Klarinet Archive - Posting 000029.txt from 2012/01
From: sfdr@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Clarinet Crack Prevention Suggestions by W. Hans Moennig
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:59:26 -0500
Having a Clarinet shipped in cold weather is just as bad as Marching outside in the cold. Freezing weather dehydrates the wood thus causing the outside wall to contract. When you blow moisture into a dry clarinet the inside expands against an outside wall which has contracted thus creating tremendous stress. Even if the instrument is oiled the penetration level is not enough to protect the wood from expansion. In the old days, French companies finished clarinet bores by highly polishing the wooden joints with Shellac and linseed oil. This process sealed the open wood pours and protected the joints from expansion due to water absorption. Today, the instruments are reamed, slightly polished and coated with ink or dye to save on production cost. In addition, the newer instruments are also made of unstable wood which makes cracks inevitable. I recently saw a new clarinet that was made with wood so unstable, that the pitch and bore dimensions changed as you played it.
If you have a 1970 model R13, it is worth a lot of money. I see so many new clarinets with extra keys, fancy plating and engravings. However very few of them will play as well as the old Buffet R 13 clarinets from the 1950's and 60's. If I had several thousand dollars to spend on a clarinet, I would not waste the funds buying a new one. Instead I would find an older Clarinet for the 1960's or early 70's with no plating and have it refurbished with high quality cork pads. I promise it will play better than any of the new Buck Rogers model instruments being produced today.
I often listen to recordings of Robert Marcellus and Harold Wright playing their old R13 clarinets. These vintage instruments represent the hallmark of greatness. I wonder what the great players of yesterday would say if they could see the poorly made instruments coming out of France today.
Alvin Swiney
email: corkpad@-----.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael & Linda Marmer <mlmarmer@-----.net>
To: The Klarinet Mailing List <klarinet@-----.com>
Sent: Tue, Jan 10, 2012 5:40 pm
Subject: Re: [kl] Clarinet Crack Prevention Suggestions by W. Hans Moennig
As a 15 year old in 1970, I got a R-13 Buffet clarinet in December.
Not thinking, band class did some marching band routines in February.
OUTSIDE!!!!!
Well, you guess it, one of the pieces on the clarinet cracked! The upper
part, for the left hand, as I am not sure the terminology for the piece
below the barrel.
Horrified, I took it back to where I purchased it, Chuck Levin's Music
Center in Wheaton, MD, as Chuck's was also known as Washington Music Center,
one of the larger sellers of guitars.
They took it in and said let see what we can do about it.
Somehow they got Buffet to replace the crack piece with a complete new piece
at no charge, as they had to send it back to Paris for service.
I have that clarinet in the case on the computer table. I still have the
hand written invoice at a price of 399 which in 1970 was a lot of money, as
I think the retail price was 1,000.
I don't play right now since I need some surgery on my right thumb at the
base where it goes into the hand. Difficult to hold the clarinet due to
the pressure. I hope to do the surgery in the fall.
Mike Marmer
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