 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Murgo
Date: 2008-08-05 16:42
Attachment: 252370.jpg (109k)
Any info on this clarinet? It says "35" Besson, London" and "Made in england", and serial no. 441789
I bought it as a cheap junker to try to repair it (the bell tenon is broken off from the lower joint, maybe from dropping on the floor?), and I'd like to know something about it. It's a (presumably) student instrument made of plastic, the seller didn't know anything about clarinets, so no idea of the age or condition of pads etc. (hasn't arrived yet) but he claimed it should be ok except for the broken tenon.
What would be the best way to repair the tenon, aside from turning a new one and boring the lower joint to fit it (I could maybe get to use a lathe, but I don't have one myself)? Supergluing and then drilling and pinning with thin steel wires for strenght and filling possible missing bits with epoxy? Or would simply gluing and filling hold it?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-08-05 17:03
These are exactly the same as B&H Regent clarinets, so a Regent lower joint (with a serial number somewhere between 230000 and 550000) will do the trick.
If you ever see a Regent with a broken middle tenon (but the lower joint is fine) then you could use the lower joint without having to refit the keys as that'll be easier to do than replace the tenon if you don't have access to a lathe and the other equipment needed.
The broken tenon may hold by being glued and pinned (use epoxy for this), though it is very thin and the repair may not last long. But there's no harm in trying.
I've got a 38xxxx serial number Regent and it's bakelite bodied (with nickel plated nickel silver keys that are well worn and pitted). Later Regents were made from ABS until they were discontinued around 1983/84 and the Schreiber-built B&H Regent II replaced it - which in turn was renamed Buffet B12 in the mid-'80s.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Murgo
Date: 2008-08-05 17:49
Thanks for the info. I'll try gluing and pinning then, when I get the clarinet in my hands, and if that fails, then I'll have to find some suitable plastic stock and visit my friend who has a lathe. As said, I bought the horn out of curiosity to try if I can fix it and also because the case is smaller and handier than that of my current clarinet (an old wooden Jean Martin), Also I thought I might try the mouthpiece to see if it's easier to play than the Vandoren B45 I now have, though I'm getting used to that one already.
I've only played clarinet for a couple of months (and saxophone for about 4 moths), but I like both. I'm the DIY kind of person who likes to find out how things work and how to fix them, so since the Jean Martin plays just fine as is, I bought the Besson mainly to practice repairs and maybe to have another horn I can use outdoors etc.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-08-05 18:02
"I'm the DIY kind of person who likes to find out how things work and how to fix them"
You're in good company! I reckon most of us started out as tinkerers and progressed from there. If you have the aptitude, then that counts for a lot when it comes to problem solving.
If you find the B45 a struggle, try a closer facing one such as a 5RV Lyre.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2008-08-05 18:07)
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Author: Murgo
Date: 2008-08-26 17:19
Ok, I finally got the clarinet (the bus freight company messed with it for a couple of weeks)
It's in worse shape than I imagined, in addition to the broken tenon (the broken off piece is missing, so it's lathe time) there's a loose post, at least one pad that has it's skin and felt ripped off and some seriously misadjusted keywork. Oh well, I was looking for repair practice, so there's just more challenge to get it playable, and I have another clarinet to play, so no hurry.
The clarinet seems to be made of bakelite (I scratced the broken surface of the tenon and it smelled like bakelite), and appears to be of decent quality, though abused, so I think it might be worth the effort to repair it, and since it's worth next to nothing in the present state, there's no great risk of messing it up (somebody's done that already).
And at the very least I got a usable mouthpiece (a little more closed tip than the B45 I have, so slightly easier to play) with a good ligature, a rather sturdy case and half a box of unused Vandoren no.2 reeds.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2008-08-26 19:19
> t least one pad that has it's skin and felt ripped off
...speaking of torn pads - does anyone in here not replace all the pads on an off-the-junk-pile instrument?
I do this on every instrument that goes over my table, unless it's obviously unplayed since the last repad.
--
Ben
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