Klarinet Archive - Posting 000366.txt from 1995/12

From: "John A. Limpert" <johnl@-----.NET>
Subj: Cracked Clarinet
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 1995 15:43:47 -0500

I have an old clarinet that I bought from a local music store. It is marked
"EVETTE & SCHAEFFER, PARIS FRANCE, MODELE BUFFET-CRAMPON". It appears to be
made out of some type of wood. There is a noticeable crack in the bell that
starts
at the bottom and extends upwards about two inches. I know very little about
clarinets and I was wondering if the crack can be repaired. The clarinet
looks like it was heavily used by its previous owners. Is it worth fixing? I
think it sounds better than my other clarinet, a plastic student LeBlanc,
but the pads and mechanism are not in good condition.

How much of an effect does the material (plastic or wood) have on the sound
of a clarinet? I've noticed that there is alot of discussion about reeds,
mouthpieces and barrels. Sometimes when I listen to CDs I wonder why the
tone of the clarinets sound so different from each other and my playing. Is
it 95% practice and technique or is the instrument important too?

--
John A. Limpert
johnl@-----.Net