Klarinet Archive - Posting 000688.txt from 2003/03

From: "Lelia Loban" <lelialoban@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Modifying the intonation of a clarinet
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 15:10:45 -0500

Peter Jaques wrote,
>The top & bottom joints both have logos, though the
>one on the bottom joint is slightly crooked, which seemed strange.

Crooked or mis-stamped (deeper on one side than on the other) logos are
common on old clarinets. However, those branding stamps wore out from time
to time or were replaced for other reasons, so when the marks look a bit
different from each other (such as one symbol slightly larger or smaller
than the other, or slightly different typefaces), it usually means those
two sections weren't originally part of the same instrument. Sometimes
it's hard to tell for sure, if the mark was stamped on faintly in the first
place, or if years of polishing have rubbed down a lot of the logo. One
good place to spot a difference is at the bottom of the logo, where it
says, "Made in France." See how far away those words are from the bottom
of the fancy initials "BC". For some stamps, the top edge of the word "in"
touches the bottom of the fancy initials. On other stamps, there's space
between "in" and the fancy initials above that word. The size of the "BC"
and the lyre at the top of the logo vary, too. (However, if the clarinet
plays well, I wouldn't worry about such a difference. It's easy to imagine
situations where a factory bought or made additional stamps that didn't
quite match old ones still in use; a worker may have happened to pick up an
old stamp for one section and a new one for another section.)

>The bell has no stamp, so perhaps it's not original? It didn't come
>with a barrel at all.

If the bell hasn't got a Buffet logo stamp at all, then I don't think it's
the original bell. (That's not true on some brands of clarinet; but unless
I'm seriously mistaken, Buffet has always marked all the sections.) If the
bell and the sections have tenon bands, compare the contours and colors of
the metal. No two major manufacturers use exactly the same curved,
contoured shape that gives the band more strength. I'll bet the band on
that bell doesn't match the Buffet tenon bands on the marked sections.
Cracked bells are often replaced successfully, but that could be the source
of the problem, if the dealer just added some miscellaneous old replacement
bell, that isn't the correct length or diameter for a good match.

The barrel is the part I most often find cracked (or replaced) on old
wooden clarinets. Barrels from the same type of instrument, or custom-made
replacement barrels, are often as good as (or better than) the originals.
But if you're trying out this clarinet with a barrel from some other brand
or decade, then the barrel is a very likely source of intonation problems.
The bell may be the wrong length, diameter or internal shape.

>The keys do seem to be similar styling, but I don't know
>what to look for exactly.

Look at the little raised wedge (thick line) of metal that goes from the
rod onto the key cup (the part that holds the pad). The thickened joinery
is practical (it strengthens the key at what would be the weakest point),
but it's also made to look decorative. Even on a Buffet, which has a
distinctive style of keywork that's consistent over the years, the shape of
that contour evolves slightly over the decades: sometimes higher or lower,
longer or shorter, more straight, more contoured or more wedge-shaped,
etc., depending on who did the forging and the hand finishing work. Two
clarinet sections made at the same time should have nearly identical key
contours, relative to the overall sizes of the keys.

There are a lot of other little places to check, too. On clarinets made
recently enough to have a metal bridge between sections, that's one of the
best telltales. When the two sections of the bridge line up perfectly, do
the affected keys line up correctly, too?

Compare the gauge (thickness) of the metal in the key cups, where you can
see the rim of metal around the outside of the pad. At a time when the
pads are off the clarinet, look inside the key cups and make sure that the
shapes of the insides of the cups, where the glue goes, are the same on the
upper and lower joints. Some workers left more space for glue in there
than others did. Sometimes the inside of the cup is nearly flat; while
other workers left a deeper, funnel-shaped space.

Generally, on a Buffet, the finishing work looks very neat and smooth
throughout, but check the undersides of rods that are normally hidden with
the keys all assembled. The color of the metal and the amount of roughness
should be about the same on the upper and lower joints, indicating that the
keys were made by the same person, at about the same time. These are all
good ways to spot a "marriage" even when the sections are clearly from the
same *brand* of clarinet and the instrument can't be checked for intonation
because it's in unplayable condition.

Hope you get good news with that instrument!

Lelia Loban
lelialoban@-----.net
New address!

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