Klarinet Archive - Posting 000145.txt from 1994/02

From: "Jay Heiser, Product Manager, Govt Systems" <jayh@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Older clarinets (could the acoustic properties of the wood
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 1994 22:21:05 -0500

-->From sco.sco.com!vtbit.cc.vt.edu!vccscent.bitnet!klarinet Thu Feb 10 18:18:00
1994
-->Date: Thu, 10 Feb 1994 23:47:15 +0100
-->Reply-To: Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network
<KLARINET%VCCSCENT.BITNET@-----.EDU>
-->Sender: Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network
<KLARINET%VCCSCENT.BITNET@-----.EDU>
-->From: Cary Karp <nrm-karp@-----.SE>
-->Subject: Re: Older clarinets
-->To: Multiple recipients of list KLARINET
<KLARINET%VCCSCENT.BITNET@-----.EDU>
-->In-Reply-To: <199402102232.XAA07731@-----.se>
-->Message-ID: <9402101511.aa25412@-----.COM>
-->
-->On Thu, 10 Feb 1994, Dr. Ronald P. Monsen wrote:
-->
-->> PS: I have also been told that if the bore gets really (LH) gucked up the
-->> horn plays bery poorly indeed. Keep your bores clean--I've got some
clarinets
-->> with 289,000 miles+ on them and the bore still looks like a good skeet gun.
-->
-->I have to confess that the aging problem has me more than slightly
-->perplexed. I suspect that I've worked more with really old clarinets than
-->anyone else on this list and would like to think that I know a bit about
-->the mechanisms of aging and their musical consequences, as well as their
-->remedial treatment. The problem is that I can't see any clear reason for
-->the reduction in playing quality of grenadilla instruments that are only
-->a few decades old -- either as I have observed it, myself, or as others
-->report it.
-->
-->One thing's for sure, though, and that is that repeated swabbing -- which
-->keeps the bore looking like a skeet gun -- removes material from the
-->surface of the bore and thereby changes its dimensions. It's quite
-->possible that this effect is adequate to explain the entire problem. I've
-->got a few other suspicions which I'll enumerate if the subject turns out
-->to be a "hot" one. As a laboratory exercise I may end up seeing what I can
-->do about restoring my trusty old R13 #49241. Whatever has caused it to
-->tire hasn't been helped by the standard battery of commercial overhaul
-->procedures.

This is plausible. Is it at all possible that the acoustic
properties of the wood change? Acoustic guitarist & violinists
all agree that spruce improves as it ages. Cedar probably does
not to anywhere near as significant a degree, although all
wooden guitars seem to get better.

If spruce improves, I'm completely prepared to believe that
grenadilla deteriorates.

Is grenadilla harder or softer than hard rubber? I've
heard stories of mouthpiece makers
using small pieces of newspaper to make fine adjustments
to the bore of new moutpieces, and I've certainly seen heavily
worn mouthpieces. I wouldn't expect the bore of the instrument
to be as critical, but over time damage could be significant.
(do they still make those nasty sax neck swabs with the
flexible metal shaft?)

What happens if you don't swab a clarinet? Or don't do it
as often?

The story I've heard with silk swabs is that they 'polish'
the bore, thereby improving the sound.
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