Klarinet Archive - Posting 000655.txt from 1997/05

From: Karl Krelove <kkrelove@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Please Help Me!!
Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 05:45:31 -0400

At 08:20 PM 5/25/97 -0700, you wrote:
>I'm having a clarinet crisis! All of a sudden my alt. key for F#/B natural
>doesn't work. When I press it, it stays open unless I push it back closed.
>Is this something I can fix? I really want to practice and I can't take it
>to the shop till the middle of the week. Can you help??? Thanks so much,
>
>Kathi
>P.S. If I don't fix it I'll have to practice my trumpet (ugh)
>
There aren't too many things that could be wrong. Either the key is binding
between its mounting posts or the spring that pushes it shut is broken or
out of its groove. Visually check the spring and see if it's where it
belongs. (Compare to the left-hand Eb/Bb key - I don't have an instrument
handy, but I'm pretty certain the mechanisms are identical). If the spring
is off, you need to push it back in place (not necessarily easy without a
spring hook - you may have to partially remove the key to get the spring
back in place). To see if the key is binding, try loosening its pivot rod
(unscrew it a little). If that frees it up, you can leave it that way until
you can get to a repairman, or you can try taking the rod out entirely and
cleaning it and the posts the key mounts between. That and a little fresh
key oil may solve the problem. If not, one of the posts may be loose and
rotated slightly out of position or something else may have moved enough to
throw the whole assembly out of alignment. A repair guy needs to deal with
that.

Hope some of this helps.

Karl