Category: Blog

Clarinet Mouthpieces and Ligatures

Posted on by Brandon

Mouthpiece Setup

Your mouthpiece setup (Reed, Ligature, & Mouthpiece) is a critical component of any total instrument setup, and may be more important than the clarinet itself in the early stages of playing. Assuming the main body of the clarinet working properly, spending a little extra time and money on mouthpiece setup can greatly improve the response, intonation, tone quality, and easy of playing of the instrument. After all, this is the part of the instrument that produces the actual sound. It's important to remember that choosing a mouthpiece setup is an extremely individual process and just because a particular setup works for one person doesn't mean it will work for you. A good clarinet teacher or our clarinet specialist will be able to point you in the right direction so don't be afraid to ask questions. Read More...

Minnesota Bassoon Association presents Per Hannevold masterclass

Posted on by Trent Jacobs
World acclaimed bassoonist Per Hannevold will be presenting a Minnesota Bassoon Association sponsored bassoon masterclass on March 9, 2013 from 2 pm to 5 pm. The MBA inviting six people of any age or ability to play for him.
The masterclass will take place at the Lorenz Auditorium in the Fine Arts Center at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, MN. Please click here for detailed directions.
The Per Hannevold masterclass is free to paid members of the Minnesota Bassoon Association and their families. If you have not paid dues since September, 2012, please plan to pay at the door:  $20 general, $10 students, and you will be an MBA member until September, 2013.  Ask for Ye Yu or John Miller, who will be happy to accept your membership fees.
Per Hannevold

Tube Cane Guide

Posted on by Jeff Marshak

Tube Cane Guide

The foundation of any great reed is the quality of its parts, most importantly the cane used.  One of the most frequently asked questions the oboe staff gets at MMI is ‘What kind of tube cane is really good right now?’  While every oboist looks for different characteristics in their cane, this guide will serve as a breakdown for the general qualities our cane displays.  Keep in mind that different batches of cane will behave differently though there are some consistencies in brands that we see from batch to batch as we sort the cane.  As always, we do not recommend buying large quantities of cane you’ve never worked with before as tube cane is non-returnable.  Start with a quarter pound to determine if the cane will suit your needs.  If you like what you get you can always order more!  If you have any further questions regarding tube cane batches, you can always contact Jeff or Steven at 800.926.5587 for further information and insights! Read More...

Humidification of Woodwinds In Dry Weather

Posted on by Trent Jacobs

Humidification of Woodwinds in Dry Weather

With winter months upon us, a concern with many woodwind players is keeping their instrument properly maintained in dry weather. This is especially important for wood oboes, the instrument most prone to cracking in extreme conditions. Clarinets are less prone to cracking, and bassoons almost never do, and plastic instrument will never crack due to humidity, but they can still be negatively affected by extra dry weather. Potential symptoms of a dry instrument include binding or loose keys, dry pads that don't seal well, loose fitting joints and bell rings or body bands, and a general feeling that the instrument just isn't as resonant as it usually is. We suggest proper humidification of even plastic instruments in dry months.

Read More...

Introducing The Guntram Wolf Contraforte

Posted on by Trent Jacobs

Guntram Wolf Contraforte

The contrabassoon as we know it today is nearly the same design first developed by Heckel in the mid 19th century. It was a short design process too, done at the request of Wagner for his immediate needs.

What would happen if you were to take the concept of a modern bassoon, and modern acoustical research and technology, and re-design from the ground up a new contrabassoon? The goal would be to solve acoustical problems of inconsistency in intonation and tone color, put the tone holes all facing in the same direction (towards the audience) and point the bell up for the best possible projection, modernize the keywork design with ergonomics in mind, and make the range to low A a standard. The result is the Contraforte, the new instrument designed and coproduced by Guntram Wolf and Benedikt Eppelsheim (the designer of world renowned saxophones like the Tubax and the Sopraillo).

  • Compact design
  • Very comfortable and ergonomic keywork
  • Properly located register keys allowing for 4+ octaves of playable range with simple fingerings
  • Highest quality German materials and craftsmanship

Midwest Musical Imports is proud to be the first dealer in the United States to offer this instrument to American bassoonists.

Lewis Lipnick of the National Symphony Orchestra is now advocating for the instrument, and no longer plays a traditional contrabassoon. He recently performed the Aho concerto for contrabassoon (it was written for him) in Helsinki, Finland, and gave an interview demonstrating and talking about the instrument.

Orfeo: the new standard in oboe by Buffet Crampon

Posted on by Trent Jacobs

Orfeo comes to us out of a collaboration between the Buffet Crampon Research and Development team and a group comprising testers, masters and soloists from renowned international orchestras. It is the fruit of labour of a distinguished team, demanding five years of research to attain the level of excellence that was their goal.

Its entire register creates a sensation of excitement with incomparable low tones, consistent over the whole range, and wonderfully easy flow.

Orfeo unites modern materials of utmost reliability with the handcrafted, traditional quality of its manufacture. Without question, the Green LinE material has been used to its maximum technical capacities.

Call us to discuss pricing, availability, and to set up a trial at 1-800-926-5587. Or, browse Buffet Crampon oboes in our online store.

Pitch:
440/443 Hz

Body:
Green LinE
Black tip rings
tenons and sockets metal-0lined
tenon caps

Keywork:
French conservatory system
3 octave keys, semi-0automatic
left hand F lever
highly reliable keywork, silver-plated nickel silver
gold-plated keywork optional
adjustable thumb rest (new design)
thumb plate keys may be added

Case:
High Tech metallic silver and black leather

 

Repair Tips: Tight Tenons

Posted on by Trent Jacobs

This summer has been exceptionally humid, especially in the upper Midwest, which leads to the swelling of wood. If you play oboe, bassoon, clarinet, or other wooden instrument, you may be experiencing tight tenons (where the joints fit together). If your tenons reveal slight friction when assembling your instrument, but come apart when you are finished playing, then just wait out the summer; the tenon/socket fit will get better in a month or two. It is best to not remove material if possible because the tenon will be loose in the Fall after the humidity decreases, and with oboes and clarinets this can mis-adjust the bridge mechanism. However, if your tenons are so tight that force is needed to assemble and disassemble your instrument, bring it in and we will turn down the wood to a proper fit. Do not force the instrument or you can risk bending the keys!

Repair Tips: Stuck Swab

Posted on by Trent Jacobs

Remember to swab out your oboe after every playing session! Always check a pull-through swab for knots before sending through the instrument. The slightest knot in the silk or string can be enough to get the swab stuck near the crown (inside the top of the oboe). If a swab seems to be stuck, but the tail string is still showing out the bottom of the top joint, you can pull on the tail string (with MINIMAL force) to retrieve the swab from your oboe.  However, if your swab does get stuck with no string visible to pull back through the bore, bring it in to us or another qualified repair technician for proper removal. Do not attempt to remove a stuck swab on your own at home! Midwest Musical Imports offers stuck-swab removal at no charge.