Klarinet Archive - Posting 000000.txt from 2002/11

From: "James Hobby" <jhobby@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Strange clarinet
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 23:42:06 -0500

One of my flute students brought in his younger brother's clarinet today. I
think this is his first year playing. He claimed that he was unable to get
several notes in tune and couldn't play a C1, at all.

It was quickly apparent what the problem was -- or this set of problems.
The Eb trill key was bent over so that it opened the F# trill key. The
bridge keys were bent so that the pad right below the joint wouldn't close
all the way. The pad between left 1 & 2 was about 1/2" too open.

I don't know where or when they bought the instrument. (I plan on asking
the mother.) Someone has made some fairly brutal adjustments to the
keywork, because there are equipment (pliers?) marks on several of the
rings. I don't think that the family tried to adjust the instrument. The
father is a computer specialist and is very demanding on his service techs.
I think the mother is a nurse. My student has a very nice midrange flute
and is fanatical about taking care of it. (There's a third brother who
doesn't like "band nerds", so I suppose he might have bounced it off the
wall a few times. <g>)

What puzzled me is that there's absolutely no marking anywhere on the
instrument. No indicia of manufacturer, no serial number. Nothing! It
looks like some type of composition material. The side trill keys have the
"boxy" look similiar to the old (1960ish) Leblanc student models. The sides
of several of the keys look like they have smears of glue or something on
them. I did what I could to make the instrument playable (or reasonably
playable) and gave them the name of a good clarinet repairman -- who may
never speak to me again. <g>

Not counting for the abuse the instrument appears to have taken, has anyone
ever seen one made like this, with no markings? (None on the case, either,
BTW.) It has me stumped.

Thanks,

Jim Hobby

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