Klarinet Archive - Posting 000649.txt from 1999/10

From: "Buckman, Nancy" <nebuckman@-----.us>
Subj: [kl] Cracking
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 14:15:48 -0400

While we are on the subject of cracking, I would just like to forward this
observation. Having had in my posession for six months or so, my new
rosewood clarinets, I can say these things about the differences between the
rosewood and my grenadilla clarinets. The rosewod is definitely more
unstable than the grenadilla, in that it expands and contracts in a more
noticable way than the grenadilla. During the winter months of 1999, I
experienced some binding of keys to the point that I was afraid the
clarinets would, indeed, crack. It was enough of a problem that I had
removed the keys where they were binding in the hope that the wood would not
split around the posts. I only had this problem on the Bb model. The A and
the Eb models have had no problems and my C model has only been in my
possesion for three months. Again this fall, as the weather has gotten
cooler and drier, I have had the same problem. This time I just left the
instrument alone without playing it, while it was unstable, because I didn't
have the time to call the repairman and meet him for pick-up and delivery.

I have come to the conclusion also, that if the instrument is going to
crack, it will not matter what you do. The rosewood is definitely more
changable than the grenadilla, but I don't think it has a propensity for
cracking more than the grenadilla. I never did anything to take special
care of my grenadilla clarinets and have been very careful with my rosewood
ones and it doesn't seem to make a difference. If they were going to crack,
I think the rosewood ones would have done it by now. The only thing that I
do extra for my rosewood instruments is to use Dampits in them. I never did
this with my grenadilla ones. They were very sturdy, taking all kinds of
abuse from eating and drinking to playing them right out of a case that had
spent twelve hours in a cold car trunk without any warm-up.

I guess, in summation, I am very lucky that I have only experienced binding
of keys and nothing worse with the rosewood ones and nothing at all with the
grenadilla ones. If things change, I'll let everyone know.

Nancy

Nancy E. Buckman, Technical Assistant
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, Maryland 21012 USA

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