 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-11-06 20:02
In helping 11 to 13 year old clarinet students at an elementary school, I am finding that quite a few have bridge problems. Sometimes it's just a matter of alignment, but often their school clarinets are missing some cork.
Something that seems to work to fill the gap is a small piece of denture wax, with a small piece of paper on one side so that the wax doesn't hold the bridge together full time. After installing the wax, press the upper rings down to sqeeze the wax till the pad seats properly.
I thought I should pass this along for those little emergencies we all have from time to time.
Hans
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Author: Dan1937
Date: 2003-11-06 20:57
Hans -
In an emergency, I sometimes use a piece of felt with a peel-off adhesive on the back -- the type of thing which is intended for the base of a lamp, to keep it from scratching the furniture it is placed on.
Dan
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-11-06 21:20
Or a very slight and careful bending up or down of the upper bridge key using smooth-jawed pliers can remedy the problem. Done judiciously, of course. By a highly-trained, certified, licensed and bonded technician. Who has a minimum of $1 million (US) liability insurance coverage. And a note from his mother saying it's OK*
*Disclaimer: I am not responsible in any way for damage incurred as the result of bending bridge keys in the manner described --- the method is provided merely as information --- safe performance of this procedure is entirely the responsibility of the key-bender.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-11-06 21:31
......and the bridge problems are the result of hasty assembly and disassembly of the horn
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-11-07 01:56
Gentlemen,
Thank you for your thoughts.
Bob correctly identified the root cause of the problem: "......and the bridge problems are the result of hasty assembly and disassembly of the horn" - the cork gets scraped off during careless assembly, creating an excessive gap in the bridge mechanism.
Dan's peel-and-stick felt, and some small scissors, will be added to my clarinet case, since it is an improvement over my denture wax remedy.
Getting my mother's permission is no longer possible, so I will leave key bending to the pros like David. I have long ago added repairing my own instruments to the things that I do not try, after an unfortunate experience with my Mark VI tenor sax 12 years ago. I won't bore you with the details other than to say it cost a lot to correct what I had done and I gained great respect for repair techs from the experience.
Best regards,
Hans
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Author: icecoke12
Date: 2003-11-07 03:42
I cut out a small piece from a mouthpiece patch to fill the gap and it seems to work quite well... for the time being...
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-11-07 13:28
Hey icecoke, what a neat idea.
Hans, please tell us the gory story...
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-11-07 13:33
Hans,
Your only mistake (re: home repairs) was making your first attempt on a really nice instrument. I made all my mistakes (LOTS of them) on cheap instruments before tackling anything like a Mark VI tenor. It's not too late! By the way, a note from Mark or GBK saying it's OK would be an acceptable substitute for Mother's permission.
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Author: William
Date: 2003-11-07 14:14
Duck tape, applied in layes until the gap is filled. Only a temporary fix, however--but it works. I always carry a small roll of electricians tape in my clarinet case for similar emergency "road side" repairs.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-11-07 14:20
I have a Valentino, foamed plastic, small "sheet, with release paper protecting the adhesive [like their plastic pads] that I use for silencers and instead of minor corking on horns. Pieces of this can be used for bridge key spacing, but has the disadvantage of coming off easily when the horn is handled carelessly. I suggest care must be taken to NOT get any "spacer" too thick, which will interfere with the seating of the top pad, lower joint. The only function for which I use for the bridge is to provide the "long" Eb/Bb mainly on bass cl, for rhythmic 4th/5th-to1st note patterns. It prob. has function in the altissimo fingerings. Others? Don
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Author: Ed
Date: 2003-11-07 16:11
Sometimes the alignment problem is much smaller than many of the materials listed here. One of my old teachers used to carry a postage stamp in his case and cut a small piece and stick it in. Stick on labels would probably work well these days. You could then layer it to get exactly what you need.
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-11-07 18:26
Like the English comedian Benny Hill used to say, "learning all the time", especially from this BB. I even know what a cubit is now and will surely impress my friends with this new found knowledge.
Bob wants the rest of the gruesome story... I had a few leaking pads in 1991 on a MK VI that I had bought new in 1972 so I thought it would be a good idea to replace them all. I bought a replacement pad set, took the instrument completely apart, and replaced all the pads - there was nothing to it. I was very surprised that it did not play perfectly when I got it back together - after all, there were no parts left over. I made a leak light with some parts from Radio Shack and found that some adjustment was necessary, so I bent a few things here and there. After several hours of this, I gave up and (embarrassed) took it to a pro. He replaced all the pads with the right ones and aligned everything so that it played better than new. A happy ending!
As you suggested, David, I did try again a few years later on a junk plastic A clarinet and didn't fare any better. I leave it in a stand by the piano to remind me that my skills in this area are deficient and that further attempts will probably lead only to more grief. If they read this, I doubt that either Mark or GBK would give me a note of permission to try again.
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-11-07 18:37
Attachment: AClarinet (Large).JPG (55k)
Like the English comedian Benny Hill used to say, "learning all the time", especially from this BB. I even know what a cubit is now and will surely impress my friends with this new found knowledge.
Bob wants the rest of the gruesome story... I had a few leaking pads in 1991 on a MK VI that I had bought new in 1972 so I thought it would be a good idea to replace them all. I bought a replacement pad set, took the instrument completely apart, and replaced all the pads - there was nothing to it. I was very surprised that it did not play perfectly when I got it back together - after all, there were no parts left over. I made a leak light with some parts from Radio Shack and found that some adjustment was necessary, so I bent a few things here and there. After several hours of this, I gave up and (embarrassed) took it to a pro. He replaced all the pads (probably after he stopped laughing) with the right ones and aligned everything so that it played better than new. A happy ending!
Thanks for you encouragement, David. As you suggested, I did try again a few years later on a junk plastic A clarinet (photo attached) and didn't fare any better. I have it in a stand by the piano to remind me that my skills in this area are deficient and that further attempts will probably lead only to more grief. Someday it will make an interesting lamp. If they read this, I doubt that either Mark or GBK would give me a note of permission to try again. I now stick to blowing into the end of it and repair techs have nothing to fear from me.
Regards,
Hans
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-11-07 18:58
Hans,
You should have sold me the "A" clarinet instead of making a lamp out of it! Oh, well......................
(FWIW, my last "A" clarinet was an old hard-rubber Couesnon that played great, I still semi-regret having sold it to a gentleman from England, although I must admit I've had no orchestra calls requiring "A" clarinet since then.)
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-11-07 21:33
Years ago the term "Rube Goldberg" used to be attached to impossibly complicated mechanisms.....that worked. The saxophone certainly is in this category. With all the sensitive adjustments necessary it's a wonder they work at all. Live and learn......but don't give up.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-11-08 07:13
"Rube Goldberg"
Where does "Heath Robinson" fit into this. Is he the British equivalent?
The main problem with a sax is that the body has to be made from such thin metal to reduce weight. This means that all that mechanism that demands such accuracy, is mounted on a flimsy, flexible base. It is like using a single thickness of wood veneer for a clarinet body!
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-11-08 13:58
Never heard of Heath, Gordo, but could be. Hmmm...on the wood analogy. I'll bet you that a single thickness of wood of the same dimension would be more rigid! ....forgetting about the impossibilities involved,however.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-11-08 14:24
I recall some "Rube G's", that were quite inventive and complex!, that actually could be built and WORK. Some were newspaper-published, for humor. and I believe some were actually cited as prior art anticipating a filed patent application!!! Don
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