Klarinet Archive - Posting 000892.txt from 2001/01
From: "Don Yungkurth" <clarinet@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Re: Boosey & Hawkes wood clarinet
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2001 06:47:43 -0500
Ginger Calkins wrote as excerpted below and got a variety of advice:
>Hello, all. I'm a new subscriber to the list, but after reading
>everyone's posts, I have decided that this is the best place to go for
>advice about this horn I've got. I'm borrowing from a friend her
>Jr.High horn, a Boosey & Hawkes series 2-20 wooden clarinet.
>The problem is, I took it to our local intrument repair shop and was
>told by the technician there that:
>A) It's probably about 30 years old and has not been cared for
>b) It needs a complete re-pad and tune-up
and
>c) it's not worth the cost of the repairs.
(cut)
>I got a link from someone at jazz-clarinet.com for a do-it-yourself
>repad kit, for around $20. I'm perfectly willing to work on it myself,
>but I have no training and no resources, except you here on the list.
>How can I go about at least repadding this horn, what kind of training
>is available [for free] and how many of you think I should just offer it
>up as a sacrifice to the clarinet gods and look elsewhere? Do I need
>special tools? Can I get thems somewhere?
(cut)
I'm not going to repeat all the advice previously given but will comment on
some of it, none the less, after giving a short summary of how I began doing
some of my own repair work.
My first clarinet was a used metal clarinet purchased for me by my parents
for $27 in about 1945. After playing on it for a few years my teacher said
it needed to be repadded. This was done at the store where I took lessons
for the princely sum of $6! I felt the instrument played worse after than
before and proceeded to fix it myself. I was about 14 at the time. It
never occurred to me to take it back and complain and, besides, the people
that did the work obviously were incompetent! I managed to make it work
significantly better than they did.
Some general thoughts, after a lot of years of tinkering with my clarinets
as an amateur player (and amateur repair person):
1. On the "Flute" list someone used to use the tag line, "Never give a
flutist a screwdriver". This is not necessarily bad advice, but clarinets
are easier to fix than flutes, where seating pads is far more difficult
(IMHO). I've never worked on saxes or oboes, but they are more complex than
clarinets. What is your level of confidence (and success) about fixing
things in general? Mechanically, clarinets are not "rocket science" in
complexity, but can be easily damaged. Inexpensive clarinet keywork is more
easily damaged than expensive keywork. Be realistic about your mechanical
abilities.
2. On the $20 repad kit - From the experience I gained in that first
repadding effort, a generic set of pads will probably not fit *any* clarinet
well. You may need to get additional pads to fit your clarinet.
3. The advice on finding someone to help you is excellent. I didn't have
this and my skills developed at a glacial pace.
4. As others have mentioned, I do a lot of my own repair work, but take my
best instruments to professionals now and then. They really do better work
than I do!
I hope this perspective is of some use.
Don Yungkurth (clarinet@-----.net)
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