Chuck
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 10:15:06 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re[2]: [CB] tarogato
> > It is noteworthy that Gautrot's name appears on the sarrusophone patents,
> > while Sarrus's name does not.
> >
> > Grant
>
>Do you have the Gautrot patent numbers? Are they available online?
>
>JimLangwill's lists the patent number as "1856 (F) #28034 (#16212);
family of 'sarrusophones'". Unfortunately, there is no explanation
as to the second number in parentheses: it may be that one is a
patent brevete, and the other a certificate of addition. As far as I
can tell, the patent is not available online: several patent offices
have provided their patents online (including the USPTO and EPO), but
none go back that far.Grant
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 10:21:30 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] LTWCMB
>I haven't seen the film segment, but can confidently suggest that the
>instrument wopuld have been a reed contrabass (contrabbasso ad ancia), which
>is still used by most large Italian bands and has the "thin and curly" bocal
>(mouthpipe) that you describe.Perhaps the easiest way to distinguish reed contrabass from
sarrusophone (which also still appears in Italian bands) is by the
direction the bocal curves. If the bocal curves over, like a
bassoon, the instrument is more likely to be a sarrusophone. If it
curves under (more like a pinched letter "U"), it is probably a reed
contrabass. The reed contrabass is the only instrument I know of in
which you push the bocal *up* into the receiver, rather than down.If you go to the sarrusophone club at yahoo.com, and look at the photo
collection, there is a section marked "anche" that includes a side
view of the bocal.Grant
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 13:14:06 -0500
From: Jim Quist <jim@firehydrant.org>
Subject: Re[3]: [CB] tarogato> As far as I can tell, the patent is not available online: several patent offices
> have provided their patents online (including the USPTO and EPO), but
> none go back that far.Thanks for the Gautrot number, and I think you are correct, that patent
is not available online.However, the USPTO has .tif files available online for all patents
issued between the years 1790-1976, starting with patent #1. The
searchable index is limited to the current classification number or the
patent number itself for patents prior to 1976. I've spent hours there.Jim
---------------------------------------------------------From: "Peter Boris Koval"
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 18:04:13 -0300
Subject: Re: [CB] LTWCMB
> >I haven't seen the film segment, but can confidently suggest that the
> >instrument wopuld have been a reed contrabass (contrabbasso ad ancia), which
> >is still used by most large Italian bands and has the "thin and curly" bocal
> >(mouthpipe) that you describe.
>
> Perhaps the easiest way to distinguish reed contrabass from
> sarrusophone (which also still appears in Italian bands) is by the
> direction the bocal curves. If the bocal curves over, like a
> bassoon, the instrument is more likely to be a sarrusophone. If it
> curves under (more like a pinched letter "U"), it is probably a reed
> contrabass.During my last visits to Italy (5-6 years ago) I saw a number of large bands
(Police Army Municipal). All had a reed contrabass but none had a
sarrusophone of any size.
"Thin and curly" describes the reed contrabass bocal much more so than any
sarrusophone bocal. Because of these reasons, I feel that the instrument
featured was much more likely to have been a reed contrabass than a
sarrusophone--but one never knows!
Peter Koval---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 17:23:59 -0500
From: Jim Quist
Subject: [CB] within five miles of sea-shoreHas this issue been discussed here before?
http://www.cljlaw.com/cases/nor_nyawai_.html
---excerpt---
TUBA FISHING
Whereas it is expedient to place restriction on the use of tuba for fishing. I hereby enact as follows:-
The use of tuba is prohibited in all running streams or navigable river by all persons without the special sanction of the Resident or Officer in Charge of the District, who, however, shall not grant such sanction to any, excepting Dyaks, to fish with tuba excepting when it is proposed to throw the tuba within five miles of the sea-shore, and permission to Dyaks to fish with tuba shall only be granted occasionally.
Any person using tuba without permission to do so will be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty five dollars.
---end excerpt---
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