 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sfriedman
Date: 2006-04-14 04:52
Hi,
As requested, I've posted additional pictures of the full-Boehm, single piece clarinet with Japanese inscription here:
http://spaces.msn.com/stacyfriedman/photos/
It's a slideshow, so you have to use the left/right arrow buttons to scroll through the photos.
Also, someone posted that the middle row reads "Japanese Wind Instrument Association". I did a little surfing, and it turns out that two different Japanese companies merged to become Yamaha. According to this article at the Yamaha site, one of the two companies was called "Japanese Wind Instruments".
http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/product/winds/fact/history/p_main.htm
Can anyone confirm whether the text on this clarinet transliterates to either "Nippon Gakki" or "Nippon Kangakki"?
Thanks,
Stacy
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Author: BassetHorn
Date: 2006-04-14 05:49
Hi Stacey, still couldn't quite make out what the first row reads, the right hands side reads "registered trademark" but couldn't read the left hand side.
Since Japanese Wind Instruments translate to Nippon Kangakki (based on your quoted website), this is what yours is. A keeper.
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Author: melearly
Date: 2006-04-14 08:30
This may be a stupid Q but what is the third rt hand pinky key on the bottom row....? Looks like the Eb on a bass clarinet ....?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-04-14 10:00
That is the low Eb key - same as you'd find on alto and bass clarinets. Also note the extra 'sliver' key for RH finger 2 (oo'o|o,o,o - on standard Boehms it's oo'o|oo,o)- this is a useful C-Db, G-Ab and altissimo E-F trill key.
http://spaces.msn.com/stacyfriedman/photos/ (clickable link)
It's a Buffet copy, the keywork is almost identical to a Buffet full Boehm. Even the thumbrest and trill guide are like the Buffets from aroud 50 years ago, and the arrangement of the articulated G# is how Buffet did it.
Stacy, where's the missing pillar? I can only see the low Eb spring has gone (but the pillar is still intact), but this is a routine thing that would be replaced during a full overhaul - the broken end can usually be pushed out of the pillar even if it has snapped off flush - and the breakage was probably due to the spring being rusty - which is normal on blue steel springs.
Are the keys nickel plated? They look like they are from the photos.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2006-04-14 19:27)
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Author: sfriedman
Date: 2006-04-14 20:40
The low Eb pillar doesn't actually have a hole for the spring. The piller was replaced at some point in the past -- it's much newer than the others -- and the replacement was the wrong sort. Assuming you don't normally drill the tiny hole to insert the spring, I'll need to get that pillar replaced with one that has the hole already.
Also, I'm not sure how to tell whether the keys are nickel plated vs. plated with other materials. Is there an easy trick to it, or should I just ask the repair tech?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-04-14 22:12
Spring holes aren't normally drilled in pillars prior to fitting as they can't guarantee the spring hole will point in the right direction once the pillar has been screwed in, so the pillar is fitted first, then drilled (using a jig to line it up with the upper pillar) for the point screw, faced off flat on one side for the key to bear against then threaded for the point screw and further countersunk until the key is a good fit between point screws. The spring hole is drilled afterwards and the spring fitted.
As long as the pillar is the right height you shouldn't have any problems with it, but your repairer should be able to drill the spring hole.
Nickel plating has a very shiny finish, almost like chrome - but when it tarnishes it goes cloudy and polishing back to a shine is almost impossible to do without use of a buffing machine. Silver tarnishes through from yellow to blue-black, but can be polished back to a bright shine. But don't reach for the bottle of silver polish! Leave any polishing to your repairer - once they've brought the plating back to life you can keep the shine with a soft cotton cloth which won't leave any fluff, or even an old T-shirt will work as well - sometimes much better than a silver cloth!
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