Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact us.
What is the shipping policy? What countries do you ship to?
We use UPS for all our deliveries. The shipping is tracked and usually takes 3/4 working days maximum towards countries in the EU from the date of shipping, and 5 working days to the USA. We aim to ship within 24 hours of your order.
We currently only ship to the USA and the 27 countries in the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. However, if you are interested in our products but live outside of the covered area, do get in touch and we'll do all we can to accommodate your request.
For USA customers, the all-inclusive price is USD 260 via PayPal at orders@carbec.it with free UPS Expedited shipping. We ship with all documents according to the American laws and there are no additional customs fees or taxes. Just mention your chosen size/s in the PayPal notes.
Why did you choose unidirectional carbon fiber as the body material for the barrel?
Because it's simply the best material for barrels. We experimented and tried so many different things, but when we managed to obtain the first barrel prototypes in unidirectional carbon fiber (and it wasn't easy) we knew we had created something exceptional. We then perfected shape, characteristics, and production technique thanks to the collaboration with world-leading experts in carbon fiber technology and production, as well as the precious inputs from world-famous clarinet players. The result is the incredible product you can buy today.
What are the specifications of the unidirectional carbon fiber barrel?
Our barrels are specifically designed for French-bore clarinets and they fit every professional model by Buffet, Selmer, Backun, and Yamaha (excluding the CSG) among the others. The bore of the barrel is cylindrical and has been developed with sound reflection and projection in mind. We currently offer our barrels in 3 sizes: 64mm, 65mm, and 66mm. We'll launch additional sizes soon.
Contact us if you've got any additional technical questions. Our in-house clarinettist will get back to you.
Do you offer any warranty on the barrels?
Yes. We are confident our barrels will last for many years. That's why we offer you a 5-year warranty on any fabrication defects. Pretty cool, isn't it? The carbon fibers of the body and rings make the CARBEC barrel extremely resistant to cracks and thermal variations - much more than traditional wooden barrels.
My barrel has small aestethic imperfections. Is it an issue?
No. Every barrel is created thanks to a production process that combines the most advanced technologies of carbon fiber production with artisanal craftmanship. Each barrel is finished by hand, and small differences between one barrel and another do not affect the quality whatsoever. Each piece is uniquely yours.
Why carbon fiber for a mouthpiece?
That's a good question. The answer came to us after decades of musical studies, and actually after our own question: why ebonite, hard rubber, or crystal, given how flawed these materials are? We did our own bit, and researched the topic in detail (that's our job!). Guess what the traditional material for clarinet mouthpieces was? But real wood of course! That gave a beautiful warm sound, but was unfortunately prone to cracking very easily (even more easily than the clarinet itself... we hope you never had problems with yours!). That's why hard rubber and crystal came in after advancements in industrial technology. However, materials used up to now have the many problems we all recognise. Carbon fiber has been increasingly used in musical intruments in recent years, and is now even routinely used by some of the best piano makers, for example. After years of R&D (and many, many attempts and prototypes) we were able to obtain a first example of a carbon fiber mouthpiece.
We think the astounding sound we obtained together with the easiness in playing even the most demanding virtuoso passages and the incredible strenght of the mounthpiece are the best answer to the question. We look forward to launching our mouthpiece as we know so many clarinetists will absolutely love it.