| The picture above shows the bronze insert to the left of the barrel. When your barrel is shipped the insert is already inserted, there's no need to remove it. But it is removable by shoving a tube of VanDoren or Selmer cork grease underneath the bottom opening and pushing up against the insert until it pops out through the top. I experimented for months trying different inserts with different barrels, and like other barrels and mouthpieces, I learned that these barrels are each unique. That is, four barrels with the same insert, say an R4 play differently. Some are darker or brighter, etc. And the inserts measure the same to a .001 inch (thousanth)! That proved to me that the wood is just as important as the size and dimension of the interior. No two play alike, but in most cases (90%) I have found that the Convertabore outperforms other barrels, including the originals, on a Buffet, Selmer, Yamaha or Rossi clarinet. That is, they respond faster, making the staccato easier even though they sound darker but less stuffy. Also, I was delighted to discover that, unlike my other solid-wood barrels that seem to get warmer and sharper the longer you play them, the Convertabores rise to temperature in about 10 seconds and stay that way for hours. In other words, after warming up for a minute you're at A440, after 40 minutes you won't have to pull out much, maybe a millimeter. When I'm playing my favorite piece, the Brahms Clarinet Quintet with strings, I have to pull out only at the end of the first movement about a millimeter and stay there till the finale! I also find tuning is more flexible in general with these barrels. Easier to bring the pitch in either direction. |
|
|
| I recently acquired a set of new Selmer Signature clarinets. I was delighted with both the A and Bb and played them many hours daily either at work or home until one day at Fox studios on a cartoon show after the fourth hour of sixteen note triplets the upper joint swelled. (It was incredibly humid out for days).The throat F# ring stuck to the tone hole chimney, making the horn unplayable and I had to transpose the sextuplets up a half-step on the A clarinet until I was able to back out the screw of the Bb clarinet and free up the ring, which worked. Anyway, after losing even more hair, I got home and filed the 1st-finger ring key that was binding and after play-testing the horn I noticed the center was missing in the tone. My horn had lost it's pizzazz. After measuring my Signature barrel I found that it was badly warped by over .003 inch! It was no longer round. The horn played fine with the longer 64.5mm Selmer barrel. As much as I loved the horn I knew I had to have a barrel made for it. The bore of this clarinet is different than the R13 and 10G and it took awhile for Bob Malone of Artist Tech to machine an insert for it, since I requested a new taper size. I was a little nervous after realizing this experiment with a bronze insert for the Signature would cost hundreds of dollars and very few customers for this new Convertabore size, but was relieved when I tried them. They totally outplayed the originals and I'm happily using four of them on my Signatures. So if anyone out there is lucky enough to own a Signature, I have barrels available in 62.5mm - the short size for that instrument, and the longer 64.5mm. Even smaller sizes, like 60.5mm can be special ordered. |
| Available in 62.5mm, 64.5mm, 65mm and 66mm lengths and six tapered models: |
|
|
Traditional Moennig style reverse taper. My preference for orchestra work on a Buffet R-13. Best projection. |
|
|
Vintage Buffet (1958-1968) style, very slight reverse taper. Sweeter, lighter sound. Great for chamber music on older Buffets. |
|
|
Standard reverse taper. Bigger diameter at the top than the R4. My favorite for recording work. Darkest sound on Buffet and Selmer 10Gs and Yamahas. |
|
|
For clarinet in A. Same taper as R2B but smaller overall diameter. |
|
|
For Selmer Signature clarinet in Bb. In 62.5mm and 64.5mm |
|
|
For Selmer Signature clarinet in A. In 62.5mm and 64.5mm |
|
|
|
 |
SET OF THREE:
.5mm, 1mm and 2mm |
