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Identifying & Repairing a Clarinet

Author: jdeschaines
Date: 2007-04-08 23:15

Hi folks! I'm Jessica, and I'm new to this board. I am a former clarinet player interested in playing again. It's been probably about 17 years since I've played, so please forgive me for not remembering the correct terminology.

Anyways, here is my situation.

I've got what appears to be a very old, very lovely clarinet that needs some serious TLC. The markings on it say "Duratone; F.E. Olds and Son and there is the number (model number??) 3672 on the top long piece. The pads probably need to be replaced, and the corking certainly does (it's all cracked and broken). She needs a gentle hand and lots of love to be brought back up to speed.

How do I find a reputable repair place? What are the questions I should ask? What should I expect to pay for repairs?

I've looked at the yellow pages, and there seems to be lots of options, but I'm loathe to just pick one at random - it seems better to ask around and get some feedback, I think. Also, being relatively new to my area (Vermont) *and* not playing for years makes it a pretty daunting task.

Thanks for any help you might provide