 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill
Date: 2000-09-10 02:51
Hello,
I just noticed that the bell of my 2 year old R-13 has two cracks on opposite sides. It also has a crack on the lower joint starting at the ring and down to the alt. B natural tone hole. I will be giving a solo performance on October 7 and can't afford not to practice every day. I hear when you have a crack, you should immediately stop playing. Any advice would be very helpful.
Bill
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Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2000-09-10 04:29
Bill, cracking of clarinets is a very serious thing, especially when it reaches the tone holes. It is very much true that you should stop playing that clarinet immediately. Otherwise the crack will slowly proceed to spread. I would get that clarinet to a good repair tech immediately. As far as the bell goes, it may be cheaper to have it replaced than fixed, depending on how bad the cracks are. As far as you deadline goes, you could probably talk to the music store to see if you could rent an R-13 for a month. I would also ask you if there are loose rings, or if you have been playing with severe temp or humidity changes. If either of these is the case, I would recommend doing something to remedy them, or you will probably find more cracks. I am afraid that playing your clarinet as is for a month, may very easily do more damage to your clarinet. It would probably be cheaper to rent an R-13 for a month than pay for the damage that could occur in that same time period. It gets expensive, FAST! Good luck to you, I hope things work out for you. -- Nate Zeien
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Author: Robin
Date: 2000-09-10 07:08
Are you absolutely sure, Bill?
I have never heard of the wood cracking at the bell. I think it is because the wood is under less strain down there( unlike upper joint where there closely spaced tone holes).
BTW would it be OK to play as long as one kept it dry? If you have to play, maybe you could swab out your clarinet every five minutes or so. Don't take my word - wait for one of the rapairers to post.
Rob
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-09-10 11:32
Robin wrote:
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...I have never heard of the wood cracking at the bell...
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I've seen several on the auction sites such as eBay with cracked bells. The wood in the bell is often thinner than that in the body.
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Author: J. Butler
Date: 2000-09-10 12:23
Nate wrote:
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Bill, cracking of clarinets is a very serious thing, especially when it reaches the tone holes.
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Actually cracks usually START at the tone holes and follow the direction of the grain. Examine the crack and the widest part of the crack is the origin (tone hole). Yes, Bill this is a serious problem and I would advise that you take the R-13 to a repair facility as soon as you can. Buffet does offer a full replacement warranty for the first year, but maybe a little persuasion will get them to at least anti up for part of the costs.
J. Butler
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Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2000-09-10 18:54
Bill, J. Butler had a good point. Cracks can start at the tone holes, too. But, also I have had experiences where the crack started at the tenon and worked its way onward. I played on a bass clarinet in which cracks started from both places. In fact, on this instrument there were a couple of surface cracks, that didn't go all of the way through, but I wouldn't count on it with the thinner wood of a soprano clarinet. Either way, it is a good idea to check it over quite well now and then. Above, people had written that bell won't crack. As you probably know, they can. The bell is made of thick wood for the most part. The exception to this, is the thin wood at the joint. A loose ring could easily let a crack start here. It doesn't really matter where the crack started, it will probably continue - even on the other side of the tone hole. You need to get it fixed right away. If you don't believe me, at least take it to a qualified repair tech and get thier opinion. Good luck! -- Nate Zeien
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Author: larry
Date: 2000-09-11 01:57
If it's true (as suggested here) that thicker wood is less likely to crack than thinner wood, would the Selmer Recital, with it's considerably thicker body, be less likely to experience crackage than other clarinets?
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Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2000-09-11 04:18
Larry, this is not necessarily true. I was just saying that the wood is most likely to start to crack at it's thinnest point, the tone holes and the joints. Perhaps it would be true, for bells are the thickest part of the clarinet, and they don't seem to crack very much. Another thing to consider is the fact that when you blow hot air through a cold clarinet, (which you probably shouldn't do anyway), the bell is the last thing to warm up. I almost would tend to think that the thicker the wood, the more likely it would be to crack. This is because of the way some cracks form. Hot air is blown through a cooler instrument, and if the inside (bore) heats up and expands before the outside, causing stress in the wood. This is why surface cracks can happen. By far, a wood bass clarinet is more likely too crack than a wood clarinet. Another thing that comes to mind - oboes are notorious for cracking, and I think they are made of thicker wood than clarinet. Overall, my conclusion would be that thicker wood is more likely to crack, but this is only based on my own knowledge and experience. -- Nate Zeien
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-09-11 21:49
*Theories* aside, I can confirm Dee's *observation* that for whatever reason, bells DO crack. I've seen plenty of cracked bells (and cracked everything else) on flea market clarinets. I've seen cracks starting from the tenons and cracks starting from the tone holes. I've even seen a joint cracked not longitudinally but straight across, all the way around and all the way through to the bore, like a thin stick broken over somebody's knee. On one side, the crack was splintery, and dented in at the edges. Somehow that instrument must have gotten dropped or smacked hard against a very hard edge or corner, perhaps something like the edge of a concrete stair step in a stadium.
Nate Zeien wrote:
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Larry, this is not necessarily true. I was just saying that the wood is most likely to start to crack at it's thinnest point, the tone holes and the joints. Perhaps it would be true, for bells are the thickest part of the clarinet, and they don't seem to crack very much. Another thing to consider is the fact that when you blow hot air through a cold clarinet, (which you probably shouldn't do anyway), the bell is the last thing to warm up. I almost would tend to think that the thicker the wood, the more likely it would be to crack. This is because of the way some cracks form. Hot air is blown through a cooler instrument, and if the inside (bore) heats up and expands before the outside, causing stress in the wood. This is why surface cracks can happen. By far, a wood bass clarinet is more likely too crack than a wood clarinet. Another thing that comes to mind - oboes are notorious for cracking, and I think they are made of thicker wood than clarinet. Overall, my conclusion would be that thicker wood is more likely to crack, but this is only based on my own knowledge and experience. -- Nate Zeien
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Author: Mary
Date: 2000-09-15 16:27
bill,
last year i had 3 buffet r13's under warranty crack badly (yes, they were broken in, protected from the elements, etc), and i continued to play all 3 until times were convenient to send them back to buffet (it means 6 long r13-less weeks each time...i've never heard of a music store that rents professional level clarinets). i know of a few professional clarinetists who have played on unpinned cracked clarinets for years, long cracks thru tone holes. not all cracks ever go all the way thru to the bore. many cracks move slowly. keep practicing, maybe call up your clarinet buddies and see if someone will loan you an emergency clarinet the couple days before the gig if something goes badly, and don't let the paranoia interfere with your playing. you can get it pinned after the recital.
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Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2000-09-16 00:16
Bill, in response to Mary's reply, yes there are some cracks that can go without repair. What happens in this case, is the wood has normal internal stress, it cracks, the stress is relieved, and the crack will close up. No problem, except for the fact that most cracks aren't this way. Most, if given a chance, will spread over time. You should go to a qualified repair tech ASAP, not in a month or so of heavy playing. If it is something that can wait a little while, they will tell you. There is no harm in having someone look at the crack. If you wait, you may regret it. I have seen this happen, don't let it happen to you. -- Nate Zeien
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