 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: bumpkin
Date: 2003-03-30 17:53
the top cork of the upper section of my Buffet E-13 clarinet keeps expanding. It's been expanding ever since I got it last year. I've taken it to the shop twice and gotten both that and the barrel sanded down and it looks like i'm going to have to take it in for a third time. i think it may be the weather but is it supposed to expand so much? or is it just my clarinet?
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-03-30 18:49
Well- that has happened to me too, and I only had to sand it down once.....
Just make sure you dont sand too much off!
Where do you live?- what climate?
Bradley
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Author: bumpkin
Date: 2003-03-30 22:09
i live in maryland. the weather here's been kind of crazy but i've had the clarinet for more than a year now.
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Author: Henry
Date: 2003-03-31 02:42
Sorry, I meant the grease. New cork may absorb a lot of the stuff and thus expand. Ultimately it should come to a saturated state and settle down. I'm surprised to hear, though, that this has been happening in this extremely dry winter. Under these conditions, the tenons normally contract and get looser.
Henry
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Author: bumpkin
Date: 2003-03-31 03:06
could it be that my barrel is constantly shrinking? I remember getting one of the rings resized once, but it wasnt really serious, the guy at the shop kind of tugged it off and insisted it needed resizing. It's not loose anymore and I've gotten the barrel sanded down before.
Post Edited (2003-03-31 04:46)
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-03-31 13:05
In all my repair experience I've never come across corks expanding.
Jamming joints are normally caused by the TIMBER expanding and jamming. This is very common for new French instruments. It is the fit of the timber that needs adjusting, not the cork. And yes, 2 or 3 adjustments are often required.
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Author: bumpkin
Date: 2003-04-01 00:05
that's good to hear. Thanks. and i have another question, what's the difference between an R-13 and an E-13? besides that the R-13 is "better"? My E-13 is a very very good clarinet, however my teacher has been telling me to get an R-13. I don't really see the need, except for the popular belief that "if you want to be the best, you should play on the best". I'm happy with my clarinet, but as auditions become more and more competitive (i'm in high school), would it be better to switch to "the best"? Last year, I made all-state band and I believe I was one of the only, if not the only, clarinetist that did not have a top-notch, pro clarinet.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-04-01 02:05
Top notch pro may mean a higher quality piece of timber.
This may or may not mean a surface that does not need dying/filling for cosmetic reasons. It may or may not mean a smaller tendency to distort or split.
Top notch may also mean integral tone holes, which may not make any difference. Indeed, with inserts there may well be a more defined tone hole edge.
Top notch may mean more individual attention to undercutting & tweaking of tone holes. This may not actually be necessary.
Top notch may have little to do with the actual cost of these things, and more to do with milking the willing customer who willingly has spare money to hand over.
On several occasions I have been told by a very capable player, that they have trialled different models and found that the CHEAPER one (of the specimens sampled) was actually better.
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Author: bumpkin
Date: 2003-04-01 02:46
that happened to me too. I tested out 2 buffet R-13's and 2 buffet E-13's before choosing the E-13. however, what i wanted to know was what is the difference between the two. my teacher said the differences were very subtle so would it be worth my money to sell my wonderful E-13 and buy a possibly better R-13 because its more "professional" or should I just stick with what i have even if it isnt considered the "best"?
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Author: ctt489
Date: 2003-04-01 02:51
I find the best cork grease is pure lanolin. I had a lesson with a top NYC player and he gave me the tip. It works and no expanding whatsoever. Slides nicely on and off of.
You can pick up a tube of lanolin in the drug store or market.
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-04-01 02:52
I personally think that if you have an E13 now, then you should just wait and save up more money or w/e and get a higher model Buffet ( if you find another Buffet fits your needs). I would try to go for a Prestige or maybe a Festival. That would make more sense since the E13 is already a pretty good instrument.
The E13 is an Evette isnt it?
Bradley
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-04-01 03:16
Bradly,
My E-13 says Evette and Schaeffur (sp?). However it apparently is a "pre-E13". The E-13 model, before it adopted the E13 name. From 1970. Maybe the newer E-13's just say Evette on them.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-04-01 07:21
I meant E & S, I just said the E for short.....
The newer ones say Buffet Crampon if I'm not mistaken, but I think that they are made in Germany and descend from the E & S line, so they are not fully Buffets.
Bradley
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-04-01 11:36
Bradley wrote:
> The newer ones say Buffet Crampon if I'm not mistaken, but I
> think that they are made in Germany and descend from the E & S
> line, so they are not fully Buffets.
Actually, Buffets aren't fully E & S (Paul Evette & Ernest Schaeffer ran the company from 1885 to around 1925, when it really became a large company) ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
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Author: Wayne Thompson
Date: 2003-04-02 02:32
Bumpkin,
It doesn't seem that your teacher has given you enough reason to go spend more money on an R-13. Sometimes we get so absorbed in the equipment, we forget that just practicing and learning to make better music is our main goal. You must judge whether your teacher is giving you solid reasons or not.
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-04-02 06:11
Well sorry for my mistake......
I think I meant to say that they are not traditional Buffets, like the R13 or above. ( which could also and probably is wrong one way or another LOL)
Bradley
Perfect practice makes nearly perfect....
Post Edited (2003-04-02 07:12)
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2003-04-02 11:39
Bumpkin:
My recommendation is this:
DO NOT SELL YOUR E-13!
Even if you decide to buy a new pro level clarinet, you may find that you still prefer the E13. It's a clarinet that you apparently really like and that's worth a whole lot. Remember, once it's gone it's gone for good! :(
Now, the question is - do you need an R13 or any other pro clarinet? I believe you have answered that question already. If you don't think you need it then you probably don't. What are your teacher's reasons? Does he not like your sound? If he wants you to spend your money just because you don't have "the best" then he's leading you down the wrong street. There are lots of good reasons to upgrade but that's not one of them. Pick his mind to discover his reasons.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: Tim P
Date: 2003-04-02 12:04
Bumpkin:
No real advice just sympathy.
I live in Delaware. I just got my clarinet re-corked about a month ago. This last week the corks have been driving me crazy. So it may be my corks finally "setting in" or maybe it is the weather. It has been warming and more humid.
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