Klarinet Archive - Posting 000726.txt from 1998/05

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] tarnish on keys
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 19:59:37 -0400

At 07:28 PM 5/12/98 -0400, Line Ringuette wrote:
>> I had originally posted about my student's new clarinet, a Buffet E12 with
> silver keys that was tarnishing quite severely and rapidly. Many keys,
> posts and rods were becoming black/blue. The family has been to the
>WW&BW
> three times in the past 6 months (a 4.5 hour drive from Windsor, with 3
> kids!) and the clarinet has been cleaned up there, and anti-tarnish strips
> put into the case. He was given a new case (in case it was reacting to
> materials in that), has taken out the Dampit, no erasers (rubber was
> suggested as the most likely culprit for the tarnish).
> Now, he has been told by people at Boosey that it is probably his Vandoren
> B45 mouthpiece that is causing this tarnish!!!!! (!!!!! is exactly my
> reaction).
>
> 1) have any of you on this list ever heard of this before?
> My student said the rep. from Boosey said they had a problem with this
> before when they used to include a B45 with each new clarinet (I didn't
> know they did this, but does anyone remember this?)
> 2) do hard-rubber mouthpieces differ significantly in materials from one
> brand to another ie: Vandoren v.s. Fobes v.s. L. Combs? They are going
>back to the WW&BW to get another mouthpiece, and another clean-up on the
> instrument. I would really hate for them to keep on doing this..... What
> if they pick another mouthpiece that does the same thing?
>
> If anyone has any comments to make on this situation, I would greatly
> appreciate any input - as I now am at a loss. The tarnish is really not
> like anything I have seen before, and my student keeps on getting
>different
> answers from the WW&BW, and now Boosey....we just don't know who to
>believe
> any more. Also, my student wants to keep this clarinet - he likes it for
> the sound, but the tarnish looks bad; also, when the darkening starts to
> get really severe, he does notice that the key action gets slower and more
> difficult.
>
The Vandoren explanation is pretty hard to swallow. But if the keys are
tarnishing all over, I'd suspect something environmental, either in the
home or the general locality (any sulphur plants nearby?). If the tarnish
is only on contact points, it may be a reaction with the individual's body
chemistry. I know people who can't play a silver flute without getting a
black smudge on their chin! Nickel-plated (or gold-plated) keys would be
the only answer in this case. The slower action is most likely psychological.

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
ICQ UIN 4862265

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

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