Klarinet Archive - Posting 000403.txt from 1998/11

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] wolf tones
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 13:35:40 -0500

I've just finished overhauling the old (probably 1950-ish) hard rubber
clarinet I asked about awhile ago. (It's a stencil horn, manufacturer still
unknown, with a "Carl Fischer" logo.) At least I'd be finished if the dad-
ratted thing didn't give me a soft but annoying wolf tone on the first B and C
above the staff (the C that's fingered with the left thumb alone and the B
that's thumb and first finger). The true tone sounds normal, but under it, I
hear a wolf tone pitched an octave (not a 12th) lower than the true tone. I'm
reasonably sure the register key isn't leaking and I'm certain the tube isn't
dirty. Any suggestions on what could be causing this noise and how to get rid
of it? The overhaul included all the corks, all the pads, two of the springs
and washing inside and out.

BTW, when I asked if anyone could help identify the manufacturer, I said the
horn had nickel keys. They had dulled to a grey color I associate with old
nickel, but when I took them off, I found black tarnish in the tight places
and soon discovered that the keys are silver-plated, something that surprises
me in a rubber student-quality horn. Except for the wolf tones, it doesn't
sound bad (right hand in the chalumeau is consistently a bit flat), although
it wouldn't pass for a pro-quality instrument. Thanks for any help!

Lelia
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"There's no music when a woman's in the choir."
--Thomas Dekker, _The Honest Whore_, Part I:2 (1602)
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