During the late '40s, Ralph McLane, then principal clarinetist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, was a frequent visitor to the shop. Known for his wonderful rich tone, Ralph always wanted his instrument to be better, and together he and Moennig experimented with a variety of bore measurements for barrels. McLane would spend hours in Moennig's shop testing, comparing, and listening critically. (I have heard that McLane's favorite testing passage was the Brahms Lullaby or a simple tune like Rock-a-bye Baby.)

The outcome of this "trial and adjustment" experimentation was barrel specifications which Moennig reproduced. One by one, clarinetists who came into his shop adopted these barrels and used them exclusively.

After quite a few years as the demand continued to grow, the Buffet company made a Moennig barrel available as an accessory item. Although these barrels were close to Moennig specifications, they were not ideal because of variations in production or changes due to wood instability. Critical players looking for barrels with true Moennig bores had to depend on knowledgeable repairmen with correctly tapered reamers to check and adjust their barrels on a custom basis. Presently, this is still the case.

To the trained ear, a correctly bored Moennig barrel produces a distinctly better, fuller, richer sound than the standard size barrel when played with most mouthpieces generally in use now and in earlier days. For well trained and experienced clarinetists, the preference has been nearly universal.

Many times when a clarinet gets too free or lackluster, it is possible to greatly improve it by replacing just the barrel. Indeed, the industrious artist, will usually try every barrel in sight to see if it might give some slight bit more satisfaction than the one he is playing.

The reason the Moennig taper bore works so well is that it creates a "choke" in the bore: the lower end of the barrel bore is actually smaller than the bore at the upper end of the upper joint of the clarinet. When the reed vibrates, a standing wave column is created which reflects up and down within the bore of the clarinet. When it reaches the point of a barrel choke, this standing wave column is reflected with much greater intensity back upon itself.

A choke should also be present at the upper end of the bell. Traditionally, the neck of the bell is slightly smaller than the flare of the bore at the bottom of the lower joint. When the choke is correct -- not too much, or even worse, not at all -- the sound is enormously enhanced. Certainly, the bell as well as the barrel can easily make or break the special quality of a favorite clarinet.

If you are unsure as to whether your barrels meet this specification (and if it means enough to you to really know) you can purchase a 3/4 inch telescope gauge and a slide rule micrometer (inside - outside) at a hardware store. Use these to tell you exactly what your dimensions are. (The standard Buffet barrel differs quite a bit from the Moennig by measuring much larger at the bottom. It usually matches the size of the bore at the top of the upper joint.)

It is necessary to check the bore frequently during the first year to determine its stability. If the grain swells up, the barrel can be re-reamed to proper specifications. (The trick here is to find a repairman or friend who has a properly adjusted reamer to make these corrections.) After being played for a year or so, the barrel wil usually become stable and hold its dimensions securely.

In selecting barrels with the best sound, players have found that the softer the wood, the better: hard, shiny finished wood will not produce nearly as good a sound as softer, grainier wood with more open pores. (And, of course, the softer, better sounding wood is more likely to crack during the cold winter months!)

New instruments which have not yet been played in are generally slightly lower in pitch because of their resistance. As they are played and become freer, the pitch will rise slightly. Consequently, a 66mm length barrel is customary in the beginning of the instrument's cycle. The A clarinet usually will need a 65mm barrel in the beginning. (If playing only the A clarinet, a 67mm barrel may be best.)

As mouthpiece and instrument designs are continuing to be modified to achieve different tonal qualities, new inherent problems surface, especially in tuning. This is particularly apparent in mouthpieces which are supposedly attractive because of their darker sound voicing. Unfortunately, there may be a temptation to turn away from the virtues of the Moennig type barrel and the principles which make it work merely to find something that will correct tuning deficiencies. Perhaps we should be on guard against the gradual erosions of sound standards!