 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: woodwind650
Date: 2005-05-04 01:53
What are everyone's thoughts on this topic? I'm getting new horns tomorrow and it's been over 10 years since I've bought something new. These have never been played and they're being shipped from the East Coast to my place in SF weather. [humidity of about 60%] I've heard from others that a one-week break-in is normal and another friend of mine had suggested 6 weeks [sounds a little long though]
Any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.
Post Edited (2005-05-04 01:53)
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2005-05-04 02:18
I've heard extreme things like months to break in a clarinet--10 minutes first day, 20 minutes next, and on like that for weeks and weeks. And I've heard if you 'miss' a day, then you have to start over. I think this approach MAY be a little extreme, but I would say that any effort you put into breaking in a new horn carefully will be beneficial to its 'well-being' somehow.
good luck!
-T
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Author: pewd
Date: 2005-05-04 02:44
i just start playing them. i've been playing clarinet for 38 years, i've never had a problem with a new horn.
if its in their karma to crack they will, not much you can do about it.
slap a reed on the mpc and start blowing...
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: msloss
Date: 2005-05-04 02:57
As Paul indicated, there are two diametrically opposed schools of thought. The first is break in the horns slowly both to avoid cracks and to stabilize the wood. The other says play 'em now and play 'em hard and if they crack, they were going to anyway. I've done it both ways and can't say with any statistical certainty that one way is better than the other. I tell my students and customers to err on the conservative side and break them in slowly to minimize the potential for bad things.
BTW, one week or six weeks is not a break-in period. You might as well just start playing them full time if you aren't able to be more patient than that.
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Author: lycfmtkl
Date: 2005-05-05 06:36
I've bought three wooden clarinets (2 Buffets and 1 Leblanc) within the last 2 years. I played all of them full time without breaking-in. There is no crack on all of them up to now. Perhaps I'm just lucky
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Author: Aussie Nick
Date: 2005-05-05 07:28
I'll second msloss, it takes longer than 1-6 weeks. I got new RC Prestiges last year (the A in July, and the Bb in November - both from Paris) and it has only been in the past month or two that I have really felt used to them. I believe that in the time leading up to then they were changing alot.
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Author: Buster Brown
Date: 2005-05-05 13:21
I just (a year ago) broke in a new Vintage R-13. Played it 10 minutes first day, 20 the second, and then was enjoying it so much, I said the h*** with it and started playing it as much as I wanted. No problems after a year. But, I live in the"humid south (NC). When I was "young" (many years ago) we never even thought about the problem of "breaking in" a clarinet. Wondere why?
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