 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: QJ
Date: 2004-10-10 15:49
I'm a junior in high school and have played on the same clarinet (a student Selmer model) since I started learning in the 6th grade. They reccomended for us to get a wood clarinet because the sound better. Now that I'm in the marching band, I've done my best to keep it in good condition, but naturally problems have happened.
Recently, I've spotted two tiny cracks (opposite of each other) on the barrel that haven't gone all the way through. My guess they're from the cold weather we get around here. I was told that 1) I could prevent them from getting any worse by keeping it as dry as possible, 2) get the cracks pinned or 3) replace my barrel all together which would cost a good amount of money.
The last thing I want to do is spend a lot of money on a clarinet that I'm only going to be using for one more year. Yes, I enjoy what I do, and want the best for my clarinet. What's the most efficent option that I have? Does pinning cost a lot of money? How much does replacing a barrel cost?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2004-10-10 16:13
If it were me, I would: 1) have the original barrel repaired by a qualified tech person; and 2) go down to our local Buy and Sell Shoppe and "score" the cheapest playing plastic clarinet appearing object that I could. For marching band--unless you are in a summer competative band--quality does not matter. You cannot usually be heard in the stands from the 50 yard line anyway. So, from an football audience perspective, if it looks like a clarinet--it IS a clarinet.
Also, I would also recommend a Legere synthetic reed, although if used strictly for marching band, that is also a waste. Legeres are good enough for serious concert work. But they are especially great for those cold (and frequently rainy), October, Friday night halftime presentations as Legeres remain unaffected by atmospheric conditions and will--like the watch--take a lick'n and keep on *play'n*.
Then, your student level Selmer will avoid further damage and retain its trade-in or re-sale values when it comes time for you to move on up to a pro level instrument.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-10 21:54
If the director is telling kids to get wooden clarinets before having a plastic clarinet then he is being stupid - if the program is feeding into a marching band.
Because it is completely unreasonable to make a kid buy an expensive clarinet and then another one after that to play outside.
For the advanced, serious, etc player it is perfectly ok to need to step up to a wooden clarinet, but to set up the problem of cracking, ruining, etc the wooden model is just being irresponsible of him.
You could get a cheaper plastic clarinet on ebay - without the markup of the local dealer.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: OpusII
Date: 2004-10-10 22:01
I agree with David, it's not very smart to advice wooden clarinet to students if outdoor playing is involved. But I would let the clarinet by repaired by a skilled technician.
Buying a plastic clarinet for outdoor is probably the best solution.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2004-10-10 22:53
QJ:
Personally, I do not think someone who recommends a wood Clarinet for a student is necessarily irresponsible, unreasonable, or stupid. Recommending one because it "sounds better," well, that is a bit thickheaded, or at the very least ignorant. Wood Clarinets don't automatically sound better. And the nice thing about a student playing a wood Clarinet is all the things not otherwise learned by experience. For example, eood Clarinets crack. And by the waym for anyone who never played a plastic Clarinet, they don't. Unless that's what you intend, when you beat it across a fence rail.
You have, as happens often, received some shaky advice. he following are my suggestions. MOO, but ignore them:at your peril:
1) Do NOT keep things "as dry as possible." That's a sure route to cracks. Oil your barrel with "Bore Doctor," and the cracks may just disappear. If they do, it's likely high time to oil the rest of the instrument. Be careful not to oil the pads -- they don't like that. Oil inside and out? Yes.
2) There is no need to pin cracks that don't penetrate.
3) The cheapest way to replace a barrel (if needed, and I don't believe yours needs to be replaced): bip over to your favorite instrument tech and ask if the cadaver pile has one that'll be good for your instrument. You might even get one for free, if you don't go in there acting as if you're the one doing the favor.
And Yes, Yes, Yes: get a plastic clarinet for unfavorable climate conditions.
Regards,
John
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-11 01:51
To have new players buy a Wooden Clarinet is being irresponsible.
I'm very much in favor of players playing the best instrument they can afford, etc but when outside playing is a requirement it becomes a problem.
Post Edited (2004-10-11 01:51)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2004-10-11 15:06
Here we go again with semantics. Plastic clarinets don't crack, they fracture. And it doesn't take intentional mistreatment for it to happen.
Bob Draznik
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: QJ
Date: 2004-10-12 00:35
What is the use of bore oil going to provide me? How much will it cost to have them pinned if I decide to do that?
Thank you all!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-10-12 02:40
With a cracked barrel I would be inclined just to carefully fill the cracks with very low viscosity, high quality superglue, starting at one end, and working to the other, until the cracks can be filled no more. The low viscosity glue conveniently fills a crack from the bottom first.
The tricky part is the clean-up afterwards.
Pins are needed to stabilise a crack that is at risk of getting longer and being a nuisance, say going through tone holes. The barrel RINGS tend to do the stabilising for barrel splits.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
