’MOE

’Moe is a clarinet-like instrument. Its distinguishing feature is the pitch control system: an open slit runs along the top of the pipe, and a strip of flexible material extends at a slight angle out over the slit. When the player presses the strip down, it covers some portion of the slit depending on where pressed. This is analogous to covering tone holes. Since you can press anywhere along the slit, you can play any pitch along the continuum. To ensure a good seal when pressed down, the strip is made of magnetized plastic, while the body is steel. Other instruments in this collection using the same pitch control system are ’moe flute, ’moe sax and ‘moe mem.

Historical note: I first conceived and built the ‘Moe family of instruments in the early 1990s. Much more recently the Hungarian maker Dániel Váczi has starting building and promoting his Glissonic instruments, which are essentially identical in design and concept. The main difference between Glissonic and ‘Moe is that while the ‘Moes (like all my instruments) have a bit of a homemade quality to them, the Glissonics are refined and beautifully made. I recommend them for anyone who wishes to own and play an instrument of this sort.