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Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 17:24:31 -0700
From: David Richoux
Subject: Re: [CB] LTWCMB
Peter Boris Koval wrote:
> 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.
> Regards,
> Peter Kovaland
Grant Green wrote:
> If you go to the sarrusophone club at yahoo.com
> (http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/sarrusophone), and look at the photo
> collection, there is a section marked "anche" that includes a side
> view of the bocal.
so after joining the club and looking at the pictures of the italian reed contrabass
next to an ophecleide - looks like it would not be too hard to convert one into a
sub-contra ophecleide (or somewhere in that range!) Anybody know if they are still
generally available at reasonable cost in Italy (or elsewhere?)Dave Richoux
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 17:58:13 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] LTWCMB>so after joining the club and looking at the pictures of the italian reed contrabass
>next to an ophecleide - looks like it would not be too hard to convert one into a
>sub-contra ophecleide (or somewhere in that range!) Anybody know if they are still
>generally available at reasonable cost in Italy (or elsewhere?)Well, there is a major difference in the initial bore diameter. The bocal on a reed contra is about as wide (maybe a bit narrower) than a bassoon bocal, while the bocal on an ophicleide is much wider (perhaps 3x to 4x). Perhaps if you could mate a tuba mouthpiece cup to a piccolo trumpet backbore...
They *are* still available in Italy. Orsi (of course) still makes them. I have two pictures of a new reed contra posted, taken at the Orsi factory a few years ago (see front and back views, respectively). Unfortunately, the price new is something like US$30K.
Blat,
Grant
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grant Green
Sarrusophones, contrabass reeds, &
other brobdignagian acoustic exotica http://www.contrabass.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 03:01:54 +0200
From: "Klaus Bjerre"
Subject: Re: [CB] LTWCMB>From: David Richoux
> so after joining the club and looking at the pictures of the italian reed contrabass
> next to an ophecleide - looks like it would not be too hard to convert one into a
> sub-contra ophecleide (or somewhere in that range!) Anybody know if they are still
> generally available at reasonable cost in Italy (or elsewhere?)
The Italian eBay wind instruments offerings are to be found here:
<http://listings.ebay.it/aw/plistings/list/all/category18049/index.html>
Sorry: No reed contrabasses offered for the weekend.
Klaus
---------------------------------------------------------From: "Peter Boris Koval"
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 22:18:32 -0300
Subject: Re: [CB] LTWCMB
reed contrabass
Anybody know if
they are still generally available at reasonable cost in Italy (or
elsewhere?)> They *are* still available in Italy. Orsi (of course) still makes
> them. I have two pictures of a new reed contra posted, taken at the
> Orsi factory a few years ago (see
> http://www.contrabass.com/italy/anche-f.jpg and
> http://www.contrabass.com/italy/anche-b.jpg for front and back views,
> respectively). Unfortunately, the price new is something like US$30K.
> GrantI tried to sell my Stowasser reed contrabass (in fully restored condition,
virtually as-new) on E-bay last year with a reserve of $8,000, and received
a maximum offer of around $2,500. Needless to say, it is still sharing my
bed (or would be, if my wife would let it in!)
Peter Koval---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 18:37:56 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] LTWCMB>I tried to sell my Stowasser reed contrabass (in fully restored condition,
>virtually as-new) on E-bay last year with a reserve of $8,000, and received
>a maximum offer of around $2,500. Needless to say, it is still sharing my
>bed (or would be, if my wife would let it in!)
>Peter KovalIf US$30K is the "list" price, and the "street" price is half that,
then US$8K is actually a pretty reasonable price. It certainly
looked like a beautiful horn when you posted the pictures. My guess
is that the Italian town bands aren't used to buying their horns on
eBay (yet), and that not enough of the regular eBay customers
recognize the reed contra for the gem it is. Philip Neuman (of
"slide reed subcontrabass" fame) played a reed
contra on one of his Pioneer Brass CDs: I think he described the
timbre as "downright industrial", but it has a definite charm. Do
you know if the Italian bands write independent parts for it, or is
it always unison with the tubas?Grant
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 19:28:14 -0700
From: "David F."
Subject: Re: [CB] LTWCMBGrant
I think Just one email with all the discussion for the day is more my speed.Thanks
David
---------------------------------------------------------From: "John Kilpatrick"
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 19:35:29 +0100
Subject: [CB] Leblanc BBb
From: "Rich Haynes"Thanks Rich Haynes (and others). I'm trying the higher reed position - first
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 19:09:12 +1000
Subject: Re: [CB] BBb Leblanc paperclipsome contra things:
for BBb leblanc papercilp model. try them they might work for you!?
placing the reed tip much higher than the mouthpiece tip aids cleaner
articulation over the whole instrument. mabye 1-3mm should do it. i use
vandoren3s.
the troublesome B over the break to the E above it, use more ombouchre
support lower on the reed and very light articulation if possible. opening
the Ab/Eb vent for an E over the break works wonders on my instrument.
for mabye a clearer tone down in the depths, mabye low G# down, give less
support to the reed, i.e. looser ombouchre but tilt your mouth up and over
the mouthpiece more.
and as grant suggests, register mechanisms are a pain in the ass. <
hope this helps some, im no expert on contra playing but i thought i'd
share some discoveries with you all. <
try seems great improvement.
----------
>From Musical Instruments through the ages - Anthony Baines 1961. My apols if
you all know this book backwards."Both this [Leblanc] and Selmer's higher contrabass in Eb are magnificent
instruments, rich-toned, easily blown, fexible and agile - by far the most
effective of all the lowest woodwind instruments."There's a picture of the Leblanc paperclip in this edition - and it has the
extension down to C. Mine is 1970 (Leblanc told me) and goes to D. This
surprises me - did Leblanc really sell the longer ones in 1961?The book is full of little gems. The sarrusaphone and others get due
mentions. The sudraphone catalogue frontispiece showed a girl playing it "to
the obviously vocal accompaniment of her pet fox terrier". On the cornet:
"The touchingly vulgar solos ....... show up only too well the instrument's
fundamentally plebeian nature."
John Kilpatrick - Sheffield
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