The Martin Freres Company manufactures Clarinet Barrels in various types of wood in any length between 35mm and 70mm. We tune and fit barrels for ANY new or vintage Bb, C, Eb Sopranino, G & A clarinet. Contact us today and we'll custom tune a clarinet barrel to fit your clarinet and your playing style!
Martin Freres Company clarinet barrels are approved and played by professional clarinetists throughout the world. Educators recommend Martin FreresTM brand clarinet barrels to their students.
Ringless Traditional Style Wooden Clarinet Barrels
In Your Choice of Instrument Quality Wood; Shown in Bocote Wood
The Ringless Traditional Style Wooden Bb Clarinet Barrel is made of beautiful and extremely dense, instrument-quality wood that provides better overall intonation and a better timbre-match* (especially for throat tones) when compared to the typical clarinet barrel. The ringless traditional style barrel is available in any wood species shown below. Barrels are available in lengths 35mm to 70mm.
The Ringless Traditional Style is the best choice when playing in controlled environments where ambient temperature and humidity are nearly constant for the duration of the performance. The Ringless Traditional is measurably more resonant than a barrel with rings while being the closest style by shape and size to the barrel which originally shipped with your clarinet.
Fatboy Style Wooden Clarinet Barrels
In Your Choice of Instrument Quality Wood; Shown in Grenadilla (African Blackwood)
The FatBoy Style Wooden Bb Clarinet Barrel is made of beautiful, instrument-quality wood which provides better overall intonation and a superior timbre-match when compared to the typical clarinet barrel. The Fatboy style barrel is available in any wood species shown below. Fatboy barrels are available in lengths 35mm to 70mm.
The Fatboy Style is the barrel with the most material protecting the center-bore making it virtually immune to changes in playing temperature, ambient temperature and humidity. The Fatboy style is substantially more resonant than thinner barrels delivering a more complex tonal palette and superior control and projection.
Vase Style Wooden Clarinet Barrels
In Your Choice of Instrument Quality Wood; Shown in Cocobolo Wood
The Vase Style Wooden Bb Clarinet Barrel is a ringless style made of beautiful and extremely dense, instrument-quality Wood that provides better overall intonation and a better timbre-match, especially for throat tones, when compared to the typical clarinet barrel. The Vase style barrel is available in any wood species shown below. Vase style barrels are available in lengths 35mm to 70mm.
The Vase Style is nearly as thick as the Fatboy at its widest point then it thins at the top providing a barrel which plays well regardless of temperature (like the Fatboy) without the additional girth or weight of the Fatboy. The Vase Style allows us to customize tonality by carving its widest external dimension slightly higher or lower on the barrel. The Vase Style is designed to fill an otherwise empty space of acoustic optimization between the Ringless Traditional Style and the Fatboy style.
We have had great success over the years upgrading student level instruments to intermediate and professional level tone simply by replacing the manufacturer's provided barrel with a wooden barrel such as these.
Click for Frequently Asked Questions about clarinet barrels…
Wood-Stock
Bocote Wood
Bloodwood
Bubinga (African Rosewood)
Cocobolo Wood
East Indian Rosewood
Gaboon Ebony
Grenadilla Wood
Honduran Rosewood
Jatoba Wood
Purpleheart Wood
Rock Maple
Wenge Wood
Western Maple
Yellowheart
Zebra Wood
Synthetic Material (DymondwoodTM)
Charcoal
Red Rosewood
Synthetic Material (Ebonite)
Matte Charcoal Barrel w Rings
Glossy Black Barrel w Rings
Each material delivers a slightly different tonal palette.
To Order:
Contact an authorized Martin Freres Company Dealer
Barrels can be custom ordered in any length, bore size and receiver size to match your clarinet. Not sure what to order? No worries. Just let us know your clarinet make, model, serial number, desired barrel length and the type of material. We ensure a match for any clarinet!
Available through your dealer ONLY.
Each clarinet barrel is designed and hand-turned by The Martin Freres Company in the USA and can be ordered to fit ANY clarinet in ANY Key: Eb Soprano, Bb, C, G or A clarinet.
Eb Clarinet Barrels: All Eb Soprano (Sopranino) barrels come with a Bb Reed Receiver Notch allowing the player to use a Bb clarinet reed in addition to the Eb clarinet reed.
Dimensions
Available Lengths: 35mm – 70mm in 0.5mm increments
Available Center Bores:
- Bb/A/C/G: Straight French 14.68mm, Straight Large Bore (Jazz) 15.01mm – 15.30mm, Conical, Reverse Taper, Dual Taper (Hourglass); Default is dual-taper;
- Eb 13mm – 15mm Straight Bore
Available Barrel Tenon Receiver Sizes:
- Bb/A/C/G: Top Mouthpiece Receiver: 22.0mm – 23.0mm inner diameter; 17.0mm – 22.0mm tenon depth; Default diameter is: 22.5mm; Default depth is: 18mm
- Eb: Top Mouthpiece Receiver: 18mm – 21mm inner diameter; 14.0mm – 16.0mm depth; Default diameter is: 20mm; Default depth is: 15mm
- Bb/A/C/G: Bottom: 19mm – 24.5mm inner diameter; 18.0mm – 24.0mm depth; Default diameter is 23.75mm, Default depth is 19.5mm
- Eb: Bottom: 18mm – 21mm inner diameter; 14.0mm – 16.0mm depth; Default diameter is 20.5mm, Default depth is 15mm
Upper Joint Tenon and Bore Sizes and Styles?
There is no standard upper joint tenon and bore-size combination as manufacturers have made many changes over time. So, clarinet barrels are not one-size fits-all. At the time a barrel is ordered, we request the make, model, serial number (or year of manufacture) and upper joint tenon dimensions for each barrel to ensure a perfect fit. The center-bore size and style that we design for your clarinet barrel is carved for optimal acoustic performance.
We play-test every barrel before it ships.
Timbre Match?
On many wind instruments the different registers actually sound like they are different instruments, rather than the same instrument playing a higher or lower note. For most clarinets, upgrading to an instrument quality hardwood barrel which is properly tuned will homogenize the tones (in fact, the entire spectral envelope) throughout all registers such that the listener is able to recognize that the instrument is the same clarinet whether the clarinetist plays an E3 or an E7.
Where's the Logo?
The Martin FreresTM brand maker's mark is not stamped or engraved on the visible exterior of the barrel. Why not? Because we do not have your clarinet we cannot determine the proper orientation of the barrel on the clarinet for optimal performance (sometimes called the sweet spot). Without knowing the proper barrel orientation, we cannot ensure that the best acoustic quality will result with a stamped logo facing outward, in alignment with the maker's marks on the upper joint and lower joint. So, the best place for a logo, is on the box!
Beginning with barrels carved in 2014, Genuine Martin Freres brand clarinet barrels have the style and length stamped on the bottom of the clarinet barrel.
