Vol. 5, No. 9

Contrabass list Sat, 7 Mar 1998 Volume 1 : Number 9

In this issue:

• Re: contrabass
• Re: list V1 #8
• Eb Contrabass Clarinet

Date: Fri, 06 Mar 1998 16:30:37 -0800
From: hume.smith@dess.tallships.istar.ca (Hume Smith)
Subject: Re: contrabass

i haven't subscribed - i get to much email now - but apparently some time ago i'd asked about pipe organs with 64' stops... i'd thought there was one with several of these, but couldn't remember where.

i hunted through the larger (10 KB or more) files at the "osiris archive" (< URL:ftp://osiris.wu-wien.ac.at/pub/earlym-l/organs/ > or < URL:gopher://osiris.wu-wien.ac.at:71/11/pub/earlym-l/organs > the main page is <URL: http://osiris.wu-wien.ac.at/earlym-l/organs/ > it's somewhat badly organised; the organ files are all also accessible through HTTP but there is no index.) and found three that might have true 64' ranks (not resultants from shorter ranks). i'm sending the addresses to you to post since there's been a (tiny :) amount of interest filter back to me about my question.

these don't say they aren't resultants, they just don't say they are.

First Congregational Church, Los Angeles (http)

First Congregational Church, Los Angeles (ftp)

First Congregational Church, Los Angeles (ftp)

First Congregational Church, Los Angeles (gopher)

Royal Albert Hall, London : (http)

Royal Albert Hall, London : (ftp)

Royal Albert Hall, London : (gopher)

and the box i was probably thinking of - Convention Center, Atlantic City (FOUR 64' stops?):

Convention Center, Atlantic City (http)

Convention Center, Atlantic City (ftp)

Convention Center, Atlantic City (gopher)

--

Hume Smith

< URL:http://dess.tallships.istar.ca/%7Ehclsmith/ >

Support Project Magic <URL: http://www.operasoftware.com/alt_os.html >

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 08:06:49 -0500
From: "Farfl's house" <farfl@idirect.ca>
Subject: Re: list V1 #8

>> We mostly bought them for their historical value.

Metal clarinets don't really have much historical value, unless they're Albert System, and even then they're mostly just Collector's items for ethnic and Dixieland musics....metal clarinets are by no means rare; on my last trip to San Francisco, I saw at least one in every pawn shop, in various states of disrepair!

>> Does anyone
> have any experience getting old metal clarinets restored, or want to
> guess how much it might cost?

There's no "trick" to restoring a metal clarinet; it all depends on your repair man's rates. He or she must have a keen "straight" sense, though; sometimes the bodies are bowed, and usually a bend with the hands will straighten such warping problems out! Other than that, and key alignment on those thin metal bodies, it's basically a matter of new pads and corks.

> I would assume that metal clarinets were invented because factories were
> looking for ways to make them more affordable, and plastics weren't yet
> up to today's standards. Is that true?

No; they were basically manufactured for marching purposes; the use of metal instruments in marching bands were for two reasons; weather variables might crack a wooden instrument, and the louder projection of the metal has an advantage when clarinets are trying to compete with brass.

At least two famous professional clarinets used metal clarinets as their main instruments; Mickey Katz, and Joe Rushton (later switching to bass sax exclusively!)

Selmer and Buffet also made good quality metal clarinets. I've seen both "Bb" and "A" models.

Steven Lederman

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 10:02:26 -0800
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Eb Contrabass Clairnet

Here's another person looking for Eb contra music...

>Date: Fri, 06 Mar 1998 22:53:12 -0600
>From: "J.P.Kozak" <archmage@idirect.ca>
>Subject: Eb Contrabass Clairnet

>Would you know of any places I could look for pieces written for an Eb
>Contrabass Clairnet? Even with a piano accomp.? I know it sound silly
>but, not many people know what one is, and I want to show off my talent.

>Thanks,
> Jason Kozak
> archmage@idirect.ca

End of list V1 #9

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