Klarinet Archive - Posting 000269.txt from 1997/11

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Vacuum test
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 19:22:19 -0500

At 08:33 AM 11/6/97 -0600, Neil Leupold wrote:
>I wish I had one of those feelers. Where is one available? Frankly,
>I think it's something every clarinet player should own, right up
>there with a mini-screwdriver. What is the feeler made of, anyway?
>To my eye, it looks like a little piece of cassette tape attached
>to a handle.

I was taught by a man from the King Musical Instrument Co. to make my own
feeler guage using about a 4-6 inch length of plastic soda straw, and, as
you guessed, a piece of magnetic tape. It is very handy. I figure any
serious, self-respecting instrumentalist should be able to at least
DIAGNOSE basic problems with his horn, and repair himself the simpler ones
(loose screws, an occasional pad or cork, etc.) Otherwise, you are
completely at the mercy or your instrument and your technician. And, like
computers, instruments have "critical detectors" in them, which sense how
important the task (performance) is and cause breakdowns in direct
proportion to that importance.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.