Expert: Suzie - 8/23/2009

Question
Hello, I have a non-wood Bundy Eb clarinet and I wonder how old it is. I'm having enough trouble finding serial number listings for Bb Bundy clarinets, so as I suspected, it is even harder finding info on the harmony clarinets. The serial # is 3552.

The clarinet is in good physical condition; the only trouble I have is that the octaves are wide. I'm also not sure the barrel is sealing properly which may be why my upper range is less than stellar. I don't remember the maker of the barrel, but it is plastic and has a thinner diameter than the clarinet. It also wiggles back and forth even after cork reinforcement (it is better than it was, but it still moves). I have a 40mm barrel for it and I have to pull it out no matter what register I'm in. I think the standard barrel length is 42mm, but that's just a guess on my part. I've been told that eefers tend to play flat, so I figured a short barrel would solve that problem. Given what my ear says and what my tuner says, I probably would be ok w/ a standard length barrel (if I could find one that is).

Maybe I just need some embouchure work since I play Eb, Bb, A, and Bb bass. I'm not sure if this says much about how I play, but (with nothing pulled out) I tend to play Eb clarinet sharp (even on the short barrel), Bb clarinet a little sharp, A clarinet a little flat, and bass clarinet slightly sharp. I'm not sure if those differences have to do with the fact that my instruments are different makes and ages. My Bb (made in 1994) and A (made in 1996) are Buffet R13's. On those 2 clarinets, I use a Buffet Moennig 66mm barrel (at least that's what is engraved on it for length, but I have a Buffet Chadash that says it's 64mm and they're the same length). When in college I played a Selmer bass, but I don't know how old it was. If you would like/need additional info such as mouthpieces and reeds/strengths I use, let me know.

Thank you for indulging my tangental tendencies. I play in a community orchestra, so I'd like to sound as good as I can over the different keyed clarinets. I play bass clarinet also, but the bass I had died a slow, painful, and expensive death. Any info is very much appreciated!

Answer
Hello and thanks for writing! Your clarinet is most likely plastic and the serial number should be traceable online through a quick google search for Bundy instrument serial number lists. Personally I'd just consider the clarinet to have been produced around the 1950s. Sometimes you can differentiate between the years by the logos but it's probably difficult to find a timeline of those as well. If the barrel is sealing well or not should be easy to tell during assembly and disassembly of the clarinet as lack of a perfect seal with the cork would make the barrel fit loosely and MAY be the culprit of your register issues. Since the barrel wobbles around, as I just re-read that you'd written, it's going to be a main contributor to any sound issues as it's crucial to have a perfect fit on every joint in order to produce a good tone, etc. As for finding a more suitable clarinet barrel, I'd suggest checking eBay for 'eb clarinet' and it may even be cheaper to get a cheap Chinese-made entire Eb clarinet and just mess with the barrel on it. You could always resell the case, entire clarinet, etc. Hope that helps! Thanks -Suzie