Klarinet Archive - Posting 000363.txt from 1997/11

From: Dee Hays <deerich@-----.net>
Subj: Re: your advise about huge crack
Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 10:10:52 -0500

I do not think you can effectively glue the crack and I don't really know=
of
any "temporary fixes". If the instrument is out of warranty, it is qui=
te
common here to have a crack pinned rather than replace the joint. This w=
orks
very well as it seems that the repair is very strong and does not general=
ly
affect the playing of the instrument. Another benefit is that since the =
wood
has now seasoned and settled a bit, it is much less likely to crack again=
in
the future. I have two clarinets that had been pinned before I bought th=
em and
I have now had them for over 30 years. There is no sign of either one cr=
acking
again. With a new joint (new wood), you will once again have to wait a=
nd see
if it is going to crack. But if it is still under warranty, you deserve =
to
have the company replace the joint.

Please do not consider the concert hall responsible, they are not in cont=
rol of
the weather (or perhaps you were just joking about suing the concert hall=
).
Here in the US there are parts of the country where the humidity is even =
lower
than 34% for most of the year. When we turn on the heat, it gets even wo=
rse
(right now my house has a humidity less than 20%). When I moved from Ill=
inois
to South Dakota, my daughter's oboe cracked within 3 months. She now kee=
ps a
humidifier in the case and we oil ALL our wooden instruments regularly.

I do not know if continuing to play will make the crack worse or not.
Sometimes, a crack will get smaller as the wood settles. When they repai=
red
the crack in my daughter's oboe (almost full length of the upper joint an=
d
requiring 5 pins), they first let it sit for 2 months so that it would cl=
ose as
much as possible. However, it was just sitting in the case on the shelf.=
She
was not playing it.

May I suggest that even if you do buy another clarinet, keep your Buffet =
for a
backup. No wooden clarinet is totally immune to cracking. This way you =
will
have a decent instrument to play if something does happen. When I sent m=
y
Leblanc (40+ years old) for a complete overhaul, which including refacing=
the
tone holes and replating the keys, I was stuck playing my old student cla=
rinet
for 3 months. It did not really need the overhaul, but I wanted to be su=
re
that it was in the best possible condition since I really like this instr=
ument.

Jeroen T. Salm wrote:

> hello dear clarinet-players/-lovers,
>
> A week ago there was a very low humidity (someone measured a humid. of
> 34%)in our rehearsel-hall (Frits Philips Hall in Eindhoven-The Netherla=
nds,
> yes, Frits Philips is the founder of the Philips (electronica) company)=
:
> the hobo of our principal hobo-player cracked (lor=E9e), so did the Buf=
fet
> Elite clarinet of my principal and mine (also BC Elite). We (the two
> clarinet-players) have a huge crack (5 cm.) on the same place/spot on t=
he
> lower part of the clarinet. (left side, below the left B-key to the tw=
o
> scres left below the B and Cis key). While playing there comes water/sa=
liva
> out of it, but really problems with resistance or tone-quality isn't (y=
et)
> audible. Due to (problably) arrogance of the BuffetCrampon factory in P=
aris
> I will have to wait two months before they can give me a new lower part=
of
> the clarinet (i.e.: new wood) on wich they put on my old keywork
> (applicatura). (This has happened to me a half year ago also!). At the
> moment I haven't got a fine instrument to play on, for the time being
> (those two months) and Buffet isn't prepared to lend me an identical El=
ite
> clarinet for that time. (I have to give them my whole clarinet) Well,
> folks, I will send my cracked clarinet to Paris after New Year (when ti=
mes
> are not so hectic anymore) but what shall I do in the meantime: *is it
> possible to fix this crack for just a while,* I mean: can we "glue it
> together"? If so, I will try to find someone to do this for me. *Not
> fixing it: is that dangerous?* (I have pretty important concerts to com=
e!)
> BTW: The Elite clarinet of my principal is 8 years old and was never
> cracked before, now, suddenly, a crack at the same spot as my Elite
> clarinet (one year old) at the same day!!! (as the hobo). How, how on e=
arth
> could this happen? (Of course I will sue the orchestra/Frits Philips Ha=
ll).
> *What can we learn from it?*
>
> And: just a few days ago (one day after the cracking-experiences) came =
a
> representative of the LeBlanc company (also here in The Netherlands the
> rep. from the Vandoren company): he had 14 clarinets with him, and I've
> tried them all. I am (by origin) a Wurlitzer player (Reform-Boehm, so:
> german setup) and now for a year BC Elite player. I was very pleased wi=
th
> the LeBlancs (Opus) and immediately in love with the Rosewood Symphonie=
:
> very characterfull... There was only a Bb available at the moment, and
> Paris could make the A available aprox. in februari 98. Well, I cant't =
wait
> to try them, really! I, I would never have believed I would seriously
> consider buying LeBlancs, and, well: I think I will (after I get my Eli=
tes
> back, crackless and sell them).
> The only problem I had with all the LeBlancs was: the throught (how do =
you
> spell this), I mean: g', g#', a', bflat' very, very high pitched (putti=
ng
> your right hand down while playing these notes wasn't good enough: stil=
l 15
> cents to high!). But, "Mr LeBlanc" told me, that I could come to the
> LeBlanc factories and let the make a special designed LeBlanc for me, s=
o
> also the pitch problems could be solved. Well: that is definitely somet=
hing
> else than the somehow arrogant attitude of the Buffet factory: "if they
> sound not well it is your fault, not ours"
>
> OK,
> it seems my clarinet looks like bleeding,
> snif, snif,
>
> yours,
> Jeroen T. Salm
> The Netherlands
> jtsalm@-----.nl