Klarinet Archive - Posting 000589.txt from 1999/12

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Getting contradicted by an idiot repairman
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 23:04:03 -0500

At 09:28 PM 12/18/1999 -0500, David Blumberg wrote:
>Here's a good one. I would please like some feedback on this one with
opinions.
>I sent a 7th grade clarinet student (plays a 1998 Leblanc VSP) of mine to a
>local repairman. His top 2 pads for the side keys were pretty raggedy, and
>needed replacing. I told him to ask for cork pads. The repairman told him
>"why would you want cork pads?? You don't need cork pads - you have regular
>pads on the rest of the clarinet!" " I want to use regular pads". My
>student was playing a Legere reed - what!! "you have a plastic reed??? You
>don't play a plastic reed on a wooden instrument". Those plastic things are
>junk! (he hadn't even seen the reed, nor knew of it)! "Here's my
>recommendation (he goes on), go get some mineral oil, and put some on your
>hand.. then rub a little it on the outside of your clarinet, then put some
>on an old swab and run it through the Clarinet."
>
>I'm ready to go over to this guy and give him all sorts of hell for his
>advice. First of all, I suggest using cork pads for those pads as they last
>the heck of a lot longer. I don't recommend bore oiling, as his Clarinet is
>not at all dry. The reeds are fine, and give him a great sound. I like the
>Grand Concert myself, but Legere's are great too.
>I sent the student to this guy in the first place. For him to second guess
>me, contradict my advice, and offend my student to me is bitting the hand
>that feeds him.
>Thoughts??
>
The repair tech has a right to his opinion, just as you have, regardless of
how wrongheaded he might be. You do have the advantage, though, of seeing
your student on a very regular basis, so impressing your ideas over the
repairman's should not be difficult. You might want to POLITELY inform him
of your position, though, so that this does not happen again. And if he
doesn't like it, let him know you will find another repairman to send all
your students to.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://homepages.go.com/~zoot14/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org