 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2010-12-03 23:12
today i discovered a crack under the register key. going all the way from the tube down to the LH thumb.
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/7400/img0143jz.jpg
what should i do?
the clarinet, handmade out of mozambique grenadilla from a well known maker, is about one year old and it cracked first time about 10 month ago but on the opposite side of the tube. from the round metal-label down to the a hole. and now this one. always kept it moist with humidifier and sponges. the a clarinet in the same case and equally used is in perfect condition.
how is the best way to seal this once and for all without destroying tone and intonation?
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-12-03 23:22
Ask the maker to replace the joint with a new one.
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-12-03 23:32
I agree, you need to send it back but he might prefer to fix the crack if it's possible. Some put in an insert, glue and or pin it, they should decide what's best so it plays as good as it did before. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: GLHopkins
Date: 2010-12-04 00:18
That's not a very good looking piece of wood for such a new instrument.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-12-04 05:02
>> the clarinet, handmade out of mozambique grenadilla from a well known maker <<
Is the G# key cork something that was changed (if it did already, still a small problem) or is this original? Not a big issue and doesn't affect playing, but being ugly maybe it can be a hint about an overall lack of attention.....
About the crack, I'd think a lot before replacing the joint (if that's an option). Many players prefer to repair cracks vs. replacing the joint because it will change how the instrument plays. They choose to repair because they chose a clarinet they love. A different joint might mean you won't like the clarinet as much anymore. I would try to repair or replace the entire clarinet with one I could try and decide I liked as much, if this was an option.
>> it cracked first time... on the opposite side of the tube. from the round metal-label down to the a hole. <<
When the a hole is involved you know you're screwed
But seriously, I guess it's possible it still tried to open but now repaired, it cracked elsewhere instead. You could consider a type of band (done with glue and carbon fibre, or a type of string, etc.) which holds it all around the joint (if possible to fit one or more). However this doesn't mean it won't crack elsewhere again, actually no repair would guarantee that. Maybe it's just a bad piece of wood and most likely it is since the other clarinet and joints have no problems in the same conditions (although I guess the Bb is played a lot more than the A, and the top gets more "abuse" than the bottom).
I would first ask your options with the warrenty. Maybe conctact both seller and company to ask.
Speaking of cracks, I just saw the worst example of a bad piece of wood I've ever seen. A bass clarinet with about eight cracks in the top joint. Some very bad, some growing, some just started. Looks like more will come. Way past warrenty (by about ten years). The owner likes it so much, he will probably just continue to have it repaired when needed. When I consulted about this with others, someone told me about an oboe that was x-rayed to find new locations for pins because it already had so many. The player liked it so much he just kept repairing it.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2010-12-05 04:55
Cracks are pretty much stressed out wood grain. This often has to do with how long the wood was cured for. The longer, the better. When a repairman fixes a crack, such as pinning it can cause stress in another part of the wood and perhaps crack.
Take a close look at the grain of the wood, mainly where the crack is. Are there any knots near the crack? If so, I would ask for a new upper joint.
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2010-12-05 17:33
GLHopkins: no it isn't, and I talked to him about that when i first got it, and he convinced me that it was the sound that mattered, not the look. to quote "the clarinet is perfect, many famous players use this instruments and love it, i just sent another set to ******** and he loved it."
To answer Clarnibass question at the same time, yes the G# looked like that when i got it, and there was a lot of other flaws, as the rasp marks on the pictures. some screwdrivers and pliers i did see graved in there as well.
the keywork is all loose, but i guess that is because the wood is moving so much, i have not seen anything like this before.
the wood is cured for 25 years I'm told, and is hand selected by this maker.
he has no warranties for anything that has to do with cracks, but he said that he could repair it for me cheap. if i didn't send it to him he was never going to touch it again, he said last winter when i asked him about the crack that came then...
i love the clarinets, the A clarinet is really nice actually, no flaws, no cracks and it plays really nice.
the sound, intonation, depth, everything is just as i want it, so that is why i look the other way, and i know that many clarinetists that have bought their clarinets from him do the same.
One of my teachers from the danish radio symphony orchestra said "that's just an awful keywork you have there, is it a ******* clarinet?", but he stopped smiling when i said yes...
he has agreed to take the joint in once more for repair. and now before I'm sending it I'm gonna look for that knot, maybe there is one. thanks for the advice Bob.
The answer i got when I asked what his opinion about changing the joint was he answered me
"I think you are Nuts I gave you the best Mozambiquen wood that is all I use I do hundreds of cracks like that On Buffet and have No complains So you be the decider I only hope That not many adapt your twisted Thinking I am defiantly Not responsible For your cracks you let me know what You want to do"
i let you know how this ends...
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2010-12-05 19:14
Carbon fibre banding would look the most secure way of supporting this crack especially if kept near the surface (and ignore the cosmetics).
2 bands could be used in the upper 2/3 rds of crack but the area near thumb bush is problematical since so many toneholes and pillars occupy this space and a pin here may be only answer.
A hand cut channel just angling down from thumb bush to skirt the G tonehole just might be possible but I have never actually tried this.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2010-12-06 02:51
If you need the names of some really good repairmen that deal with cracks on a daily basis, let me know. There are some really great new ways to fix cracks such as Normans suggestion. I haven't tried carbon fiber, but it sounds like a very good idea.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2010-12-06 09:24
That's a pretty rough looking job. There isn't a knot visible, but there does seem to be a whorl between the posts and the register tube, and that could well be a stress riser.
Tony F.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-12-06 09:34
As for the "dealer," it is a difficult position to be in, being a small manufacturer of musical instruments. I believe the stress of such small market share and having so much overhead must drive many of them into "quirky behavior." I have seen similar stories amongst trumpet players who buy from small custom makers.
If the small custom house is the way you want to go, don't expect the same sort of business practices that one would associate with a large company like Selmer or Buffet.......... it's just not possible.
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2010-12-06 10:45
The maker seems to think that everything about his clarinet is perfect... even when it's broken.
A knot in the wood might be there, but it is not necessary for a crack. With or without a knot, you might get a crack or you might not.
The wood itself looks soft, judging by the way it cracked, and looking at the very large visible grain marks in the picture.
The maker might or might not be telling the truth about the age of the wood- it really doesn't matter. Maybe, just maybe, this is the first time his clarinets have cracked. Maybe this was made with the one piece of weak wood in the pile and every other piece of wood is great.
That is not the issue. The issue is that he does not stand by his product.
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Author: Ian White
Date: 2010-12-06 13:01
'If the small custom house is the way you want to go, don't expect the same sort of business practices that one would associate with a large company like Selmer or Buffet'
In my experience you get much better service from the small guys than the large multinational outfits.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-12-06 13:46
You do, but it's usually to the cost of the smaller outfit when they have to repair or replace joints under warranty - they don't have the capacity as the big companies do so can't pick up a replacement joint off the shelf without it being missed.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-12-06 14:17
It shouldn't matter. If you are paying the higher price for a custom made, pro-grade instrument, you should expect the maker to stand behind his work. Not all small scale makers behave in the way this person seems to be (at least based on what the original poster has relayed to us). Morrie Backun, for instance, is very much oriented toward staisfying his customers and making sure to cover warranty issues.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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