Klarinet Archive - Posting 000454.txt from 2002/02

From: Will Cicola <clarinetguy@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Chipped/Cracked Tenons...AUGH!!
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 16:32:42 -0500

This is somewhat of a frantic inquiry. Today, while putting away my Bb, I
put a nice chip in the bottom tenon of my top joint. The chip is still
attached to the tenon, but by a tiny sliver of wood (it rocks back and
forth). As if that weren't enough, while examining the damage, I noticed a
crack, which may or may not have been there before, in roughly the same
location. It goes arcoss the entire bottom surface of the tenon (from the
looks of things, the crack appears to go the whole way through, although
the chip only goes 1/3 to 1/2 of the way through, as viewed from the end).
I can't tell how far up the body the crack goes, but it does appear to be
fairly deep.

Is it even possible to repair this kind of damage? If so, how long would
it take? Confounding the situation is my March 9 Oberlin audition (they
want the Weber Concertino, so the Bb is essential), and my need for my
Kooiman thumbrest, which is the only thing that lets me play for more than
ten minutes or so without getting horrible hand cramps. The upshot of this
is that, even if I found someone with a good horn who could do without it
for the next two weeks, I would either have to train myself to play with a
neckstrap during this time, or...I don't even know what else. Obviously
installing the Kooiman on someone else's instrument is out of the question.
And it would seem to me (although I would be VERY happy to learn that I'm
completely wrong about this) that borrowing just the top joint from
another instrument (thus avoiding the thumbrest problem) would cause all
sorts of problems with intonation and the like. (The only other person I
could think of who could even begin to do something like this has a
Greenline anyway; I have no idea what that would mean for this idea. I
know they're supposed to be identical to the "regular" R-13, but it seems
like there are always hidden factors out there...) And while I suppose it
would be technically possible to purchase a new clarinet and get the
Kooiman installed on it before the audition, I'm fairly certain that this
is not a viable option, financially speaking. Not to mention the
difficulty of getting a completely new horn a week (at best) before the
audition...

One more thing...is it safe to play the instrument before it is repaired?
I thought I remembered reading somewhere that if moisture gets into the
grain, it can cause all kinds of problems, but that could be just
something conjured up and twisted by my panic-addled mind. With the size
and location of the damage, the moisture would undoubtedly have wonderful
direct access to the inner grain of the joint, were I to play it.

For what it's worth, this is a fairly recent Buffet R-13 Bb (serial number
456XXX). Would it be worth it to try to contact Oberlin and ask for
permission to play the Weber on my A for the audition? That seems like the
choice that would be the LEAST awful, but it all hinges on the professor,
I suppose. I assume that such a request would be laughed off under normal
circumstances, but is this situation severe enough to warrant an exception?
(On a related note, is it a minor/major sin to play Rose etudes on A
clarinet, or is it considered kosher, if somewhat unusual?)

Thank you in advance for your help! I'm pretty much at the end of my
(admittedly, but hopefully understandably) short rope. Any suggestions at
all would be appreciated.
--
Will Cicola
On the highway of life, I'm on a tricycle going in circles. And I'm not
wearing any shoes.

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