User manual

20
CAUTION -
Tapering or domed
instruments:
With most instru-
ments, there is lit-
tle restriction on the
position around the
sound box where the
H-clamp can be fitted.
However, for instru-
ments with sound
boxes that are consid-
erably deeper (front
to back) at one end
than another or that
have domed sound
boards or backs, more
care may be needed
in positioning the H-
clamp. The H-clamp
is designed to accept
small angle discrepan-
cies in any axis but it
is advisable to choose
a position where the
top and bottom edges
are as parallel as possible and any doming of the sound board or back is
minimal. In practice, only instruments with unusually pronounced taper-
ing or doming are likely to present any problems. Even these instruments
tend to have more parallel sides at the opposite ends (around the neck and
spike or strap button) of the sound box.
Nevertheless, if there are no convenient locations on the instrument where
these deviations from square are acceptable, it may not be possible to use
the H-clamp with larger microphones. This need not necessarily prevent
the use of the H-clamp with lighter microphones (pencil style instrument
microphones or smaller) but greater care when fitting will be needed even
with these to ensure neither the instrument nor the microphone is dam-
aged. For any attachment position with significant tapering, precautions
such as those described on page 19 must be observed more carefully, even
for the lightest of microphones. Particular care must be taken not to tight-
en the clamp so hard that the hard rims of the disks meet the edges of the
instrument or an instrument’s domed surfaces are compressed.
Tapering tends to be more of an issue along the sides of the
instruments such as guitars (not normally significant for cel-
los or double bases).
Tapering is usually minimal
at the ends of guitars.
Some cello or double bass
bodies may taper at the top.