Klarinet Archive - Posting 000412.txt from 1995/12

From: Jacqueline G Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Cracked Clarinet
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 1995 11:27:14 -0500

Hi, John,

I THINK that Evette/Schaeffer is like a student model wood horn that
Buffet used to manufacture. I don't know if they still do or not. A
good repairman should be able to pin that crack in the bell and cover it
cosmetically also. A crack in the bell is not as crucial as a crack in
one of the joints, as the bell is primarily for projection and resonance
on those couple lowest notes. The quality of the air column inside the
horn would not be seriously compromised. If the horn sounds good
otherwise, it's probably worth it!

Jacqueline Eastwood
University of Arizona/Arizona Opera Orchestra
eastwooj@-----.edu

On Thu, 14 Dec 1995, John A. Limpert wrote:

> 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
>