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Contrabass-list Thu, 29 Jan 1998 Volume 1 : Number 103
In this issue:
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 1998 11:33:42 -0800
From: Grant
Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re: contra
for sale
This just came over the Doublereed-L list. Anyone care to help him out?
Grant
>Date: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 20:31:39 -0600 (CST)
>From: Daniel Burdick <danb@speakeasy.org>
>To: Multiple recipients of list <doublereed-l@bcc.wuacc.edu>
>Subject: Contra for sale>Okay, folks, this is desperation. SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE THIS CONTRA OFF MY
>HANDS! I've got to get rid of this thing. Nobody seems to want it.
>Because of this the price has dropped considerably. $6500.>Moennig brand, virtually brand-new. Low A, which means it is extremely
>tall and unwieldly. I think there is some possibility of getting a Low Bb
>bell for it. Recently adjusted, plays well.> Call or write!
>Dan Burdick
>(206) 706-0283
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 1998 11:44:18
-0800
From: Grant Green
<gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: DIY
Speaking of DIY, on impulse I dashed over to Orchard Supply Hardware last night and bought about 20' of 1.5" ABS pipe (in 4' and 1' lengths), a bag full of 1/4 turns and connectors, and a can of ABS cement. The pipe is nice and rigid, and fits together relatively easily.
Played around with it a bit this morning, and discovered that my contrabass clarinet mpc will fit fairly well if the tenon is wrapped with a bit of tissue paper (a good seal turned out to be critical for obtaining any low notes). The mpc plays a 4' length easily (approximately low G on the bass clarinet), so I tried connecting various lengths together to see how low it would go. 5' worked well, as did 6' and 7' (actually a bit more: I'm not counting the length added by the 1/4 turns). At 10' it began to get difficult to get a pitch, but when it came it was still recognizably a contrabass (subcontrabass?) note. Sounded like it was lower than the lowest C on my contrabass. 11' was about the lowest I could get without simply breaking into higher harmonics. I'm not sure if the problem is (a) the mpc/reed can't handle the vibrations any lower, (b) the pipe joints aren't air-tight (I haven't glued them yet, just press-fit), or (c) pipe bore too narrow to transmit the sound wave efficiently. Next chance I have, I'll try using (a) a softer reed, and/or (b) a straight assembly, without the 1/4 turns, and/or (c) trying to make the joints tighter. If that doesn't work, I'll make a flute out of it ;-)
Grant
End of contrabass-list V1 #103