[bradfordlloyd]

I'm interested in one of those Fobes Eb clarinet extensions for my current vintage eefer (it's a Martin Freres that's surprisingly good), but they are designed for more "standard" modern instruments.

So, would someone with an R-13 eefer please measure your tenon length and outside diameter (in mm please) so I can confirm if one of these things will work for me!

Thanks in advance....and any advice the Fobes Extension is appreciated as well

 

[Psolomon]

Ever since starting it in 8th grade, i've always loved the E-flat, and i (sometimes) even consider it my favorite instrument simply because of how much fun it is to play.:bluewink: My Eb is a vintage Leblanc Symphonie II, so i know how these types of vintage instruments sound; in my opinion they don't need much other than a good mouthpiece+reed setup (a backun barrel wouldn't hurt, either!), but i have heard a lot of very positive reviews of the Fobes extension. One buyer on WWBW was quoted saying that the extension "works like magic" in sweeting the tone and intonation. For the price, it's about as expensive as a good new barrel, and is probably better. I haven't really tried it, and i'm still saving up my money to get a Bb/A double case (i just got my new E11 in A :mrgreen, but i'de say its certainly worth trying. any good retailer will give you an opportunity to try out the accessory before you make a final purchase, wether it's a retail store or an online shop. I'm just wondering where you would put it in the case; i have a Buffet Prestige case (Weiner Music was kind enough to include this BEAUTIFUL case with my purchase), which has a small storage compartment, about the size of 4 reeds, which i assume it would fit nicely into, though i wouldn't want it shaking around too much. See if you can get it from Woodwind Brasswind, Weiner Music, or Muncy Winds; they'll let you try it out first. If you do, please let me know what you think of it!

 

[Merlin]

Here's the measurements of my Fobes extension itself:

Socket
I.D. - 23 mm
Depth - 17 mm

Tenon on the extension has the same dimensions.

I use mine with a Buffet E-11 (German made) Eb clarinet

 

[bradfordlloyd]

Thanks for the responses, gentlemen. After much discussion with Clark Fobes himself -- who was just amazingly helpful and friendly, btw -- I'm now in possession of a Fobes extension that will require a bit of "customization" to fit on my vintage eefer. I'll be working on that today and will definitely report back.

Merlin -- how do you like your extension? Does it improve your tone/intonation? Do you always use it as part of your eefer setup, or use it only on occasion?

 

[Merlin]

Thanks for the responses, gentlemen. After much discussion with Clark Fobes himself -- who was just amazingly helpful and friendly, btw -- I'm now in possession of a Fobes extension that will require a bit of "customization" to fit on my vintage eefer. I'll be working on that today and will definitely report back.

Merlin -- how do you like your extension? Does it improve your tone/intonation? Do you always use it as part of your eefer setup, or use it only on occasion?

The most notable difference with the extension is the clarity of the bell notes, E/B. That alone is worth the price in my mind. Resistance crossing the break seems to be minimized, which is always helpful. The low register intonation is improved too. I used to close one of the bell keys for notes between A1 and D1; don't need to anymore.

I always use the extension now. My E-11 is kinda tricked out - I have the Fobes extension, a Robert Scott barrel and a Daniel Johnston m/p on it. I lucked out with the horn itself, as I got it when the Canadian distributor was closing out this model. Got it for a song.

 

[bradfordlloyd]

Okay, so after some "customization" to fit my vintage Martin Freres eefer (neither the Leblanc nor the Buffet-designed extensions fit perfectly, so some sanding was required -- which Clark Fobes himself gave me direction on), the extension has successfully deepened and improved the tone throughout all registers. Intonation seems improved as well. And, I might be imagining it, but even the altissimo register seems to speak more easily and more in tune. Good stuff....well worth the investment in my mind (well, after the first practice session with it).

Merlin -- my horn is now "tricked out" as well with a vintage Hite mpc, custom blackwood ringless barrel, and now the extension. I also lucked out on the horn and picked it up for a couple hundred dollars thinking it might someday sound good. Wow, it was a bet that paid off!

Psolomon -- I'm not sure it "works like magic", but it certainly seems to work well. The extension is also quite compact and fits easily in my case (which is also a Buffet Prestige case from Weiner, with the 3" x 3" compartment.

 

[Clark W Fobes]

So, the extension saga continues. When I originally designed my Eb extension it was for a 1981 R-13 which is what I play. I had no idea at the time how many variations there would be! From a practical standpoint, I have now only made 3 different designs. They accommodate 1. Buffet, 2. Selmer and 3. Leblanc. Older instruments and student or step up instruments may have slightly different dimensions. I believe that the Buffet extension needs to be slightly enlarged for Yamaha and Patricola Ebs. It is interesting, that despite the variation in tenon dimensions, the bore I use for the Buffet extension works on all other horns. I don't think the dimensional variations at the exit of the bell flare of .005" - .010" create much of a problem. The most important factor seems to be to have a slight choke where the bell flare meets the extension bore. Because the B natural is now produced at the tone hole, the length of the bell does not affect tuning. What is nice about having a tone hole for the E/B is that one can fine tune the hole for proper intonation. I am always happy to answer any questions about my products before you commit to purchasing them from one of my several retailers.

Clark

 

[bradfordlloyd]

Thanks, Clark, for your comments. It's a terrific product that has markedly improved my instrument. I'm so glad that you were able to suggest some solutions to make the extension fit my admittedly "off the beaten path" vintage eefer. With a very few simple alterations (that took me only a few minutes), I'm sure that the standard extensions you offer could be made to fit nearly any Eb clarinet.

Working with you has been a pleasure, and I can attest that you really are always happy to answer questions about your products. Thank you!