 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Rick Williams
Date: 2003-02-24 15:40
This morning I spoke with Linda Brannen and during our conversation she passed along some interesting information about Leblanc that I thought was worth sharing.
According to Linda, Leblanc's clarinets have had a problem staying adjusted due to using headless pins in their mechanisms, which she said has been a problem with Leblanc clarinets after the LL series. She said that one of the differences found in the Concerto II vs. the Concerto is that this problem has been fixed and plans call for all the instruments to get the new mechanisms, but due to the fire it may be a while. She pointed to this issue as the reason why Buffet's, in her opinion stayed adjusted longer than the Leblancs.
As an aside, she also mentioned that "Larry" (Combs), sends all his new clarinets to them before he even attempts to play one. We should all be so lucky.
Best
Best
Rick
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Author: jbutler ★2017
Date: 2003-02-24 23:08
Rick,
I think she was refering to headless "pivots" rather than "pins". It hasn't been a problem for me since I got my new LeBlanc in July. There is an advantage to having headless pivots. Eventually the posts have to be reamed to the to take up normal wear on an instrument with pivot screw that has a head to it. This is so that the key will not have play or "slop" in the mechanism. With the headless pivot the key action can be tightend without the use of this operation. Also, LeBlanc puts a nylon insert so that the pivot will not creep out or become loose. In my opinion I think it easier to keep out the excess play in the key with the headless pivot screw, thus keeping the instrument in adjustment. Just my opinion.
jbutler
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-02-25 01:33
2 years steady (2-4 hours daily) with my Opus, and there's no slop.
Should I send it back for a looser fitting model?
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Author: Rick Williams
Date: 2003-02-25 11:26
Hi:
FWIW, I'm just repeating what she told me on the phone. The pin terminology may be off, I admit since I'm well know as a person who can break an anvil, which I've actually done. The point however, was according to her Leblanc is changing the pivots or whatever on all the current models which she said was a improvement over the current system. I didn't get the impression that she was being critical of Leblanc, in fact she was very complementary of the current Leblanc management. She simply stated that the mechanism following the LL, was more prone to going out of adjustment.
Another thing she said which I didn't originally post concerend the issue of clarinets coming out of the factories in the shape they are in. Her exact words were that, "the manufacturers are shooting themselves in the foot." She said that clarinets specifically get discounted to a point where the manufacturers take shortcut. They cannot cut the material, it has to be blackwood, they cannot cut the keysworks, so they cut costs in assembly. Her opinion was that clarinets are discounted deeper than any other musical instruments and that results in the less than perfect adjustment of clarinets coming out of the factories. Again her opinions, not mine.
Best
RW
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-02-25 11:41
Wooden instruments change dimensions over Winter.
My teacher has a hand-made set of horns and she plays the bejeezuz out of them. Every Winter, round mid-January she hands them off to the maker to close the clearances.
Come April, she's back again to loosen the now tight works.
Me, I can't feel the difference between the settings, but I have my own collection of fractured anvils.
*******
I get the impression that top level players are as persnickety about their gear as flautistti (as opposed to Bassoon-playing flatulists)... and the tube tooters don't deal with dimensionally dynamic materials.
The neatest development I have seen in pivot screws is in the B&H line, from the Imperials... they were eliminated entirely in favor of rods much like saxophones.
These were ground in the center span, to provide bearing points only at the extremes of the mechanism... including the long E-flat!
This sort of attention to detail costs money. Are you prepared to pay an additional $x10 for this? Me, I'll tighten the screw every three years.
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Author: ken
Date: 2003-02-25 17:34
Linda (and John Butler in his comments) defines the problems I have with my own 8-year old Opus. It's a wonderful instrument but strictly from a mechanical/durability stand point it's capricious to say the least and generates "high" annual maintenance costs. In the horn's defense, I do play it a lot and drag it all over creation (up to 40 hours, 7 days a week, 180+ travel days per year) but I still have to ship it to the shop 4 or 5 times a year for annoying and unexplainable adjustments. I get a good 3 years out of my overhauls and excluding cork and pad wear ... keys clicks routinely develop (mostly lower left/right clusters), spring tension shifts and snap, cups mysteriously misalign, pads unseed/effect leaks and screws unthread themselves.
I carry it in a BAM double and am careful so I don't think it's getting banged around too much, I work/travel exclusively on the east coast; weather maybe but not elevation changes. I DO tend to be ham-handed and play with excessive pressure; bottom line, I've never experienced problems of this nature with my R-13 (134xxx) and Signature. I know its not ALL me as I occasionally hear similar complaints from other Opus colleagues; the consensus is hardware in general and it's consistency is "lightly designed"; there's just not a lot of metal and/or thinner plating.
I phoned Linda last year on my Buffet and recall touching on the subject. Not remembering word-for-word, she basically echoed her conversation with Rick. She also mentioned Larry Combs having to drop off his Opus(s) at least twice a year for like adjustments. v/r Ken
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Author: massa
Date: 2003-02-26 01:19
Ken (---.hr.hr.cox.net) wrote: =======
I phoned Linda last year on my Buffet and recall touching on the subject. Not remembering word-for-word, she basically echoed her conversation with Rick. She also mentioned Larry Combs having to drop off his Opus(s) at least twice a year for like adjustments.
=======
Only (at least) twice a year for some adjustments?
Sounds great to me!! Considering these belong to
the professional player like Mr. Combs.
Opus must be tough and stay aligned well.
I don't mind to bring my baby in for a minor adjustment
once or twice a year, even without apparent troubles.
Good techs can bring the alignments to the optimum
condition, and the difference afterward is amazing.
I use the B4 as an indicator. If I couldn't pronounce the B4
without pressing keys down hard, that's the sign I may need
a visit my favourite repairperson.
I wonder how often other people do some repair or adjustment
type of things per year... and want to know the thoughts of
repair professionals about this matter.
- m
Post Edited (02-26-03 02:21)
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Author: Rick Williams
Date: 2003-02-26 01:55
As a follow up to a follow up, I talked to Lisa at IMS today and it appears that the major dealers in the mid-west are discounting the Concerto's and Opus's to make room for the new units and the discounts are very very siginificant. WWBW is selling Concerto Bb's for $1400 and I was offered an Opus-A from another dealer for $1800! So if your in the market for a Leblanc, this may be the time and as they say, while supplies last.
I haven't had an opportunity to play the new Concerto II, but Lisa advised that the keys are significantly more curved and suggested that it could become a problem switching. The impression I got was that it was a significantly different instrument.
Regarding durability, my Concerto is fairly new and this winter has been murder in the mid-west so nothing surprises me. From my older horn, from what I recall, there was the intial adjustments, then after about 90 days as the instrument settled in there was another round of adjustments, then maybe once or twice a year for tweaking. I'm not a professional player, but I do play 1-2 hours on average per day 5-6 days a week. So, having one go a bit haywire doesn't surprise me. In fact I wish my computers were as reliable...g
Best
Rick
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