 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Cherrybark
Date: 2010-05-04 08:13
We are searching for an R-13 for my daughter and have three WWBW "gently used" clarinets in hand. I have to say they are in beautiful condition and blind play testing consistently settles on a favorite. The price is good but they come without a Buffet Warranty.
I had a concern that the new wood might crack over the first year or two and searched the forum for "crack Buffet". A word of advice to others considering a slightly used instrument. Don't ever, ever, ever search with this phrase. There are threads going far back in the history of the board discussion cracking problems and you can't help feeling that you'll open the case to find a shattered upper two months after buying the instrument.
Further reading makes me think a crack isn't the end of the world and a good repair tech can restore the instrument in most cases. In a YouTube video the ever entertaining Ridenour explains "disparity" and suggests that keep a balanced moisture will avoid most cracks. Eat an orange during the winter months an your problems are solved
This will be a concert horn, played in a band hall, at home and other indoor situations. The older E-11 will become the marching horn. Basically the instrument will be in a controlled environment in the relatively high humidity environment of East Texas.
I know it's impossible to predict but can we relax, enjoy the almost new R-13 and deal with a crack if it eventually happens?
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Author: kilo
Date: 2010-05-04 10:37
While cracking can occur it's hardly inevitable. A modicum of caution and care will provide peace of mind if not an outright guarantee. Relax and enjoy a fine instrument.
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2010-05-04 11:15
I purchased an A stock Yamaha SEV-A from WW&BW a few years ago. I couldn't be happier. It's a beautiful instrument in all ways. I was worried about the lack of warranty but the price & previous experience with my SEV-Bb inclined me to buy it anyway. I'm happy I did.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-05-04 12:39
While I've had occassion to use the Buffet 5 year warranty, it is not the end all be all as suggested above. WWBW also has one of the best techs in the business, Sue, who does great work.
I'd jump on a good price for a good horn.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: BobD
Date: 2010-05-04 15:19
Their used prices seem high to me......
Bob Draznik
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2010-05-04 15:55
Don't worry about a crack.
My teacher, a symphony pro, has quite a crack collection in his clarinet case, and he's completely happy with his instruments --even with the plating almost clear off of the lower joint's sliver key on his Bb.
My Buffet RC developed a horrid crack through the trill key holes, and it was repaired perfectly.
I've gotten so cavalier about cracks that I might just look for a well-fixed crack job for my next A clarinet. Cracks reduce perceived value; but can be repaired to have no effect on playing performance.
Avoid moisture and temperature gradients across the wall thickness of your wooden instrument, and the chance of cracking is greatly reduced --but not eliminated completely.
Good luck with all.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-05-04 18:10
Not to worry, just don't do anything stupid and your clarinet probably won't crack. If it does it's not really a big problem because it can be fixed as new. There are better solutions then an orange peel for humidity in the dry weather, if Texas ever gets dry, so just use common sense. If it's a good clarinet and worth the price, it's a go. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: jparrette
Date: 2010-05-04 19:29
In my humble opinion, I wouldn't relegate a nice Buffet E11 to marching band. It will be ruined in a season.
Put it on that auction site and you'll get a few hundred bucks for it. For about $75 you can grab a used plastic clarinet to march with.
John Parrette
CLARION MUSICAL SERVICES
john@clarionmusical.com
914-805-3388
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Author: jasperbay
Date: 2010-05-04 21:55
I've spent much of my 60yrs. on this rock working with wood. I own a small sawmill, build houses from home sawed lumber, build cabinets, muzzleloading rifles, shotguns, pistols, and of late collect and restore grenadilla wood vintage clarinets. A few observations:
Wood shrinks, checks, and cracks the most during its first few years of drying, or 'seasoning'. This checking and cracking can be minimized by slowing the seasoning process; ie coating the endgrain with wax, paint, etc. This allows the inner and outer 'sapwood' to shrink at a more uniform rate. Grenadilla, being heavily oil-saturated, takes many years to season.
Another period of vulnerability to cracking occurs when the seasoned wood in rough blank form is machined into final form and in the few years shortly thereafter. This is especially true of a wood 'tube' clarinet. Internal stresses in the wood, built into the tree while growing, can become evident, as warping, checking, and cracking. These internal stresses are in the wood due to many factors: if a tree leans, or has to resist prevailing winds, fibers on one side can be in tension, on the other side in compression, these stresses are greater towards the trunk. Wood added later may not be under tension or compression, but be adjacent to heavily stressed wood fibers. Heavy limbs also create tension areas in the trunk, and new growth, being mostly 'sapwood', shrinks and checks more than heartwood.
My experience with clarinets indicates that 'good, well seasoned, grenadilla , the old slow-growing dense wood, is getting more scarce, and more second-growth, less dense, and not fully seasoned wood is being pressed into service. Its my opinion that this latter wood is most likely to crack in the first several years after manufacture, and using that logic, a 3-5yr-old clarinet would be worth more to me than a 'brand new' one, regardless of warranty.
I've picked up quite a few B&H 'Edgware's, and Malernes due to their sound construction, playability, and reasonable price mostly, and have been amazed that none have ever cracked, with the exception of one bell and one neck, out 20+ horns. Most are 50+ yrs old, and had seen rough use by students who typically 'ride em hard and put em away wet'. You'd think this would encourage cracks, due to humidity variences bore to exterior, yet none have cracked. I continue to treat several clarinets in that manner (for experimental purposes only) no oil after an initial oiling, no swabbing or disassembling. No problems after one year anyway!
I read somewhere that British ships returning from South Africa used grenadilla timbers for ship's ballast. This wood was submerged in sea water and bilge oil for long periods, then stacked on the English waterfront. Apparently this is a great 'seasoning' technique, that can probably not be duplicated today.
Clark G. Sherwood
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