 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: GenericClarinet129
Date: 2025-02-17 17:33
Hello everybody,
I recently bought an Uebel Rêve mopane B flat clarinet. It has been an amazing instrument so far, and I have been treating it very well since it is my first nice clarinet. However, there has been one problem. No matter what I do, the keys continue to tarnish rampantly and inexplicably. I make sure my hands are clean before practicing, I wipe off the keys after I am done, and I keep anti-tarnish strips in my case. The only other things that are in the case are the clarinet, a swab, and a Boveda humidity pack. My mouthpiece, ligature, and reeds are kept elsewhere. The tarnishing is occurring mostly in places where I do not put my fingers, such as the posts and rods, but it is everywhere on the instrument; I can provide images if that would be helpful. It seems that every day, there is visibly more tarnishing. I have only had it for a few months, but it already looks vintage. After doing some research, I have concluded that the case is most likely the cause of the tarnishing (I keep the clarinet in its original case). Unfortunately, I cannot afford to buy a new one right now. Is there anything else that might be causing the tarnishing or any way to stop the case from causing it?
Edit: I forgot to mention that the keys are silver plated, and I do not have a tarnish problem with my other clarinet, a Backun Alpha with nickel plated keys.
Post Edited (2025-02-17 17:44)
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-02-17 19:54
Very strange.
My only possible idea that you didn't mention would be to get a silver polishing cloth to keep on top of the instrument while it's in the case.
I had some tarnish on my silver-plated keys a while ago. I got some flitz and it easily came off. While it hasn't been a problem since, I've also been playing it more.
Curious to follow this thread.
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren #3 reeds
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-02-17 23:00
David H. Kinder wrote:
>
> I had some tarnish on my silver-plated keys a while ago.
David: you may very well be referring to an instrument pre-Ridenour, or I may be entirely mistaken, but it was my understanding that Mr. Ridenour's instruments use nickel plated keys given this metal's better resistance to tarnish than its silver counterpart, given the potential for the natural emission of tarnish causing sulfur from his hard rubber body designs.
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-02-18 00:16
SecondTry wrote:
> David H. Kinder wrote:
>
>
> >
> > I had some tarnish on my silver-plated keys a while ago.
>
> David: you may very well be referring to an instrument
> pre-Ridenour, or I may be entirely mistaken, but it was my
> understanding that Mr. Ridenour's instruments use nickel plated
> keys given this metal's better resistance to tarnish than its
> silver counterpart, given the potential for the natural
> emission of tarnish causing sulfur from his hard rubber body
> designs.
Ridenour's new models (announced in 2021): AureA (which I have) and Libertas II, both have silver plated keys.
The reason they began to tarnish wasn't the hard rubber of the clarinet, but I had a new Vandoren (hard rubber) mouthpiece. That was the culprit at the time.
https://www.rclarinetproducts.com/aurea-bb-clarinet
https://www.rclarinetproducts.com/lyrique-libertas-clarinet
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren #3 reeds
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-02-18 03:29
To the OP:
If you are not planning to sell your clarinet soon then there is no need to clean it on a regular basis. The tarnish/oxidation does not have any effect on your performance.
If you decide to sell the instrument then you can use a silver polishing cloth- the oxidation is VERY easy to remove.
If you absolutely cannot live with the oxidation then you can look for a used Buffet or aftermarket case on eBay.
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-02-18 03:48
Weiner Music has Buffet replica cases (exact same as Buffet cases without Buffet logos) and less expensive too:
https://store.weinermusic.com/products/single-attache-bb-clarinet-case-6721?_pos=17&_fid=c51f6eeaa&_ss=c
https://store.weinermusic.com/products/buffet-attache-double-bb-a-clarinet-case-model-bc6622?_pos=12&_fid=78c217f4d&_ss=c
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren #3 reeds
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Author: GenericClarinet129
Date: 2025-02-18 04:10
David and SecondTry,
Those seem like good suggestions that I would definitely consider if I could. Unfortunately, I have a budget of absolutely nothing.
m1964,
I do not plan on selling it in the foreseeable future. If the tarnish has no effect on playability, then I suppose it does not matter to me. I have heard, however, that it can cause excess friction where different parts of the keywork come into contact with each other, although I'm not 100% sure if this is true. If anybody could weigh in with their experiences with that, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks to all three of you for your responses.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2025-02-18 09:52
It could be the case and it's likely, but it could be something else or a combination of things. Maybe something about the environment causes that clarinet to tarnish specifically, the same as some silver plated clarinets tarnish from mouthpiece and others don't.
There really isn't that much anyone can do beyond guessing. You mentioned you have another clarinet, is it also a Bb? If it is, how about switching their cases to check if the problem continues? If it doesn't that's a pretty good indication that it is the case. If it does... it could still be the case...
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Author: RBlack
Date: 2025-02-18 18:05
I’m unfamiliar with the style of case Ubels come with, but a major issue for some flutes tarnishing is that their cases allow too much airflow, as exposure to air speeds up tarnish. You could try to put something around the perimeter of the case like a gasket to seal it a bit better, which would have the side effect of increasing the life and affect of boveda humidity packs also (if you use them)
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Author: Hurstfarm
Date: 2025-02-20 22:36
Have you been storing a new or newish mouthpiece in the case? That can cause the effect you describe. Storing it in a separate compartment removes the cause of the problem, if not the tarnish! It’s not generally an issue with older mouthpieces.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2025-02-21 13:31
Something is reacting with the silver, and usually the culprit is sulphur. Sulphur is found in hard rubber mouthpieces, rubber bands and anything made of rubber. Some adhesives also contain sulphur in quantities enough to cause problems. Try keeping your mouthpiece separately from the instrument by keeping it in a zip-lock bag in the case.
Tony F.
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-02-21 22:29
GenericClarinet129 wrote:
David and SecondTry,
“I do not plan on selling it in the foreseeable future. If the tarnish has no effect on playability, then I suppose it does not matter to me. I have heard, however, that it can cause excess friction where different parts of the keywork come into contact with each other, although I'm not 100% sure …”
I recently got a Selmer that was almost black in color but had no mechanical problems.
The oxidation/tarnish is so thin that it cannot have any effect on the mechanism .
It is a purely cosmetic issue, not a problem at all.
Post Edited (2025-02-23 05:27)
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Author: crazyclari
Date: 2025-02-22 03:47
As mentioned above. They may have an adhesive containing oxidizing solvent etc. I cannot say for sure. There are carbon paper inserts that can be put in the case. I have used them in a number of cases. They 'seem' to reduce the tranishing, who knows😬 If you leave a silver cloth on top of your clarinet they contain a mild polishing compound that will likely make it's way in to the keywork.
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