Klarinet Archive - Posting 000906.txt from 1997/07

From: deerich@-----.net
Subj: Re: Float Test
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 15:17:27 -0400

pharmacy wrote:
>
> I'm looking at a clarinet to purchase for my daughter. It's been in
> storage for several years, and the person selling it doesn't know if
> it's wood or plastic. A friend of mine who has had experience with this
> sort of thing says that if I float the clarinet in a bathtub of water it
> will designate whether it's made of wood or plastic, the wood type
> floating higher and longer. My question to you is, does it matter how
> many inches of water there are in the tub, and is the temperature of the
> water crucial to the float?
> Thanks,
> Carol

Unless you have a clarinet of known material to compare it against, what
is higher and longer? Also not all wood clarinets are made of the same
type of wood and would float a little differently.

If you go to a qualified repairman, he should be able to tell you
whether it is wood or plastic. If not, I suggest that you look at the
brand and model on the instrument and post that information on the
klarinet list and ask for replies.

Good Luck
Dee Hays
deerich@-----.net