The Clarinet BBoard

Re: Clarinet Repair

Author: ron b  Date:   2004-02-07 00:36 Hi, Fred - Let me share with you a little synopsis of my Return Route to Repair and Restoration. I took one of my horns to a repair shop at a major local music store. I'd recently retired and decided to maybe take up the instrument again after twenty years of getting it out once in a while just to 'look at it'. I had worked in a repair shop for about four years early in my musical life - but that was way back in high school and for a little while after... ancient, ancient history. I had no pads, cork, tools, and only an active memory of what it might take to put the instrument back into playing condition. I took it to the tech who quoted me a price for a repad/play condition service. I picked up the clarinet a couple of weeks later and was pleased that it was all cleaned up and had nice clean white pads and mostly new cork. At home I put the thing together to toot a few notes just to see how things felt. I could still play although I had no stamina - but, oddly enough, playing was like a duck to water. The only problem was... several pads were not seating right. I could feel and see that they weren't right. Wait a minute, :( I says. This isn't right. I took it back. I took it back again.. To summarize a rather tedious and boring story, I finally discovered Ferree's, ordered some supplies and did the job myself. Since then I maintain all my own instruments, have been constantly upgrading my skills from "very good" to "better than ever" (you can add a grain of salt if you like ) - I had a wonderful role model of How Not To Do It in the ha ... opps, I mean "tech" who indirectly got me to take up the repair end of things again. It started as a retirement hobby that has turned into a moderate business venture. I presently do clarinets and saxes and such for local schools and a few 'civilian' clients. I've had only one return last year for a too loose middle tenon cork. All my repairs are still going strong after two years, many clarinets, a few flutes, several saxes, an oboe and three bass clarinets. My point is, there's no guarantee that a major music store will have a good tech on hand. Also, I wouldn't rule out the small independent home based business. Some of us independents strive to do a good job and are interested in constantly improving our skills. We care ...maybe more so than the guy who's working hard to pay someone else's overhead. The best advice by far is, as others have posted many times here, check out the reputation of a LOCAL technician you can work with who will give you the individual attention you and your instrument deserve. - rn b - Post Edited (2004-02-07 00:37)

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Re: Clarinet Repair

Author: ron b  Date:   2004-02-07 23:54 I s'pose, Fred, if I'd known a long time ago what I know today ,and you wisely persevered to find out, and had no local choices, I'd have sent my instrument to John B. I admire your persistence in doing your 'homework'. I wish, looking back on things now, that I'd been as wise as you; I would've saved myself a lot of aggravation and quite a few dollars. Thanks for a great topic and a reminder to all of us to look before we leap. We need to etch that on our refrigerator doors or something - ron b -

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