Klarinet Archive - Posting 000804.txt from 2003/04

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Something (Actually) About Clarinet
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 00:42:20 -0400

At 08:08 PM 4/18/2003 -0500, Amanda Cassidy wrote:
>Is anyone familiar with wooden clarinets having plastic 'ring-like' things
>between the normal rings your fingers go on and the tone holes? My Selmer
>Omega apparently has them, and they've popped off more than once. When they
>do so, my clarinet doesn't play, it squeaks, in every register. The last
>time my band director popped one of them back in place (specifically the
>third ring, bottom joint), it was popped in crookedly, you can see a gap
>that wasn't previously there. My clarinet squeaks a lot now, like it does
>when the plastic rings are out, but it is playable if I am extremely
>cautious in changing registers. Any advice or information would be helpful.
>Everyone I've asked doesn't have any knowledge of the plastic rings (why
>they're there).
>-Amanda

Tone hole inserts are very common. Yamaha uses them on all but the VERY
top clarinet or two in their line. It is much easier to manufacture the
complex shape of the tone hole and insert it into a straight hole drilled
in the body than to build an "integral" tone hole. Generally they are not
visible, although if you look closely at a Pan-American "Propeller Wood"
clarinet they are quite obvious. They SELDOM cause any problems, although
they obviously have in your case. Get thee to a repair tech and have it
fixed properly. The visible gap is an clear sign of trouble. In the
meantime, you are developing bad habits as you attempt to play "cautiously."

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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