From: "Bruce Abbott"
Subject: [CB] Dive! Dive! 69.30 Hz and counting!
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 18:29:06 -0600
Hello, my deep, dark, resonant friends,
I'm about to join your ranks as an Under-C explorer, and want to
introduce myself. I'm a 54-years-young avid amateur bass
clarinetist and lover of music. Two years ago, I returned to the
bass clarinet after a three-decade interlude of playing the stereo, and
I'm very happy to be back! I just thrill to the voice of my BC,
especially the chalumeau register. My horn is a new Yamaha
YCL-221 student resonite BC to low Eb, and it treats me very well.
Over the last two years, I have played BC in two community
bands, and occasionally in a community orchestra. My interests
run much more to jazz, blues, standards, and classic rock than to
classical or Sousa, though, so I also formed a mixed clarinet quartet
and put together a self-accompanied solo BC act, where I can choose my
own music. Take a look at my Web pages for more details:
www.musiciansconnected.com/musicians/low_reed.aspx
As a result, I have been poring over Internet discussions and
eBay auctions, studying the wealth of info that's out there about the
nether regions. I've been very tempted by a couple of
60's-vintage Selmer 40 rosewood contra-altos -- I just LOVE the
stunning visual balance provided by that large curved bell! But,
we're talking about a lot of money here. And, I hesitate to get
into the whole scene of bore oil, humistats, etc., when my resonite BC
sounds so rich already.
Also, the overwhelming e-advice about trying out several new
horns before you buy makes me leery of buying something sound-unheard
through the mail. Even so, I'm very tempted by the Leblanc 350
paperclip contra-alto, as many of you folks think so highly of it, and
because it goes to (yet a deeper) low C, and because it's form-factor
looks to be relatively hauling-around-friendly. And because it
looks so cool...
AND, because it sounds so cool! In January, I had the
opportunity to hear Ben Goldberg play his Leblanc 350 at a wonderfully
intimate venue in Minneapolis. BTW, I just heard recently on the
Yahoo bass-clarinet group that the Feb. 18th San Francisco Chronicle
had an article about him: See
I hope you don't mind all these Web references. Low
clarinets have been on my mind for some time now, and I'd rather refer
you to my other musings that repeat them here.
My latest inclination is to travel to Woodwind & Brasswind
in South Bend, and to try out some grenadilla BCs, as well as the
Selmer 1440 contra. My delight with the Yamaha 221 suggests that
a new resonite contra might be the way to go. David Spiegelthal
seems to think highly of the keywork and the response on that horn, as
well.
Any thoughts on custom mouthpieces for the contra-alto? I
LOVE my Grabner CX-BB bass clarinet mouthpiece, and saw a 2002
reference on ClarinetBB about someone buying a Selmer 1440 mouthpiece
from Walter G. Clark Fobes advertises a couple of contra pieces
on his Web site. However, he also says he doesn't sell directly
to the public anymore, and I've been unable to find his contra pieces
on the sites of the Web retailers that he references.
Well... I've rambled on long enough for now. Please say
hello, and tell me about yourselves and your low yearnings (and how you
satisfy them!). And answer one final question for me: Is
southern California really the seismic epicenter of low woodwind
rumblings? Sure seems that way...
With deep respect,
Bruce Abbott
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Mar 2005 17:11:23 -0800
From: Craig
Subject: Re: [CB] Dive! Dive! 69.30 Hz and counting!
Bruce, you have scarcely begun to plumb the depths. A Selmer
1440 will take you to concert F#1, 46.25 Hz. That range (and that
particular clarinet) has suited me well, although there are times I
would like concert E1 (I usually play String Bass parts on pieces from
unenlightened composers). Of course, there are the occasional musings
about playing low-C bass parts at pitch, but that's extended contrabass
territory. (Although there is something about a woodwind that goes a
half-step below my 5-string bass guitar...)
Of the contra-alto and contrabass, I think the contra-alto is
much more 'clarinetty'. It is also more cooperative in the rarefied
regions above concert middle C, but I won't offend you by speaking of
those notes.
On the minus side, the 1440 is not small. It tends to make one
careful in transport, especially when it is out of it's case. The
center joint is fairly robust, but we're still talking a long plastic
tube. A sturdy stand is a must. Parts can be difficult to obtain, as
with any large instrument. It helps to have a friend who does
instrument repair.
Regards from the bass-ment,
Craig
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 04:55:27 -0800 (PST)
From: Marco
Subject: Re: [CB] Dive! Dive! 69.30 Hz and counting!
Speaking of mouthpieces I guess I was one of the last ones to
buy directly from Clark W. Fobes. I got few weeks ago 3 clarinet
mpcs (alto, bass and contra-alto) from the Nova series. I am very
satisfied about all three but especially the contra is so rich
and focused. On top I asked Clark to modify them to get better
multiphonics and again the contra is really good. It sounds as a
low-frequencies synt, especially when you get into circular breathing
!!!
Marco, from Brussels (Old Europe)
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 11:33:05 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: [CB] [CB Digest]
From: kingtuba
Thanks, everyone; I really appreciate all the help and
leads. That's why I like this group so much - so friendly and
accomodating! I'm not sure about this Holton being a stencil - the
engraving's pretty elaborate. Aren't stencil horns sparse in the
engraving department? Maybe I'm wrong. I do know that it was
imported into Toronto by Claxton Ltd. - I'll have to go into the City's
Archives to see where they were once located.
> ---------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2005 16:06:27 -0800
> From: retrodave
> I have a loose, silver plated alto saxophone neck, without
a horn to
> plug onto.
---------------------------------------------------------
>
> From: Steve Weinert
> Great find Steven!!
>
> In general Holton Bass Saxes are "Stencils" (that is they
were made at
> other manufacturer's plants and labeled "Holton").
> The Bass Saxophone Cooperative (a Yahoo Groups mailing list
I set up)
> might be a good start. Several makers can make a new
neck for your
> sax.
>
> Cheers!
>
> Steve Weinert
>
> Here is a company that makes replacement bass saxophone
necks:
>
> if you need measurements, perhaps someone else on this list
has a Holton
> bass sax?
> Of you can always try the Yahoo Groups Bass Sax Co-op.
>
> Hope this is helpful,
>
> Jay
>
> Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2005 20:08:38 -0500
> From: Jim and Joyce
> Subject: [CB] No-neck Dave
>
> A really good tech should be able to either modify a neck
from a
> different model, or make a replacement. With any luck
an existing neck
> will fit. First call might be to LA Sax.
>On second
> thought, don't rule out plastic or plexiglass.
>
> Jim
>
> Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 18:58:31 +0000
> From: David Bobroff
> Subject: [CB] Bass sax neck
>
> As for the missing bass sax neck; have you thought about
having one made?
> I know a bass trombonist who was having his horn
modified. One of the
> modifications was to put the tuning in the hand slide and
having the bell
> bow replaced with a one-piece deal copied from an old Conn
62H. He found a
> repairman who would/could make the bow for him.
>
> Good luck!
>
> -David
***End of Contrabass Digest***