Klarinet Archive - Posting 000216.txt from 1995/12

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Carbon-dating clarinets
Date: Sat, 9 Dec 1995 16:58:47 -0500

Why not just pull off the barrel and count the rings (the tuning rings,
that is)? No sawblades necessary.

On Sat, 9 Dec 1995, John Baetens wrote:

> >On Sat, 9 Dec 1995, Kevin McFadyen wrote:
> >
> >> Does anyone know how I can find out how old my clarinet is?
> >
> >Yes. You have to submit a sample of the wood for carbon dating. So,
> >first you decide from what part of the instrument to remove the wood. I
> >suggest the lower end of the lower body joint. Naturally, after
> >performing this procedure, you won't be able to play all the notes on the
> >instrument, but the clarinet has a very wide range, so you will hardly
> >miss these few notes. Some people might suggest taking the needed wood
> >from the bell where there are no keys or tone holes, but to me, this
> >leaves the instrument with an esthetically unpleasing appearance. On the
> >other hand, if you remove the tenon and some other wood from the lower
> >body joint, you can still assemble the clarinet, although you may need
> >some duct tape to keep it from falling apart. But most people in the
> >audience won't notice this.
> >
> >So, take the clarinet to your workshop, specifically to your band saw
> >table. Remove all the keys from the joint from which you are going to
> >take the sample of wood. (You don't want the metal of the keys to dull
> >your saw blade.) Saw off a couple of inches of wood. Then reassemble
> >the keys, if you can remember how they were attached before the
> >procedure. You may have cut off a couple of posts, so all of the keys
> >may not go back on. Don't worry about this, because with a good
> >fingering chart, you will be able to learn alternate fingerings for some
> >of those notes. If you encounter a note for which you can't find an
> >alternate, just stop playing for a few seconds, look at your reed, and
> >frown. This has worked for woodwind players for centuries!
> >
> >Then, take the wood sample to a scientific laboratory for carbon-dating
> >tests. This should cost you only a couple thousand dollars. Of course,
> >you have to consider the fact that carbon dating is accurate only to
> >within a century or so, but at least they will be able to tell you
> >whether you clarinet was built withing the past 200 years.
> >
> >Hope this helps!
> >
>
> No, no, no! That's doing it the hard way. All you really have to do is
> cut the top section in half and count the rings.
>
> John Baetens.
>
>