Klarinet Archive - Posting 000380.txt from 1996/01

From: sfowler <"Steve Fowler"@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: repairing clarinet cracks
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 1996 14:06:04 -0500

> I just recently started reading these messages...so I hope this topic hasn't
> been discussed recently. I have a Buffet clarinet, purchased in 1980, that
> has had 2 cracks in itsince about 1987 (one kind of parallel to the register
> key and one directly opposite it). Anyway, I'm wondering what is involved
> in getting it fixed...are there alot of options? Also, is there any chance
> that fixing clarinet cracks could hurt the sound, rather than improve it?
>
> Thanks,
> Mary

Mary,

Repairing your clarinet is no big deal. Take it to someone you trust
and have it done. It use to be that there was an argument between
pinning and flush banding, that is shrinking a metal band around the
instrument to draw the crack together again. While Selmer seemed to
prefer banding, most others preferred pinning. With today's wonderful
new glue technologies, pinning is the only way to go. It does not
change the sound, unless the crakcs are in fact leaking, and then of
course it improves it, and if properly done is nearly invisible.

One suggestion: if you are not going to get it pinned any time soon,
take a pencil and mark the crack for its' entire length. This way
your tech will still know where the crack is when it closes up after
you stop playing and it sits on his shelf waiting to be done.

Good luck.

Steve

Steve Fowler (sfowler@-----.com)