 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DrH2O
Date: 2007-10-15 17:59
I had a disaster last week and managed to dump the contents of my clarinet case (a late 50's E&S master model) on a hard tile floor. The upper joint landed on the middle tenon which dented the edge of the tenon and caused a stress fracture much like the one recently posted in the tenon crack thread, except that the crack didn't extend to the outside on the tenon. The outside of the tenon deformed and the inside cracked. In addition to the obvious crack, it now plays very flat (it used to play in tune).
I sent it to my tech who determined that the damage not only cracked the tenon, but likely deformed it, causing it to play flat. So crack repair alone won't fix the problem. He said one option is having the tenon replaced, and although that has a high probability of success, he can't guarantee that it will play in tune afterwards. He swapped out the upper joint with another to test the lower joint and it played in tune so at least the lower joint is still okay.
I just had the clarinet completely overhauled at significant expense and am now faced with a tenon replacement that might not make it fully functional. How do you decide when to cut your loses? Is a dropped clarinet a dead clarinet?
Anne
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Author: Danny Boy
Date: 2007-10-15 18:45
In that situation I'd be calling my insurance company regardless, it's up to them to decide whether to write it off or pay the repair.
If you're not insured...tough one. I had a defective case which dumped my Selmer Series II alto sax on a hard wood floor, I was informed that that 'bent the brace' and wrote the instrument off...your instrument sounds in a pretty bad state.
Not helpful at all I'm afraid...<wanders off feeling bad for not being more helpful>
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Author: BobD
Date: 2007-10-15 20:57
I would say that each instance must be considered indivually.....you can't make a blanket statement. The E&S Master Models have a fine rep(I have one myself) and , like Dave, I say never give up. Perhaps Dave wants to take a crack at it and he is an excellent Tech.
Bob Draznik
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Author: shmuelyosef
Date: 2007-10-16 02:07
A tenon replacement isn't all that expensive to give it one more try...$75-$200 depending on going with ABS or Grenadilla...no difference soundwise, I believe (this is belief, not fact), and they almost always work.
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Author: InTheBassment
Date: 2007-10-17 00:21
it depends how much you love it... most of my fellow clarinet players wouldn't give up on their instrument the same way you wouldn't give up on a baby. =) although this may be a good time for an upgrade
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Author: DrH2O
Date: 2007-10-17 15:00
Thanks for the feedback - I'm having the tenon replacement done and keeping my fingers crossed that it will fix the pitch problem. It would be a nice excuse for an upgrade, but the E&S (+ overhaul) was my recent upgrade from the B12 I bought last Feb so I have sort of exhausted the familial musical instrument budget at this point.
In the meantime I am back to playing on the B12 and thankful that I still have a clarinet in house!
Anne
Anne
Clarinet addict
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