 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SonicManEXE
Date: 2020-02-18 00:53
Hello all,
At my university we have a Selmer Rosewood contrabass (purchased in 2011), and while it certainly looks impressive, it has been in a dismal state of repair since I've been a student. The LH B/E key is completely bent out of shape, the alignment is off, much of the keywork is not pushing down and coming back up properly, and it is incredibly difficult to play, especially around the break. It is getting sent off to be repaired soon (by a repairman trusted by my professor, not to the regular shop the school sends its instruments), but in the meantime I decided to pull out the Leblanc Paperclip contra that my school also owns.
This instrument is not in great shape either (lots of painters tape put over spots where cork has fallen off of keywork), but it plays with a lot less resistance, so I'd rather use it for now than the Selmer. The only problem is that it does not have a peg or any way to secure a peg, so I have been playing it on my seat with me which makes me very worried about dropping it (not to mention it makes playing Eb/Ab almost impossible because the keywork pushes against the chair). I have tried using the pegs and thumbscrews from both the Selmer contra and the Selmer Low C bass that I also play (also purchased by the school in 2011) and neither of their thumbscrews work, nor are their pegs long enough for the Paperclip anyway.
Today, I was going though our instrument storage room and went through the rest of the bass clarinets we have. While many of them are Leblancs, none of them have pegs or even a spot for a peg. However, I also found our Paperclip contra alto, which does not have a thumbscrew, but does have a peg.
This brings me to the questions that I have:
- Where can I find a thumbscrew for the Paperclip contrabass? Is there anywhere online that I can look for one (or what could I find/purchase to make one that won't damage the instrument)?
- The peg found with the contra alto is sturdy, but clearly looks worn and has a small bend in it from decades of use. Is it safe to use with the heavier contrabass?
Thank you for reading.
Jared
Ft. Lauderdale & Tampa, FL
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Author: Mojo
Date: 2020-02-19 19:00
Pegs seem easy to find. 7MM rod.
Thumbscrews are not easy. I would ask Meridian Winds. They seem to do a lot of Paperclip repairs/restorations. So does Quinn the Eskimo.
MojoMP.com
Mojo Mouthpiece Work LLC
MojoMouthpieceWork@yahoo.com
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