 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: JHowell
Date: 2012-11-17 12:02
The plating wears off any clarinet, especially if you have acidic sweat. I knew a guy who wore through the KEYS. On my horns, it takes a few months for the dark spots to develop and a year or two for the copper to start showing through. And, I once had a brand new R13 that really did have defective plating -- on any flat surface, like the sides of the levers, the plating flaked off in patches. But it was a good horn, I didn't pick it for the plating. If the horn is otherwise satisfactory, I would not consider the plating wearing to be a defect. Could be a sign that you are practicing enough.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-11-17 13:01
I've seen several instances where the nickel plate has worn through on E13s after a few months of ownership, but they're actually made by Buffet whereas the E11 you've got appears to be made by Schreiber who I thought used thicker plating.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2012-11-17 13:01)
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Author: pewd
Date: 2012-11-18 03:05
That case appears to be one of the made in France E11s, those are of much inferior quality to the German ones, in my experience. The color on the case is darker on the Schreiber made ones. Chinese keywork? I can't remember - search the archives for info on the France made E11's.
All E11's have painted on logos, at least all I've seen in the last 20 years. Yup, the logos wear off.
$1500 is the list price, they're available for much less if you know where to look.
3 months is too quick to have that amount of key wear. I'd ask Buffet to send you a replacement key. Some repair techs might have some spares from fatally damaged E11's - call a few of the music repair shops in your area?
And as stated above - its cosmetic - should affect the way it plays.
Good luck.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: stoetz
Date: 2012-11-19 01:01
@pewd Thanks for the reply! I am aware of the E11 France. I do believe the "France" models have E11 France inscribed under the Buffet logo and come with a backpack style case. Is there another "France" model I don't know about?
Thanks
-Stoetz
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Author: lhoffman
Date: 2012-11-19 03:58
You shouldn't have to replace the key. This could easily be fixed by spot plating. Caswell's plating wand works great for this sort of thing.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2012-11-19 04:50
Some built in France have the backpack cases, some the hard shell type.
FWIW, I've not had good luck with spot re-plating.
And my comment above should have said 'should NOT' affect the sound.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Clarineteer
Date: 2012-11-19 07:51
Caswell spot replating works best with the dipping method rather than using the wand.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-11-19 14:09
This is an issue that I suffer with along with a percentage of others as referred to earlier in the thread. Today's horns (even Yamaha, Selmer and Buffet) only use a plating thickness of a few microns. What happens if you have more acidic sweat (nothing you can do about it) is that the keys will eventually wear on the most used surfaces (A key, thumb ring, finger rings, paddle keys).
What you CAN do (besides a special, hideously expensive thick replating that will be a devil to regulate if at all) is to wipe off your keys after each playing with A PLAIN 100% COTTON FLANNEL CLOTH. DON'T use any polishing cloths or pastes or liquids because this will only ACCELERATE the wear.
I vote that you just get used to this horn having some plating issues and apply your new found knowledge so that subsequent horns will last longer.
Keep in mind Richard Stoltzman has this problem so bad Kal Opperman had to replate his keys regularly every few years.
.......................Paul Aviles
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Author: sbrodt54
Date: 2012-11-19 18:52
When the E11 from Germany was discontinued there were 2 new E11s introduced. One of them was made entirely in France at a factory purchased from Conn/Selmer. That model had the word France engraved on the body and they are still in production.
The E11 in the chocolate brown case is indeed made in France, well the body is. The keywork was all imported from China, that model is now discontinued. There are now two models of E11 available, one from Germany (same as the old ones) and the new E11 France made entirely in France.
The decent price is pretty much because it’s a discontinued model and there were problems with that model. The very first run of them were actually quite good, the subsequent runs were not. Around here a France E11 sells for aprox $1000, the Chinese key E11s are being dumped as fast as possible.
Scott Brodt
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Author: JHowell
Date: 2012-11-19 22:03
Fighting for a re-plating job on a discontinued Ebay E11 would be, I think, a waste of time. All of my nickel horns have the plating worn off the contact surfaces. I actually like it because the surface is a little grippier -- the nickel is too slick. Silver plating seems to last longer for me.
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