Boosey & Hawkes 8-10
saxman
What is your opinion of a boosey and hawkes 8-10 ?
Thanks
Stephen Howard
I've never heard of it...are you sure it's not a 10-10?
If it is, it's very nice indeed - top of the range in its day, and
still highly regarded.
Regards,
--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
Emails to: shwoodwind{who is at}gmx{dot}co{dot}uk
Doug
<sees...@email.uk> writes
>On Sat, 29 Dec 2001 21:46:31 -0800, "saxman"
><idr...@reevefam.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>Hi there,
>> What is your opinion of a boosey and hawkes 8-10 ?
>>Thanks
>>
>
>I've never heard of it...are you sure it's not a 10-10?
>If it is, it's very nice indeed - top of the range in its day, and
>still highly regarded.
>
>Regards,
I keep getting that uneasy feeling that my memory has a hazy idea that
there was a learner's, or an intermediate 8-10 clarinet produced in the
fifties or early sixties. Maybe wrong, but dammit, why should I care I
have a 1010, - at present superseded, - if you please, - by a new Vito
plastic Reso-tone USA bought sparkling brand new from a schoolgirl for
100 quid. She couldn't get the hang of it and probably had her eye on
some teenage craze item, - or else her parents ( from a better-class
housing area, mind you, were having difficulty with the gas bill.
I didn't ask.
The 1010 has an inherent fault which occasionally raises its ugly head,
by squeaking when changing from the chalumeau register ( the bottom
one, children) -G, - (all fingers off), - into the middle register
round about B, C and especially D. I tinker with that funny extra key
on the lower tube which is parallel to the Bnat key on the bottom
barrel which is operated by the ring finger of the left hand, - the one
which also operates the flanged linking key which moves the top barrel
pad for the note D, - (left-hand stinky-finger-- the biggest finger
of the hand) That's an expression I learned in the R.A.F, folks. I
swear I don't know what it means, - honest injun!).
I use Ed Pilinger mouthpieces on both instruments, each crafted to suit
the two different instruments. ( The 1010 has a slightly wider bore,
blows very freely with good tone. I had to shorten the Vito barrel by
2mm to allow me the 440hertz 'A' note with the barrel 1mm pulled out to
enable tuning slightly sharper of needed.
I am very pleased with the Vito and have had my top teeth sorted to get
a full application of the top teeth correctly shaped to the shape of the
top of the mouthpiece. The M'p was pivoting badly on one tooth near the
side. (It's alright folks! I have five of my own teeth there. With a
proper pair of falsy choppers blended in. The slight grinding was done
on the plastic chopper's teeth and a bit done on its plastic former).
The Vito is pleasing with the tone I get, all over, and best of all,
seems to be nicely in tune with itself though the top notes above A (two
fingers, left hand) are very slightly flat and need slight
encouragement.
May be my Christmas layoff embouchure, but will know more next Wednesday
at rehearsal.
Doug.
A happy and prosperous New year 2002 to all clarinet owners and players
out there!.
May fair thoughts and happy hours attend upon you.
holloways
10-10s. I bought them in 1969, played on them until 1976, and shortly after
arriving in Durban SA had them stolen! Three years ago I answered a 'for
sale' ad in the local paper and it turned out to be the 'A' of the pair. I
bought it for sentimental reasons. It clearly hasn't been played since going
missing, probably because it was of no real use to anyone, and looks like
new. I may sell it as there's no real reason to keep it. By the way, I've
also never heard of the 8-10. The 10-10s came with a large bore mouthpiece
and nothing else will play them in tune. The extra key you're talking about
was invented by Geoff Acton who I knew personally from my student days in
London. It was designed to sharpen mid finger F#, but also made the top fork
D# redundant, the middle finger becoming the standard fingering. It took me
quite a while to get used to using the fork fingering again!
Ian Holloway
Principal clarinet KZN Philharmonic, Durban South Africa
Doug
<holl...@freemail.absa.co.za> writes
Ash! - Durban!!........
I could cry when I think of the lavish hospitality visited upon we Royal
Air Force blue Brylcreem boys. Those good people used to line up their
chauffeur driven Pontiacs and Studebakers on the road outside our
Transit Camp at Montclair and invite us to accompany them to their
villas up the hill there, hidden in the tall trees. Just above the City.
They dined and entertained us like we were Royalty. Took us to the
Snake Park on the south shore ,where Andy the black keeper used to walk
in amongst the loose snakes in the corral. He was reputed to have been
bitten so many times and survived , - he was now immune to snake venom
poison.
And then see those mighty roller-waves rolling in!. Higher than two
double-storey houses, they would roar up the beach with lots of fearless
mad youths standing on their surfboards, right on top, sometimes inside
the wide tunnel, too and fro.
The Lighthouse cinema ,- air conditioned and across the ceiling
a pseudo sky with clouds floating slowly past .
The Indian Market ! Tobacco of every kind at half a crown a pound!.
Catch a bus from there on Thursday evening to a lovely suburb, to their
local Community hall, a big swing band playing for dancing and tables
down one side groaning with goody eats!, and drinkies!.
If I remember correctly the suburb was called "Journey's End".
Does anyone know where that suburb was and where the R.A.F. Transit camp
was?.
We boarded the train at the main Station , travelled on the line (along
the river?) and got off at a place called Congella.
No one, - but no-one, - could ever remove the memories from my mind of
those kind, generous Durban folk whose generous hospitality was above
and beyond the call of the norm.
To cap it all, as we sailed for India, "The Lady in White" sang, through
her megaphone, operatic arias to us from the end of the quay, , . She
too, is remembered in my - as yet, - unfinished memoirs.
......But I have gone off topic.
Thank you for the explanation of the extra key I mentioned. I didn't
know that!. Just at the moment I am trying out a new Vito Bb Resotone ,
- with excellent results. At rehearsal this morning I was chuffed with
the tone , but best of all, its intonation over its range was very
pleasing - except for the top Bb which was nearly there, but I was not
wholly satisfied. I felt a slight difference playing the same note with
the first brass, so the next exercise is to check with my tuner now I
know what to look for.
Was it me or was it him?. I will have a good go tomorrow, when I have
more time.
All the best to friends who have taken an interest, All the best to all
for the New year!. from,
Doug
holloways
a Pre-school in Montclair, just below the army base. I was married in 1984
in Montclair Methodist Church though I live in Malvern, Queensburgh.
I once visited Geoff Acton at B&H when I had a problem with my 10-10 and had
a concert same evening. He wasn't sure the problem would be fixed and gave
me a 'secondhand' instrument to try just in case. I couldn't understand why,
although it had the new Acton vent on it, it was so worn out. For me it
seemed so out of tune. Turned out to be a Brymer castoff. He used to wear
them out fast!
Ian H.
"Doug" <d...@yarlside.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:l32Z2JA5...@yarlside.demon.co.uk...
Albert Morris
the early sixties I repaired and O/H a few when I worked for BH. They were
a student / beginner instrument and as far as I can remember were ok. The 8
10 referred to the bore size. Albert Morris
"saxman" <idr...@reevefam.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:a0ld8d$a0n$1...@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...
holloways
realised it would refer to the bore size, along with the 926 and the 10-10
of course. You would have known Geoff Acton too then Albert?