Klarinet Archive - Posting 000789.txt from 2003/09

From: "Michael Bryant" <michael@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] Clarinet Overhaul Hell: Thomas Ohme - The Woodwind Shop
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2003 15:13:41 -0400

This is a caveat emptor story of a basset horn
'crook', when I was naive and foolish enough
to trust one of the big stores.

In 1991, I bought a new Boehm system Uebel
basset horn with a wooden bell from a general
wind instrument dealer in the UK. It was a fateful day.

I had tried to find a used basset horn without success over a
period of about a year. Many of the instruments offered
were seriously defective, which did not seem to be
reflected in the asking price. It was reported (I do not
know to this day how accurately) that Uebel had
stopped making basset horns. A Leblanc was offered,
but I did not want a wide bore instrument. Buffet
was not recommended at that time. Selmer
commanded a higher price.

I had not done this scale of business with this dealer
before. There was no quality control, but I did
not know it. The instrument was in fact unusable.
They told me that basically I was not a basset horn
expert and if I could not play it, it was my problem.
The unique Uebel mouthpiece was poorly finished and not
really playable. The crook delivered the mouthpiece
to the player like a saxophone and when I asked
about altering its angle to make it more like a clarinet,
making the high notes more controllable, I was told
that it was possible, as they had done it before.
I paid for it, as requested, in advance. It turned out
not to be possible, and the crook was destroyed in the
process. The bore of the replacement crook
(made from brass instrument tubing) supplied by
the subcontractor, some time much later, did not have
the correct bore dimensions. When they called me to
collect the finished instrument I was unaware of this.
So were they. It connected the mouthpiece to the
instrument, but that was all!

I checked the tuning and found that it played about 1/4 tone
flat at the top and 1/4 sharp at the bottom. I remembered that
I was not an experience basset horn player, etc, etc. Perhaps
I would master it, one day. The instrument was already paid
for in full, and it was not suitable for the purpose. They did not
have another instrument like it, refused to repair it, but offered
to buy it back; result, no basset horn, and no compensation.

It was to be a steep learning curve, but if I was to succeed
I would have to research and fund it myself, finding elsewhere
the necessary advice, experience, expertise, and a suppliers
of suitable tubing (in France) of the correct type and bore.
I found that there were only two such experts in the country.

By appointment I took the instrument to the workshop and stayed
on site for half a day to do interim tests. The first replacement
crook played in tune but looked like a piece of plumbing. It proved
that the correct bore and other dimensions had been found.
The second attempt looked beautiful but played out of tune and
the third attempt had the desired combination of good tuning and
looks. It was then plated. Later the instrument's keys were
checked and adjusted and some pads replaced. Blu-tac was
placed in some of the open holes to raise or lower the pitch of
obstinate notes. It was recommended that I should have the
mouthpiece measured and a new one made. The measurements
taken by the maker were wrong. The new mouthpiece (50 UKP)
made the instrument play out of tune with itself, especially around
the throat notes. The old mouthpiece was eventually examined
and found to be relayable. This second operation was a success.
These steps took not months, but years. I have independent
confirmation from another player, with Uebel basset experience,
that this instrument is now about as good as it is ever likely to get.

I would like to pay tribute to the skill and patience of all the experts
and who helped in this extended recovery task, despite their reluctance
to became involved in such a scandalous case. It taught me a major lesson,
to stay away from organisations, where the company ethos encourages
the staff to take an interested only in the receipt of the customer's
money. After playing for 40 years or so, it remains my worst clarinet
disaster.

Subsequently I bought two bass clarinets privately (a Selmer and an
Uebel, which are remarkably different in character), with some success.

MB

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