 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: William
Date: 2002-04-28 17:06
I would think that being one piece would limit your ability for finer tuning adjustments that we all make by occassionally pulling the middle joint. Theoretically, however, a one-piece design supposedly enables more accoustically correct placement of the middle clarinet tone holes. However, it is usually the "long notes" (Middle line B and C) that are tuning concerns. BTW, the last time I saw Vito at LeBlanc, he seemed to be in one piece and doing quite well. :>) Good Clarineting!!!!
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-04-29 14:12
It is a huge nuisance for servicing. We need to put a cork in the end of a section, close all the holes with ONE hand, blow into the other, and then move around squeezing keys with the OTHER hand to detect where some of the more elusive leaks are. With a one pice instrument this diagnosis operation requires three hands.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-04-29 15:28
Gordon,
I've grown a third hand, haven't you?? Especially helpful when attempting to cover all the holes of an Albert System clarinet...
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-04-29 16:32
Why not use a flute pad-seating spring clamp?
Works for me :]
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-04-29 17:36
It's probably a 2-piece body, with the ring for the marching lyre obscuring the joint. Notice the standard design bridge key.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-04-30 05:06
ron, I don't know about you, but I adjust the pressure on individual fingers while covering the keys, as part of the diagnosis. There is no biofeedback if one uses spring clamps.
The standard flute spring clamps I have would be useless at covering ring key holes on clarinets, and the the key contact material is felt, which would leak severely anyway. Have you modified your clips?
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-04-30 13:01
I don't see how you find leaks using a process which creates its own severe leaks. But if it works for you.......
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-04-30 16:33
It has worked for me thus far, Gordon
I don't quite follow how the process... 'creates its own severe leaks'. The clamp only does what one would ordinarily accomplish by 'squeezing' a pad cup whilst gently blowing into a stopped joint.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-05-01 13:49
But on RING keys the part of the clamp which is your substitute finger is small, porous, leaky piece of felt, only 9.5 mm in diameter. Certainly not a substitute for a finger as far as sealing goes. That is unless you are using clamps different from the flute key clamps readily available from repair suppliers
We must surely be thinking of different types of clamp, or your method is restricted to clarinets without ring keys.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-05-01 18:30
Let me clarify that I only find this method necessary on *some* 'one piece body' metal clarinets
I usually use a leak light and 95% of the time that's quite satisfactory. Very tiny leaks, however, at some of the smaller pads are harder to look at *straight on* - angled trill key pads and Brille key pads etc., give me the most trouble. A feeler sometimes misses tiny nicks on pad seats. That's when the fun is over and the chase is on and I call for the heavy artillery.
I moisten a bottle cork to make sure it will make a tight fit and wedge it into the bell end, close the open finger holes with my fingers and puff air into the instrument. If a leak is obvious and I can guess approximately where it is, I then proceed to clamp individual pads in turn, one by one, until I discover which one makes a difference. If I can't guess, I just start at the top and work down one by one until I find the culprit... then correct the problem. The bottle cork can be removed easily by poking it out with a wood dowel.
I use a regular flute pad clamp (Ferree's, part #G82) and yes, I'm restricted to using it only on the pad cups, not the open 'ringed' holes. For those, one *could* use small corks but I've found no need to do that.
Reading over this, before clicking the 'post' button, it appears complicated. It isn't. And it isn't nearly as time consuming as it looks.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-05-02 10:13
Ah I see! We were thinking along quite different lines. I thought you were using the clamps to seal all the left or right ring key holes etc, to free a hand to work around squeezing keys to detect the problem area. Fair enough.
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