[Dixielandjazz] Click Tuning Barrel - more

[Russ Guarino]

Re: shaving the cork.

I took it to a repair guy in my neighborhood and he did it this way....

He took a single edge [ old fashion shaving blade ] Gillette blade, [ you can
get them at the hardware store, they are still made  to scrape paint off windows
] and cut the cork in thin slices working down from the open end of the cork to
the body of the clarinet section. He did a slice and then moved the cord section
a little clockwise and took another slice repeating the process until he had
traveled 360 degrees.  The slices are very thin, no gouging.

He kept checking the fit after every few slices to see if it was enough.  When
he was satisfied with the better fit, he then took a piece of window screen, cut
in a narrow piece and "sanded" the cork to make ti smooth.

The "Click" barrel is still tight but less so and is now manageable.  The thing
I don't like about being so tight is that to remove it, I have to hold the
clarinet piece very tightly with my right had as I twist off the "Click".  I am
always afraid I will bend some of the key extensions or break them off
completely.  I really grease up the cork to make it slippery.. After a long gig,
I find the click barrel tends to seal with the clarinet and is hard to remove.

My Click is still tight and I am thinking of shaving off a little more cork.
Larry Walton's mention of the thin bottom of the Click and the possibility of a
break is motivating me to get to it right away.  This time I'll do it myself,
except I don't yet know how I will sand the cork.

Russ Guarino
Clarinet Maverick

Rob & Carla Henneveld - Jazz Connection wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I read about the barrel (ok, not the whiskey). Just got one from a music
> store. The man said: just try it. I still have not find out if there is a
> chance in sound. I play a 10S Selmer Clarinet.
>
> About the cork: the barrel is to tight. Russ: you shaved the cork. What do
> you use to shave?
>
> The price is also something. A new barrel is about 200 (euro). The plastic
> Tuning barrel is 75 euro.
>
> Thanks for the tip(s).
>
> Warmest regards,
> ______________________
> Jazz Connection / Yes2Jazz
> Gouda Holland
> www.jazzconnection.nl
>
> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: Russ Guarino [mailto:russg at redshift.com]
> Verzonden: dinsdag 15 november 2005 19:43
> Aan: Larry Walton Entertainment
> CC: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> Onderwerp: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Click Tuning Barrel - more
>
> Larry,
>
> Thanks for the tip.  I will keep a sharp eye on the unit.
>
> When I first started using the barrel, it was way too tight and I had to
> lube the cork a lot to get it on.  I then shaved the cork to let it fit
> better.  I can certainly see that it might crack under that kind of
> pressure. It still may be too tight.  I'm going to recheck.
>
> Russ Guarino
>
> Larry Walton Entertainment wrote:
>
> > Be careful with your barrel. There is one weak point and that is inside
> > on the bottom where there are ribs in the plastic resembling flutes in
> > card board. mine has cracked. the plastic is only about 1/16" thick and
> > has developed a sharp edge that wants to gouge the cork even though it
> > is reasonably smooth on the inside. I think that it's expanding on the
> > cork causing a gap that the cork wants to expand into. It must be tiny
> > but unless I push it straight on and off it wants to scrape the cork.
> >
> > I didn't notice any change in sound with or without the barrel on my 10G
> > Larry
> >
> > Russ Guarino wrote:
> > > Barrie,
> > >
> > > I have been using the "Click" barrel for about four months now and have
> been very satisfied.
> > >
> > > The barrel did not change the tone of the instrument in any way, a
> concern that worried me before getting the devise.  I still get the pure,
> clean, robust sound the 10G Selmer delivered initially.  Yesterday, I loaned
> the barrel to the clarinet player in the guest band at our monthly "Hot
> Jazz" meeting who was having some trouble getting into tune.  It worked for
> her too, using an older Selmer horn and a crystal mouthpiece.
> > >
> > > I used the factory barrel for a long time and just tolerated the flat
> intonation as it wasn't too bad.  The mouthpiece I use is the Selmer HS**
> and perhaps is the reason I play flat with the factory barrel.
> > >
> > > The "Click" barrel is noticeably shorter than the regular barrel and I
> have been playing  the bottom  position although I recently had the
> experience of having to lengthen the barrel in a dry warm day.  [ We don't
> get many of those in Monterey, California ].
> > >
> > > The way to move the barrel, I learned after much fussing around, is to
> hold the barrel in the left hand, palm up and "thumb" the roller with the
> right hand, palm down.
> > >
> > > The other model I tried had a ring at the top that  twisted clock and
> counter clock wise, like a bottle cap, but I never could get it to work.
> > >
> > > The Click barrel gives me great pleasure when I get precisely in tune.
> I tune by ear to the keyboard, A = 440.  I notice my improv is always much
> improved when I am dead on with intonation.
> > >
> > > By the way, there have been some really good discussions about clarinet
> tuning by Larry Walton, Steve barbone and others. Check the past mailings
> for some good tips.
> > >
> > > Russ Guarino
> > > Clarinet Maverick.
> > >
> > > Barrie Walter Marshall wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >> This has probably been asked before, I see the Click Tuning Barrel
> mentioned now and again, I have trouble with tuning now and again, and I
> like gadgets, are there any comments from clarinet players out there as to
> its worth, if I do decide to try one I think I will get the locking one, the
> purchase of this relies on the positive or negative replies to this
> question, I have read reviews and they vary greatly, I want words from the
> horses mouth so to speak!
> > >>
> > >> Thanks
> > >>
> > >> Barrie
> > >> _______________________________________________
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> > >>
> > >
> > >
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> > >
> > >