A product review by Leslie Craven for CASS
Backun Musical Services Limited
I recently received a package of three
bells and eight barrels manufactured by Backun Musical Services. Joel Jaffe
their contact in Vancouver sent me these to try with absolutely no obligation.
He said I would not be disappointed, this turned out to be a considerable
understatement. I was (as usual) sceptical about the difference the
barrels and bells would make to my Leblanc clarinets but undertook a thorough
testing of all the products sent.
To my absolute delight the barrels and bells made a phenomenal difference - more depth of sound in the lower register and a kaleidoscope of different colours in the upper register to say nothing of improved throat notes and generally improving (although it is good on the Leblanc Opus) the tuning scale to make it virtually perfect but still very flexible.
The beauty of sound these bells and barrels achieve is truly remarkable and not only do they sound Warm and full of interest but they are works of art, the machining is perfect and the wood looks fabulous - in my case the bells are cocobolo wood.
Having decided that I enjoyed the difference in timbre they contributed to my overall sound concept, I decided to see if my colleagues and students liked the results.
Every one of the ten students I played to agreed that the sound difference was considerable and immediately audible. Sometimes differences in timbre are perceived by the player but not the listener, the feel or resistance the governing factor (as is often the case with ligatures) - not so with the Backun barrels and bells - the sound is audibly enhanced with different colours and complex nuances - rather like a fine vintage wine.
I allowed my advanced students to try the bells and barrels for themselves and in every case the same delighted smile registered with each and every student once they heard the remarkable improvement in the sound. One student who had been struggling with the intonation on her Buffet Vintage clarinets suddenly grinned from ear to ear when we checked her instrument with a tuning machine after changing to the Backun barrel and bell that I had selected for her to try. The clarinet suddenly for the first time seemed to play almost perfectly in tune. This particular student has "perfect" pitch and was acutely aware of the minor (but to her significant) imperfections of tuning that she could not correct until she tried the Backun barrel and bell. All the students noted improvement in the intonation and sound quality, particularly the "bell" notes E, F, and their corresponding twelfths.
Each and every barrel has different playing characteristics with its own timbre and resonance, depending on type of wood and barrel design employed.
The Cocobolo wood gives a complex, slightly less focused but nonetheless well projected sound which feels less resistant (than the conventional grenadilla barrels supplied by clarinet manufacturers). I found the cocobolo barrels facilitated high register production and enabled rapid staccato more readily. I prefer to play with slightly thicker "oversized" barrels rather than standard ones; I believe this gives more depth to the sound. The barrels sent me by Joel Jaffe included some of the "oversized" variety and it is these that I preferred to the standard sized barrels.
My colleagues Daniel Rye and Peter Fielding of the WNO Orchestra were equally impressed. Mr Rye a staunch Selmer Recital man (like myself for many years until I changed to Leblanc) had to admit that my Opus clarinets with these barrels and bells were significantly improved - he was rather taken aback by the change in the depth of timbre and was visibly impressed when he tried them - the familiar grin of the extremely pleasantly surprised clarinettist (exactly the same result in fact as with the students). He may yet be converted to Leblanc, but only with the addition of Backun bells and barrels.
Surprisingly I found the bell made almost more difference to the overall sound of the clarinet than the barrel, and seemed to give a rich, resonant, ring to the whole range of the instrument.
I tried the other varieties of wooden barrels sent me and found that the darker wood (I think it was Grenadilla) gave a more focused sound with a compactness (perhaps more suited to resonant acoustics) although equally beautiful in sound.
The Cocobolo bells enabled loud dynamics to be played without the associated edge that some clarinets produce. I played them in the orchestra pit and everyone seemed to prefer the sound compared to the conventional barrels and bells.
I will be playing them soon at the Proms - it will be interesting to compare their performance in a large venue - I have a feeling they will sound great!
Morrie Backun the designer of these bells and barrels uses computer technology to programme the different tapers, grooves in the Bells and other innovations found in his products.
Using computer technology means that he can reproduce the accuracy of taper time and time again to a tolerance of two ten thousands of an inch - amazing accuracy - particularly in hardwood.
The barrels have not got the traditional metal rings but beautifully designed wooden rings which give the barrels an old fashioned period instrument look. The bells also have no conventional ring which enables the wood to vibrate more freely, enhancing the sound.
The barrels and bells are guaranteed for life against cracking. This does not mean that they will not crack, wood is a living material and is therefore prone to climate change and few companies would have the confidence in their product to give such a comprehensive guarantee.
The Backun company also makes curved "crooks" from wood and is making entire bespoke clarinets to suit the individual with several choices of key style, position and metal available. The instruments will have individually made to measure sterling silver or 14 karat gold keys (no plating) plus any enhancements required; for instance a voicing mechanism for the throat Bb or a low F vent to aid tuning. I am (as you will have gathered from this review) convinced that these products are the ultimate so far in clarinet development - I strongly advise all who wish to improve their sound to try these Barrels Bells and indeed instruments - in the words of Joel Jaffe - "You will not be disappointed".