Klarinet Archive - Posting 001260.txt from 1999/05

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Old clarinets and intonation
Date: Thu, 27 May 1999 14:48:19 -0400

Dear Sebastien,

It is possible that the internal dimensions have changed, but it is possible
that other things are causing the problems.

Try the following:

Take off the keys and clean out all of the tone holes. Besides the Bb/ register
tube (which can fill with debris, sometimes quicker depending upon what kind of
a swab you use), the other tone holes in the throat tone area also get a lot of
junk in them--the A and G# tone hole, and particularly, the first finger hole
which is small and collects grease from the finger. If this tone hole is not
clean, thumb F will be flattened. If it is flatter than it should be (and most
makers make it a bit flat) it will, to a lessor degree, also slightly flatten
those pitches above it, mostly the G#, but possibly even the A.

Double a pipe cleaner moisened with water and swab it around in every tone
hole. Do it again, but use a small amount of sweet almond oil. Swab a third
time with a dry pipe cleaner. You might repeat all three steps until you are
satisfied that the tone holes are nice and clean.

Examine the pads. They might be puffed up and distorted from their original,
fairly flat, shape. This will reduce breathing from the tone hole and cause
flatness. A good repairman might be your next stop. Getting a good seat on the
G# pad can difficult, and trying to do so without taking surrounding keys off
could burn the edges of other pads or burn key corks.

Don't forget to clean out the thumb tube. Like the first finger tone hole,
grease from the thumb can build up. It would take much more to make much of a
change because the hole is much bigger, but it is a possibility.

Consult with a repairman about the possible need to have the top joint oiled.
(I can see the flames off on the horizon, but sometimes an older instrument
will improve in the tuning department after an oiling.)

Still another possibility is that the barrel has dimentionally changed. Try out
some other barrels, starting with new versions of what originally came with
your clarinet. Maybe a new barrel would bring it back to what you think it
should be.

SDuguet@-----.com wrote:

> I have a set of Buffet Prestige that is about 10 years old. Recently, I have
> observed that the throat register is difficult to keep in tune. It usually
> plays flat.
>
> How does the age of a clarinet affect the intonation of this register?
> Is this a common problem encountered on all the makes, or is that more of a
> "Buffet issue"?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Sebastien Duguet
>
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