 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: DougR
Date: 2004-03-12 00:57
In the hope that someone else can profit from my bad fortune, be sure to check those rings at the top of each of the 2 body joints on the bass clarinet!! If they're loose (and if you live in the northeast, with our dry dry dry winters, they might well be), get 'em tightened by a good repair person.
here's why: If the rings are loose, they won't fully support the sockets as the tenons are pushed into the sockets. This can lead to stress cracks in the socket, which is what my repair guy unexpectedly announced to me this morning after he checked my Selmer Series 9 bass. I'd brought it in to him because literally overnight, the adjustment on the right-hand stack went all to hell. Turns out the ring on the socket was loose, and one of the main posts for the right-hand stack is soldered to the ring, and when the ring moved it threw everything all out of whack...AND, there was a crack. He assured me the horn would be fine (it's not as bad as a crack in the upper joint socket, especially one extending down to a tone hole), but when he told me "You have a crack" it felt almost like if he'd told me "You have a tumor." I had to go home & lie down afterward!!!
So, check those rings!!! Keep 'em tight!!!
cheers
Doug R
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: cujo
Date: 2004-03-12 02:42
When living in dry climates it is good to oil very frequently. I had an old bass from a dry climate and oiling like crazy for 2 weeks made the top ring pretty tight and middle ring pretty close to tight.
Also on this one the middle ring had small screws. Almost impossible for ring to come off no matter how loose.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: mw
Date: 2004-03-12 03:52
HYDRATION PROBLEM. Keep a humidifier inside the Bass Clarinet case. I have a room dedicated at 45% RHI year round. Making humidifiers is easy. Use the clear plastic film canisters with the pop-IN lid (not the pop-over lid). Cut 3-4 pieces of sponge lengthwise to fit inside the canister tightly. Wet the sponge with h20. Get an RHI gauge at Sears, Radio Shack, etc. Vary the humidity by the number of canisters used & how wet the sponges are kept. too much humidity isn't more better. best, mw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2004-03-12 15:10
I assume you put some holes in those film canisters after replacing the tops. Medicine pill bottles are good too.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-03-12 15:52
I agree with all 3 posts. Through our quite dry winter I have kept my "weather-center" hygrometer, located in my best inst's location, above 40% RH, ranging up to 50% in rainy weather. The rest of our house varies from about 25% to 50%. I also make a practice of bore-oiling in the fall with almond or apricot oils and have had no new cracks, nor re-opening of previously cracked horns. I also like the in-case tube humifiers for travel protection.. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: mw
Date: 2004-03-12 23:35
BobD, contact me offlist & provide me with your particulars & I will send you one of our Humidifiers. You will never use a pill container again! Remember, all, that I send the CLEAR plastic bottle with the lid which locks IN to the cannister. Leakage from the cannister will be averted. The pop OVER top will leak & also dries out too quickly.
best,
mw
email: cpaok@icon.net
Post Edited (2004-03-13 03:39)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: contragirl
Date: 2004-03-13 03:14
LOL! Tell me about it! The pain!
I use my school's Selmer 37, low C... *drool* Anyway, I have been the primary and only player of it since it came to be at our school. I treat it as my own.
Last year, after a day of rehearsal, I was swabing it and as I was taking it apart, something caught my eye. A 3 inch crack was running down the top joint through the logo! I just about cried! In hysterics, I took it to the instrument manager, who is also a friend and technician's apprentice.
It took 9 pins to close it! 9!!! That was like 9 stitches in my head.
I live in MD, and I had left it in my school locker during the winter. The school of music would leave that one area in the school very cold, like they had never heard of heat or something. I learned my lesson, don't leave stuff in my locker overnight.
I feel you. My condolences.
--Contragirl
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DougR
Date: 2004-03-13 15:00
Yeah, Contragirl, you got my reaction completely, hysterics just about covers it. I've now gotten the horn back from the shop--relatively minor and painless repair, since the crack is right at the band on the lower joint and the band is now tight enough so the crack isn't going anywhere--but I'm embarked on a course of remedial oiling just the same, followed by case humidification as suggested...all the while remembering to take slow, calming breaths. I don't think I'll come down with full-blown Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, but I'll wait & see on that. (As it is, when I hear the word "crack" now, I flinch involuntarily.)
My thanks to everyone who posted!
cheers (and a crack-free year!)
Doug R
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-03-14 11:00
It is clear that these rings are needed for reinforcing of a tenon socket.
So what on earth were Buffet thinking of when they started using nickel plated PLASTIC for these rings in their cheaper models.
These rings split - of course!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: mw
Date: 2004-03-14 21:49
Correct, Gordon. Of course, on the B-12, B-10, E-11 the thumbrests are made from the same plastic. It's actually somewhat difficult to discern that on examimation of the thumbrests; far easier on the rings though. best, mw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
