Klarinet Archive - Posting 000093.txt from 2003/01

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Fixing clarinet
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 13:58:52 -0500

Dear Dave,

The problem you're experiencing is probably a key mounting post that
has come loose and is turning slightly under the tension of the spring.
This key is mounted by short screws that slightly penetrate both ends
of the key shaft. Before the key mounting post can be stabilized, it
must be determined if the post is one that screws into the body or has
a splined shaft that is pressed straight down into the body.

Unfortunately, the quality of your instrument is quite poor. Your
current problem is probably only the first of what will become a long
list of problems that will arise. A repairman can stabilize this post,
but some repairmen might decline working on this instrument. No...this
instrument is not 'standard' in any way. It is well below any
acceptable standard and I would suggest you consider going to a
different clarinet whenever finances allow. The Chinese grow good rice
and bamboo but they don't make good clarinets.

Richard Bush
rbushidioglot@-----.com

On Monday, January 6, 2003, at 11:30 AM, dps4@-----.edu wrote:

> Hi, I am a beginner at clarinet. I have a Mark II clarinet which
> appears to be just a standard plastic school band clarinet.
>
> I'm having a small problem with one of the keys. It's the key
> that you press with your left pinkey to get the low E (I think it's
> the lowest note). The problem is this: When I hold down the
> key used for low F (with the right pinkey) and then press the
> the troubled key to get the E, the following happens: the E sounds
> fine, but when I let up the left pinkey (while still holding down
> the right pinkey) to go back to F, the E key won't spring back up.
>
> I traced the key back and looked at the little shaft that it's
> attached to. It does indeed have a little spring attached to
> it, and it is strong. But still it doesn't bounce back. The
> shaft connected to the low E key doesn't seem to be rubbing against
> anything either.
>
> There are two screws on that shaft, one on each end. I took a
> screw driver and tightened and loosed them, and it improved alittle,
> but not much.
>
> How might I fix this? All other keys are working fine.
>
> Thanks, Dave
>
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Richard Bush
rbushidioglot@-----.com

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