 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jdeschaines
Date: 2007-04-08 23:15
Hi folks! I'm Jessica, and I'm new to this board. I am a former clarinet player interested in playing again. It's been probably about 17 years since I've played, so please forgive me for not remembering the correct terminology.
Anyways, here is my situation.
I've got what appears to be a very old, very lovely clarinet that needs some serious TLC. The markings on it say "Duratone; F.E. Olds and Son and there is the number (model number??) 3672 on the top long piece. The pads probably need to be replaced, and the corking certainly does (it's all cracked and broken). She needs a gentle hand and lots of love to be brought back up to speed.
How do I find a reputable repair place? What are the questions I should ask? What should I expect to pay for repairs?
I've looked at the yellow pages, and there seems to be lots of options, but I'm loathe to just pick one at random - it seems better to ask around and get some feedback, I think. Also, being relatively new to my area (Vermont) *and* not playing for years makes it a pretty daunting task.
Thanks for any help you might provide
Jessica
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Author: ABerry
Date: 2007-04-09 01:05
Hi Jessica,
I used to live in Norwich, VT, right across the river from Hanover, N.H. I graduated from Johnson State. When I had my clarinets overhauled, I took them to Emilio Lyons at Rayburn Music in Boston. He did great work, but I’m not sure if he is still there, he may have retired. Another place I remember was Peterson’s Music in Burlington. I hope this helps.
Allan
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Author: rsholmes
Date: 2007-04-09 01:13
One piece of advice I've heard for what *not* to do is to go to a big musical instrument store. They may have someone who does repairs, but they tend not to be that good. The good ones tend to be in business for themselves. Or so I have heard.
My suggestion would be to contact the band directors at a couple local colleges or high schools and see if they have a recommendation for a repairer.
I was in a situation somewhat like yours, coming back to clarinet after a long time away; in my case more like 30 years. I discovered to my surprise the man who was my band teacher in high school is still the band teacher at that same school, and I'm still in the area so I emailed him to (among other things) ask for a recommendation. The person he liked was also endorsed by the director of the community band I've started playing with (who also mentioned another possibility), so I dropped my clarinet off with him on Thursday and am looking forward to seeing the results...
Possibly worth noting, neither he nor the other guy who my band director recommended advertises in the yellow pages.
I didn't have many questions. He looked the clarinet over, said the pads didn't look bad, confirmed my feeling that the tenon corks needed replacing. I pointed out a key that sticks.
Obviously the cost is going to be related to how much work needs to be done among other factors. For my clarinet he estimated about $65 to $75, less than I was expecting.
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Author: jdeschaines
Date: 2007-04-09 21:11
Thanks to everyone who responded, either via the msg board or email!
You all have given some great suggestions, and I'm so excited to *actually* have a starting point! LoL
Take care
Jessica
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