Klarinet Archive - Posting 000899.txt from 1998/09

From: Jacqueline Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: [kl] C clarinet barrels
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 11:06:28 -0400

I'd appreciate a response from any C clarinet owners or repair persons who
have had experience with this problem. Thanks!

The upper barrel socket on my C clarinet is a bit on the tight side for my
mouthpiece. Sometimes when the horn gets all warmed up, the mouthpiece
tends to stick, even when well-greased (I grease before every performance
when I'm switching horns a lot). Once last year, during Traviata, I went
to pull the mouthpiece and ended up with, yes, a ligature and reed in my
hand. I found that covering my bare hand with a swab helped provide some
traction when pulling. I consider myself to be very adept at quick
switches, and feel that the problem lies with the tight barrel socket.

So my question is, has anyone ever had the barrel socket sanded or reamed?
Is this a job that pretty much any repair person could handle (we don't
have a woodwind specialist in town any more) or should it be done only by
very qualified techs? I hesitate to thin down the cork on the mouthpiece
since it is fine for my Bb and A clarinets. I'm going to be starting
Lucia di Lammermoor rehearsals on 10/3 and there are a lot of changes,
with extended periods on the C clarinet, which could mean trouble if I
don't try to fix this problem! On the other hand, I don't want someone to
destroy the only C clarinet barrel I have by not knowing what they are
doing! Thanks!

Jacqueline Eastwood
University of Arizona/Arizona Opera Orchestra
*and now* Double Ring Cycle Survivor
eastwooj@-----.edu

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