Klarinet Archive - Posting 000457.txt from 1999/02

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] key problem
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 23:15:12 -0500

"Mark A. Bradley" wrote:
>
> Fred <fsheim@-----.com> wrote:
> > Perhaps the right hand pinky key is bent up. Did you hit it at any time?
> I don't recall doing anything that would cause any of this damage except
> playing Tschaïkowski's 4th a tempo (yeah I know I'm a wimp). In any
> case I think that either the key is bent or as Mr. Bush suggested that
> the overriding arm over the left hand lever is bent.
>
> Richard Bush wrote:
> > The open elevation of the E/B key piece and pad cup is determined by
> > cork under the left hand E/B lever (where the lever rests against the
> > body of the clarinet) and, if the left hand lever is stepped rather than
> > being a finger going into a hole, by a thin piece of cork, either on the
> > top of the lever or on the underside of the overriding arm that comes
> > off the E/B key to the left side of the clarinet. There should be no
> > play between the left hand lever and the overriding arm when the left
> > hand lever is actuated.
>
> There was space between the left hand lever and the right hand key's arm
> which leads me to think it must be something other than the cork. What
> I have now is another layer of cork on the lever that does eliminate the
> play between the keys, although there is still about 1-2mm space between
> the right hand key and the spatula. The left hand F#/C# key has some
> play between the lever and the arm and since I have not had much problem
> with that then I assume that it's all okay.
>
> For what it's worth, when the right hand key was high so was the pad,
> and the movement of the key was still synchronized exactly with the pad
> but both were just high.
>
> What I will end up doing probably is take it to a repairman to get this
> and some other small things fixed since my last wonderful repair job by
> M. Kloc.
>
> Thanks to all for the help!
> Mark A. Bradley
> markb@-----.com
> Chazy, NY
>
Mark,

First, what you're calling a key spatula is actually the crow foot. A
key spatula is that part of any key where fingers touch.

Take a close look at the E/B key. The only thing that determines how
high the key goes when it springs to the open position is the arm that
comes down on top of the left hand lever. I can't imagine that there
would be any play between the top of the left hand lever and the bottom
of the overriding arm.

You said that the bottom pad is too high and the touch part of the key
is too high. It is definitely the arm that is bent up. You'll have nice,
in tune low F's (they're normally flat), but third space C will be very,
very sharp. You will want to get it fixed as soon as you can. The play
in the action and the much different tuning will drive you crazy.

Read my previous responses carefully. I mentioned that it is the
outside, left hand lever (the one that opens the F#/C#) that needs to
have just a touch of play before the lever picks up the arm and opens
the low F# pad. The inside lever for E/B has no play or lost motion.

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