 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: LeePal
Date: 2007-09-10 13:02
Attachment: Pr Super Artist Model all.JPG (151k)
Attachment: Pr Super Artist Model.JPG (150k)
Attachment: Pr Professional all.JPG (154k)
Attachment: Pr Professional.JPG (156k)
My wooden Super Artist Pruefer barrel has a crack in it almost the whole length of the barrel on the inside. It doesn't seem to be very deep but it's noticeable to the eye.
Can you tell me is this fixable or not and how much will it effect the sound of the clarinet?
If it is fixable, how do you fix it? (other than taking it to a repair man)
If it's not fixable, is it best to try to find another used Pruefer barrel or will any wooden barrel be fine?
I am trying to put together a good used wooden clarinet for my 15 year old daughter who plans on using it for the rest of high school and into college.
We are doing all the repadding and recorking and cleaning of a used Super Artist Model Pruefer sn# J00311and/or a used Professional Model Pruefer sn#14440. Whichever one is going to work the best. Both Pruefers seem to be in pretty good shape. Don't know much of the history of either - a friends, brother bought them at auctions.
The Professional Pruefer seems to be from the 1941 era - according to some research on the sn #. And is also a Carl Fisher make. That one also came with a Pruefer mp. However the barrel that came with the Professional Pruefer is not wooden - not sure why they would have used a non wooden Pruefer barrel with this clarinet.
I'll attach a couple pictures.
LeePal
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-09-10 17:06
Hi LeePal - Since no one has responded [so far], I'll try to get comments/advice started. Your pics are quite informative, my older Pr # 2601, being a "3/4 th Full Boehm" has the "Buffet-Selmer" style of the 4 trill keys,. I note that the S A model has [what appears to be] the Leblanc style "jump keys". I can see 3 explanations, 1. made by Leblanc and "stencilled" Pruefer, 2. made after L L's patent expired, about 1960 ?, 3. made earlier under license from Leb. RE: the barrel crack, yes its repairable, preferably by an experienced tech, but does the crack appear on the outside of the barrel? If it does not, I doubt you would have more than a minimal effect of possible leakage. Try both barrels when the cl is playable to ascertain this. Others, please comment. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Tony Beck
Date: 2007-09-10 18:02
Those are both nice looking instruments. Key work on the Professional is older style than the Super Artist. If possible, have a clarinet teacher evaluate both instruments and recommend the best one to start with.
Barrels can have very subtle yet profound effects on the way a clarinet plays. Just replacing your cracked barrel will probably cause intonation and response problems, unless you’re very lucky. You can probably fix the Super Artist barrel with super glue. Clean the bore with alcohol and then use a q-tip to swab in some thin super glue over the crack. Re-oil the wood (I like Dr.’s Products bore oil) and it should be fine for band. If you’re a good woodworker and have a lathe, you can bore out the barrel and sleeve it with a new piece of wood. Again, unless you get the bore just right, you might make more problems than you fix.
I have a Pruefer barrel with the same crack, but much worse, and a Carl Fischer Eb with a composition barrel on an otherwise wooden clarinet.
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Author: LeePal
Date: 2007-09-10 18:32
No, the crack does not appear on the outside. It's only on the inside about 3/4 of the way in and then it stops and then another small vein goes the rest of the way in a slight angle.
Also, the metal ring is loose on the barrel. Any suggestions on keeping that in place?
Interesting about the Leblanc info. So even though it's marked on all the pieces Pruefer or it's matching sn # - it might not even be a true Pruefer???
I didn't even notice the 4 trill keys. Interesting how they are so different. Each one sits under another.
Well we replaced the first key pad last night so it'll be a bit before we'll be able to hear it play - but we can't wait. Thanks for your input, Don.
LeePal
Post Edited (2007-09-11 12:15)
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Author: LeePal
Date: 2007-09-11 12:22
A question back to you, Don. Can you tell me who you are referring to in your #2 suggestion - L. L.'s?
And one for you, Tony. Did you super glue your barrel? If so, were you pleased with the results?
Thanks to both of you for your comments. We've learned so much these past few days about clarinets. Last night we finished almost all of the upper piece. The bottom pieces key screws are VERY tight. Hopefully we'll get them loosened with some wd 40.
Thanks again. When they're all done we'll post the before and after pictures.
LeePal
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-09-11 14:01
Hi again L P, I take shortcuts in E-M's too often, I'm sure, SO, L L is Leon Leblanc, founder of the Leblanc cl making. I believe he was a skilled player and know he was an extraordinary innovator-technician, producing many US, and I'm sure French [other countries?], patented inventions. His early major pat is US 1,926,489 [1933] [US class/subclass 84/382 "clarinets"], so it expired in 1950, and others made use/revised-improved? his contributions to our beloved instrument. I had the privelege of examining one model [of a few] utilizing most of this pat's features, and communicating it to Dr. Debbi Reeves of USD's Natl. Music Museum, who writes the "Historically Speaking" in the ICA Journal, which will be published shortly. You can view [copy/search if you wish] this and other patents at the Google/Patents and/or USPTO sites, one of my hobbies. 'Nuff?, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Tony Beck
Date: 2007-09-11 19:43
LeePal, the crack in my barrel had opened up quite a bit, even though it didn’t go all the way through. I couldn’t use the glue fix. It will have to be sleeved one of these days. I have glued other cracks with no problem. If a crack is closed tight, super glue works. If it isn’t, you’ll have to use another method.
Also, hot melt glue is easier to work with than shellac when you are learning how to install pads, especially with Valentino pads. You can warm the pad cup with a low power soldering iron to seat the pads, without melting the pads themselves.
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