Seggelke Barrel (Bb/A Clarinet)

Seggelke, as I often say, makes great stuff. I've been to his workshop where, on the ground floor he stores and seasons the wood he plans to make instruments — and barrels and bells — from. Here's a photo I took through an open window right after I parked. 

Jochen is kind of genius when it comes to wood, metal, and acoustics, and his barrels are a product of this thinking. 

To Jochen, the barrel isn't just a piece of wood with a bore that attaches the mouthpiece to the clarinet, it's a transition point that is about as important as the instrument itself. Sure, the bore is important (more on that in a moment) but what he taught me is that the material that is closest to the mouthpiece and the material that is closest to the top joint has an effect on the way the instrument responds. And this insight comes from his work with period instruments, where the mouthpiece and barrel were actually one piece! These particular barrels imitate that by having metal only on the bottom socket, with the top socket carbon-fiber banded for strength—so it won't crack. 

Anyway, the result is pretty great. I really like the way they sound and feel, and I think you might, too.

Standard or Reverse Taper — what's the difference?

The bore of barrel isn't usually just a cylindrical tube — it has a shape. In a standard taper, or for Seggelke the "T" taper, the bore gets slightly narrower as you move from the mouthpiece end toward the top joint. The reverse taper ("U" taper) flips that: narrower at the mouthpiece end, wider where the barrel meets the instrument.

So what? The standing wave inside a clarinet bounces back and forth along the bore. When it hits a choke point — where the bore gets narrower — it reflects back with more intensity. Move that choke point, and you're changing where and how that reflection happens, which affects the sound, the response, and the pitch in different parts of the range. A lot of players find the reverse taper opens up the throat tones and makes the break feel a little smoother. Your mileage, as always, will vary.

We currently carry 64mm, 65mm and 66mm barrels in grenadilla, but expect to begin carrying boxwood, olive wood, leadwood and mopane if there's interest. 

Wanna try it?

Order it and see what you think! If you hate the barrel, return it and pay only shipping + credit card transaction fee (3%) — not a bad way to spend 10 bucks!