Klarinet Archive - Posting 000533.txt from 1997/02

From: Gary Young <gyoung@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Brannen Woodwinds (formerly Boring Bass Clarinet parts)
Date: Sat, 15 Feb 1997 17:24:35 -0500

On February 15, Barbaraaan J. Bongiovanni wrote:

"It really pays to get Brannen to work on your clarinets!"

J. Lawrie Bloom expressed similar sentiments recently. Here's a current
Brannen story. Late last Sunday evening I discovered a crack in my Bb R-13
upper joint (are all cracks in the upper joint? I've never seen one in the
lower joint). The crack ran from the shoulder down through the top side
key hole and migrated over to the Ab (throat tone) hole. Yech. I'm sure
the crack hadn't been there before. I figured I'd have to use my old
Buffet Crampon Bb, vintage 1940's and on the shelf since 1990, to play at a
concert this coming Tuesday. I spoke to Linda Brannen by phone Tuesday
morning (the Brannens prefer you not call on Mondays or Wednesdays) and
told her my problem, including the performance schedule. I shipped the Bb
by UPS to Evanston (from Wisconsin) later Tuesday, along with my A (so both
could get overhauled while they were fixing the crack) -- and I had them
back on Friday, the crack pinned and both instruments working like a dream.
Incredible turnaround time.

Incidentally, I played the Buffet Crampon (serial # 31087) for five days,
and except for a bit of a problem at the bottom end, it sounded pretty
good. (It would sound even better if I got it some routine maintenance.)
I.e. it hasn't "blown out," whatever that means. (What does it mean?)