Klarinet Archive - Posting 000590.txt from 1996/12

From: Steve Fowler <sfowler@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Cracked clarinet
Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 10:32:23 -0500

> I recently purchased a Buffet R-13 for a student. Picked the one horn out of
> a batch of ten. Since then, the clarinet developed a crack into the top side
> key tone hole. The question is, do I advise the student to take the buffet
> warrantee which is replacement of the top joint, or do I advise him/er to
> have the crack repaired and keep the one instrument chosen out of the ten?
> Any thoughts?
>
>

Tom,

You will probably receive 100 different ideas on this, but my 35
years of playing Buffets and 25 years of repairing say have the
instrument pinned. With todays glues and the relatively large number
of good techs available, the odds are the job will be done right.
Take it to the best you can find.

If you were my customer, I would pin and fill the crack, and probably
opt on waiting to see if the crack in the tonehole opened up again
before I would replace the tonehole. (This is a switch for me from
the norm. I would usually pin the crack and replace the tonehole with
an insert.) If you are not near a competent tech, you may want to
consider this from both sides. Chances are pretty good that the
instrument will not crack again.

There used to be a saying that the question wasn't whether a Buffet
would crack or not. The only question was "when" it would crack. Now
the wait is over. If it's a good horn, it will remain so.

good luck,

Steve

Steve Fowler (sfowler@-----.com)
http://www.netcom.com/~sfowler/fms.html
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