The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Stacy Friedman
Date: 2007-09-06 23:20
Hi,
I've got an old pre-Yamaha Bb full-boehm clarinet, except it's a single-piece body. Any ideas how I could get a decent case for it? I'd like to avoid keeping it together, so I don't think a soprano sax or metal clarinet case would work unless there's lots of other room.
Ideally, the layout would be similar to a 1-piece bass clarinet case, with the body across the top of the case, and then room for the bell, barrels, mouthpieces, and gear underneath. Let me try this in ASCII:
/--------------------------\
| [- clarinet body here -] |
| [bell] [barrels] [stuff] |
\--------------------------/
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Stacy
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-09-07 00:13
How good are your woodworking and upholstering skills?
If you have the time, patience and skills (and access to a workshop and materials) the best solution is probably a home-made case made from marine ply (make a sealed box then cut the top off with a band saw to form the lid) covered in rexine with a high density foam nest which can be carved to retain each section, then the inside all lined with velvet.
Most craft shops will sell hinges, clasps and handles (and the shiny screws or nails to fit them with), and this way you can tailor make the case to be the size you want it to be, and with all the compartments where you want them.
I'm not sure what ready-made cases will fit a one-piece bodied clarinet and still be deep enough for the bell - certainly alto flute cases are too shallow which won't allow any room for the bell and soprano sax cases are either too long or the size of a cornet case for the curved ones.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-09-07 00:32
It should fit into a standard cabin trolley. From $19.99 up...
You'd have 'nuff room for notes, reeds, reed knives, reed rush, reed clippers, reed resurfacers, reed condidioners, reed disposers, reed guards, reed cases, reed humidifiers, reed the manuals, plus twelve barrels and 37 mouthpieces including ligatures. There might even be room for a kitchen towel roll and a tube of superglue.
--
Ben
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-09-07 00:41
Yeah, but is there still room for a packet of Rizlas?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-09-07 01:01
Chris P wrote:
> Yeah, but is there still room for a packet of Rizlas?
In the bell, yes.
--
Ben
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Author: LonDear
Date: 2007-09-07 02:51
I've made some very useful cases from run-of-the-mill gun cases from sporting goods stores. (I don’t own any guns, yet, but I do own saxophones, almost as much of a deterrent) They come in many sizes and can be had on the web also. They are very sturdy. They are almost all 4.5 inches, deep, which is exactly what the depth of most of my soprano clarinet cases, are. The gun cases come packed with several layers of foam that can be cut with an Exacto knife set to fit the clarinets perfectly, with enough patience. If you don’t want your clarinets touching foam, you can line the case with expensive fabric or cheap pillowcases cut to fit. I just came back from a jazz/swing gig using a small rifle case (37x13) carrying an A, Bb, C and Eb (all of which were put to good use). I’ve been using this case and a larger case (for stands, microphone, mic cable, reading glasses, tools, etc.) for many months and all of the horns have stayed in perfect adjustment. I thought that a lining might protect the wood/rubber/nickel/silver/etc. better than plain foam, but I haven’t experienced any problem with my newest case that I was too lazy to cut cotton for. I have no idea what kind of metal and wood that guns are made of, and I don’t care enough to look it up, but if guns are safe in gun cases, clarinets are probably safe in gun cases.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-09-07 17:13
But Rossis aren't full Boehms, unless they do a single case for a Rossi A clarinet which might fit a full Boehm.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: susieray
Date: 2007-09-07 17:32
You might be able to find a large enough brief case, tear out the guts and rebuild it to suit. You'd have to put the body in at a diagonal but it might work. I believe Dave Spiegelthal did one like that some time ago. Maybe he'll chime in.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2007-09-07 17:45
CHIME!
I've gutted many cases of various sizes, for various oddball (and normal) sizes of clarinets and saxes, into which I've installed a thick (about 3") slab of medium- or high-density foam obtained from vendors of packing materials. Then, cut out foam as needed to accommodate whatever, using a combination of serrated bread knife, razor blade, and/or hacksaw blade, whichever works best. If you want to get really fancy you can then glue some stretchy velour-like fabric over the foam, but I'm lazy and sloppy and nowadays just leave the foam bare. Ugly, but it works.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-09-07 19:37
> Ugly, but it works.
Substandard marketing.
"The quintessential case for the purist" might sell better.
--
Ben
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Author: susieray
Date: 2007-09-07 20:04
Thanks for the chime, Dave, but I seem to recall seeing pictures of a particular case that you did, with the clarinet body at a diagonal....
remember which one I'm talking about??? Was that a brief case, or
was it a double clarinet case???
Sue
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-09-08 19:45
Not something I'd recommend to anyone - it's bad enough with Buffet double cases with the bells left on, but leaving a whole clarinet together is a recipie for disaster made worse still if the player isn't exactly fussed about drying it all out before putting it in the case, only to take it out the next time they need to play it.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: blazian
Date: 2007-09-09 17:37
Why don't you just throw it in a one-piece alto clarinet case? You might even be able to fit it in there with the bell on. There would definitely be enough room to put all the rest of your "stuff".
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-09-09 18:00
"I'd like to avoid keeping it together ..."
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: blazian
Date: 2007-09-09 20:31
Well you COULD leave the bell on... otherwise, there's plenty of space to put it in there.
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