 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2004-10-21 10:35
Hi,
There was a recent post from another BB member about the 1 and 1 Bb fingering not working correctly. The pretty obvious answer was that either a cork was missing or the bridge key was out of adjustment which are pretty easy fixes.
Now I'm pretty handy, a very careful individual, and have many repair tools (various screwdrivers, pad slicks, spring hooks, key bending pliers, leak lights, a selection of flat springs, various thickness of cork, a whole range of pads of various thickness, shellac sticks, etc.). Most of these items came into my possession as a former band director and long-time woodwind player and teacher.
Granted, the techs on the board may be horrified that I would suggest doing selected repairs of my own. However, when one does not have a reliable tech at hand or the repair is of an emergency nature, things are different. But like a physician, I try to do no harm to my instruments and know when something is beyond my ability and skill.
Here are some things I have done in the past years on both my saxes and clarinets.
1. Replace small corks and trim/fit them
2. Redo tenon, neck, and mouthpiece corks
3. Minor bridge key adjustments
4. Simple adjustments including pad repositioning and re-seating
5. Replace broken flat springs (a needle spring as long as there is no broken stub to remove)
6. Pad replacement if not lower keys since the crow's foot adjustment is tricky
7. Anything else that seems pretty obvious and not difficult or requiring a lot of knowledge
I have an account at Ferree's as well.
What I want to ask BB members that are not techs, which of any of these repairs you routinely do for yourself, what are additional items that are within your ability and skills, and what repairs must be professionally done.
HRL
PS I realize there are people on the BB that might be challenged to change a light bulb but ..... :-).
Post Edited (2004-10-21 11:27)
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Author: Tim P
Date: 2004-10-21 13:36
I consider myself above average when it comes to mechanical things. I have made all of the repairs listed above and I have tackled the crows foot adjustments too.
Now the more humble side of me must admit that I would starve to death if I were to be try to support myself on clarinet repair. I am way too slow. It took me forever. first I had to carefully observe what was going on and then what was suppose to be going on. I got all the keys doing what they were supposed to do. I had to discover that there is certain sequence of opertions that must be followed. I learned this the hard way and needless to say I got very good taking the keys off and putting them back on again. I am sure that there is an easier way to get the pads to hit the tone hole squarely than the hit and miss method I used. But, since I have never seen this done by anyone I had to devise my own methods. I, also, got some advise from members of the Klarinet mail list like Walter grabner and spent some time on in archives.
Second confesion....... I limited my work to my instruments only, which are a old Conn director, a beat up plastic Vito, and now an older Noblet. If by chance I had a high dollar instrument I doubt that I would using my special pliers (tenon cork glued to the the jaws) to adjust the the keys. I would be scared to death to bend anything. I can see areal need for me to built some sort of a jig to control the bending process. I am afraid I would spent too much money and time building the jig and it would make more sense to sent to a REAL tech.
Beside that.... if I spent good money to buy a top of line instrument I would want to make absolutely sure that I was squeezing every once of performance out of it. If I were the technician, then whenever performance problems popped up I would always have some doubt as to where to rather or not it was the instrument or the player (me)..........then again..... maybe that litle bit a doubt is good for my ego. Could always blame the reed I guess.
I, Like you, know my limitations and work accordily.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-10-21 13:46
Fine questions, Hank, you describee my approach to simple [and complex] repairs very well. I do most of what you list, my major "Dont Try It" is with needle springs, tho I do make a try at the easier ones. I like to "tweak" my own horns, sometimes going too far. I just finished making my Stubbins-Noblet play much better ! I do do some simple jobs [some are pro-bono's or nearly so] for school kids, often loaning a cl for the "I've got a tryout/concert/ ball-game" last minute things, because our nearest pro's are in Tulsa, 40+ miles, and often a week in the shop !! Others ?? Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-10-21 14:43
Hank -
I do pretty much what you do. I stay away from pad adjustments because I'm not really good at it, though I have re-melted shellac to put back a pad that's fallen out.
I do as much as it takes to make an instrument play. Several years ago at the ClarinetFest I played another "camper's" brand new Leblanc Bb contra in the clarinet choir. Typically for Leblanc, it was so far out of adjustment that it wouldn't play at all. It took me an hour in a practice room to unbend the kinks in the long rods and get the thing to where it would play. Once it did, I stopped.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: jArius
Date: 2004-10-21 15:37
So how hard is it to adjust spring tension? The tension on my clarinet is inconsistent.
Jeremy Bruins
Proud member of the too-much-time-on-my-hands club.
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Author: William Hughes ★2017
Date: 2004-10-21 15:48
Funny you should ask. I purchased a Noblet on a popular auction website several weeks ago. Commensurate with the price I paid, it was not in good superficial condition, with tarnish/corrosion on the keys, rings and rods and that dreadful "rust" (red gunk) in the bore and tenons. I have been ever so slowly dissembling and cleaning the horn, using the Doctor's products for the wood and Brasso for the metal. I have replaced a few of the smaller corks. The advice I gleaned from several searches on this Board has been invaluable. The upper joint, bell and barrel are done and, with all due modesty, look pretty good. When the whole thing is ready, though, I will leave any playing adjustments or pad replacements to a tech.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2004-10-21 17:54
I think that those repairs are reasonable. I keep Valentino adhesive-backed cork in my case, and frequently adjust bridge key and crows-foot problems using it. Students, and their treatment of the instruments, make this necessary.
Allen Cole
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-10-21 18:54
Many of us band directors learned instrument repair "on the job", usually just before a big concert.
Although I do not repair my own clarinets, (and shudder at the thought) I can do the basic things that Hank described.
Sometimes, it's amazing how a well placed rubber band and some stick-on green felt can get a student through a concert ...GBK
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-10-21 20:10
jArius wrote,
"So how hard is it to adjust spring tension? The tension on my clarinet is inconsistent."
Tensions are not necessarily consistent.
-Some keep pads closed, and NEED to be quite stronger.
-Others keep keys open, and don't NEED to be as strong.
-Some work on keys with a lot of leverage working against them.
-Some work against the weight of the entire key because it is unbalanced on the pivot.
-Some have to fight friction in a linkage (or elsewhere) as well as close a pad.
-The F/C lever needs very little because the spring's ONLY role is to stop a linkage jamming, and perhaps stop vibration in the pivot.
-On articulated G# instruments one spring has to 'FIGHT' another, and in some fingering situations but not others.
And important to consider... some fingerings work against two springs (or more for bass clarinets), while others, using the same key, work against only one spring.
How hard is it to adjust spring tension?
Sometimes it can be very easy - just bend the spring a little. Other times this will result in breakage, or there are a whole host of other complicated issues, such as the actual shape of a flat spring and how it operates in its cradle, spring material, eliminating sources of friction, and many others, especially when the actual design (length, diameter, material, cradle specs, distance from fulcrum etc) has been poor.
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Author: Avie
Date: 2004-10-21 22:41
Up to this point I have been amazingly lucky with both my buffet and student selmer clarinets. Ive had the buffet 3 years and the selmer 10 years and have had only very minor problems and basically just have to keep them dry and clean. If breakdown did occur with either instrument I would probably attempt some repairs but not others for fear of causing further damage. When a breakdown does occur I would like to purchase the necessary tools needed to do all repairs that I am capable of doing but from what I understand the cost of the tools could possible be more than the cost of bringing it to a tech and of course the time it takes to do the repairs. I guess for me its too early to tell. Doing my own clarinet repairs could be a rewarding and satisfying hobby for me in the future.
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Author: johnsonfromwisconsin
Date: 2004-10-22 00:47
I've done enough of my own repairs to understand that they're much more difficult than one might think. I completely repadded a YAS-23 a few months ago and still haven't satisfactorily worked out leaks in the lower stack, and much of the Upper Stack went into place probably by beginners luck. This was all easier than it could have been if the horn didn't have so many usefull adjustment screws (unlike the instruments I actually play on) to work out timing.
I've also dealt with replacing snap in pads, did a neck cork, applied key oil, and minor key adjustments on clarinets and saxophones. I certainly don't trust myself to do any of this on other's instruments.avumba wrote:
-JfW
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2004-10-22 01:52
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all the great answers and insights. Like many of you, I would not want to do this for a living (or be a pro on the golf tour). I think I'd starve.
GBK is right on about the OJT or is that more aptly JBC (Just Before Concert).
Regards,
HRL
Post Edited (2004-10-22 10:58)
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Author: pewd
Date: 2004-10-22 02:16
in addition to what you listed, i'll tighten loose posts, and replace lost screws (ferees sells assortments)
i'll sometimes use superglue to seal up a crack that doesn't penetrate to the bore, and occassionally unbend student horns. its amazing what abuse students heap on their instruments.
-paul
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