Klarinet Archive - Posting 000702.txt from 1998/02

From: George Kidder <gkidder@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: re: buffet E12 clarinet
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 03:42:25 -0500

Just a guess without personal experience with the E12:

If it has silver-plated keys (as someone suggested) search the case for any
rubber. Rubber contains sulfer, which tarnishes silver very rapidly. Any
rubber bands in there (perhaps around a pencil or something)? Matches?
Another common source of sulfer in tarnishing silver is egg yoke, but I
can't imagine having THAT in your clarinet case.

At 12:29 AM 2/18/98 -0500, you wrote:

>Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 20:26:29 -0500
>From: "line ringuette" <lringuet@-----.net>
>Subject: re: buffet E12 clarinet
>
>Feb. 16/98
>
>Help!
>
>A student of mine recently purchased a Buffet E12 clarinet from the
>WoodWind and BrassWind and is having some problems with the
>instrument....as I am not very familiar with this model, I would like to
>ask the clarinetists of this list a few questions.
>
>The instrument is 3months old, and already has started to tarnish
>(oxidize?!) severely. This tarnishing does NOT look anything like the
>gradual and normal wearing away that is occuring on my R13 with
>nickel-silver keys. Many of the keys on my student's horn are DARKENING -
>becoming black/blueish; furthermore, this is occuring in areas where his
>hands do not touch the keys regularly (ie: lower joint, all along the LH
>E/B and F#/C# levers!) He is quite worried about his new horn. His family
>is planning a return trip to the WWand BW this Saturday to have the techs
>there look at it (this is a 5-6 hour drive, by the way, with 4 kids going
>along!)
>
>1) has anyone else ever heard, or had personal experience with this
>problem?
>2) does anyone know if this is common to the E12 model, or is it just his
>horn in particular?
>3) if you have had personal experience with this problem, what was done to
>resolve it?
>
>While I do realize that student model clarinets may not receive the same
>quality parts that a professional model would, I have never seen instrument
>keys darken in this way before. I also have another student playing on B12
>and it looks perfectly fine. Furthermore, my student began his playing on
>a Bundy clarinet (way lower grade), and it still looks great!
>
>I would greatly appreciate any help that anyone can offer me, as this is a
>very long trip for his family to undertake, and it would be good if they
>knew ahead of time what to tell the techs at the store.
>Thank you very much,
>Sincerely,
>Ms. Line Ringuette
>lringuet@-----.net
>