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 verrrry musty clarinet
Author: domski 
Date:   2010-03-21 21:57

hi all.

total newbie here :)

i've been given an old B+H clarinet... the serial number suggests its from around 1960.

it's basically pretty musty and smelly :)

not unbearable, but it does leave an odour on my hands.

i've checked a few threads on here re cleaning, but i don't have the courage or skill to take the keys off and oil the thing.

i'm also reluctant to put it in for an 'overhaul' as it was free, and an o/h would cost around 150GBP... I can buy a new student clari for 80GBP and i just want to have a bit of a muck about without throwing loads of cash at the problem.

the case is REALLY musty... it has to go and it will.

so.

any suggestions?

it's in pretty good condition other than the aroma and a single pad missing. (the pad i can cope with... i'm not sure it's going to affect my renditions of "good king wenceslas" and "when the saints" just yet :))

many, many thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice.

best,

Dom

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 Re: verrrry musty clarinet
Author: William 
Date:   2010-03-21 22:26

Probably more the case than the clarinet. Try setting the case out in the sunlight, open for a day or so. Baking soda has also be recommeded to reduce the ordor. If that doesn't work well, a new case wouldn't be too expensive. The ProTech single compact case would be a good, economical choice.

If it is the clarinet, then an overhaul--replacing the stinky pad and corks, mainly--is probably going to be needed to make it smell like a new instrument. If your B&H clarinet is wood, then it would be worth the investment rather than buying an inferior student clarinet.

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 Re: verrrry musty clarinet
Author: domski 
Date:   2010-03-21 23:23

My b&h is indeed wood...

Man... I can practically taste that must as I type :)

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 Re: verrrry musty clarinet
Author: DavidBlumberg 
Date:   2010-03-21 23:28

Throw the case away, hope the clarinet comes clean with a professional cleaning.

If not, garbage for that also.

http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com


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 Re: verrrry musty clarinet
Author: domski 
Date:   2010-03-21 23:33

Well, this is my point...

I can't really afford to spe d the money on a pro cleanup
if there's no guarantee it's going to work...

Case is binned, and the clarinet is currently in pieces getting
an airing...

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 Re: verrrry musty clarinet
Author: DavidBlumberg 
Date:   2010-03-21 23:37

That's not going to fix it. It almost certainly will need a real cleaning by someone who can take all of the pads off (and chuck them) and put the keys in a solution to soak as well as clean the wood from the inside out.

Musty Clarinet is something I wouldn't touch with a 10 ft pole.

Some folks are more sensitive to it than others, and some aren't at all!

http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com


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 Re: verrrry musty clarinet
Author: chris moffatt 
Date:   2010-03-21 23:41

throw the case away don't even bother to rehabilitate it, from exp. with musty cases I can say it's already a lost cause. As for the clarinet itself cleaning and a repad would be worth it given the prices i see for used B&H horns in the UK. What model is it BTW? if it's above an edgware in the range it's a no-brainer. OTOH be very wary of any student clarinet that costs GBP80 new......

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 Re: verrrry musty clarinet
Author: weberfan 
Date:   2010-03-21 23:49

Domski--A message of commiseration:

I bought a B&H 2-20 on the auction site about eight months ago. I asked several questions of the seller ahead of time, but the one question I failed to ask was: "Does the clarinet smell like a musty basement."

It arrived in the horrid original case, which I threw out. But the smell from the bore was, and continues to be, off-putting, to say the least. The interior of my father's WWII footlocker (stored in the dank, frequently flooded basement of the house I grew up in) had the same smell.

In the months since I bought the clarinet, I've kept it wrapped in a clean cotton napkin--which I wash periodically--and have stored it all in a big old case that originally held a plastic Selmer Signet. I'm waiting to give the B&H a thorough cleaning and to replace pads and corks. It will probably cost me at least $250. I paid $90 for the instrument, by the way.

So far, the odor has abated somewhat, but not enough to make playing tolerable.



Post Edited (2010-03-22 00:29)

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 Re: verrrry musty clarinet
Author: domski 
Date:   2010-03-22 00:07

I don't really know how to spot the model...

The serial number is 215948 if that means anything?

I doubt it's a high end machine, but I'm willing to be surprised :)


Many thanks, btw, for all your help thus far amigos

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 Re: verrrry musty clarinet
Author: JJAlbrecht 
Date:   2010-03-22 00:21

Some photos might help someone to offer a model identification. Logos, keywork, etc. vary a bit from mode to model within a particular brand.

Jeff

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 Re: verrrry musty clarinet
Author: BobD 
Date:   2010-03-22 14:35

You've already thrown the case in the garbage, you indicate. Good move. The pads are probably responsible for at least half of the still existing problem.....they all have to go, just like the case. (sorry but...I wonder if there's enough sun in the UK to air out the horn....lol) Some of the keys in those horns are reputed to be not too good.......so before you spend ANY coin on it get further comment.

Bob Draznik

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 Re: verrrry musty clarinet
Author: William 
Date:   2010-03-22 14:46

If your crib is a bit dark, consider a new lamp before decorating your dumpster..........;>/

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 Re: verrrry musty clarinet
Author: RoBass 
Date:   2010-03-22 15:33

I could only recommend to send the clarinet to a clarinet maker to overhaul it. If it's smelling like old stuff and dusty inside, the keywork could be rusted and the pads no covering well. It would be a good decision to let a specialist clean and tune the instrument overall. After that it's a "new" wood ;-)

If you decide to do so, please search for overhaul specialists near to your location (best way) or in the web! One hint could be the clarinet doctor W. Teutsch. He's a well known and experienced overhauler in Germany and the cost is fixed to appr. 230,-€. This is the half of a typical offer mostly, but it's worth every penny. see: www.klarinettendoktor.de

kindly
Roman

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