 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: michigan
Date: 2010-10-24 19:39
Attachment: broken clarinet.pdf (169k)
I’ve finally got the clarinet that I bought on an online auction to save money...
I am not surprised, but it seems like it came broken... I am new to clarinets and I bought this for my daughter (who will have her first lesson next Sunday).
My options look like:
1.Fix the problem (could you please tell me if that will be expensive)
2.Try to return clarinet and get my money back + rent another one like that for 100$ for a year.
What I’ve got is a Buffet B12 with Vandoren 2RV mouthpiece (I did not know that the mouthpiece is not original when I was buying this clarinet). The cost was 190 + 15$ shipping, return policy – 7 days. So, may be I’ll be able to get these $190 back + pay return shipping.
What is broken:
It seems like some plastic connection is broken here
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-10-24 20:06
Pin is an EASY, cheap fix.
Of course there may be leaking problems that need to be tended too as well. Just count on a little bit more like some replacement pads and some cork adjustment. The pin should only be ten bucks or so. The money with repairs comes from the time it takes to do stuff, so hopefully it doesn't need much elaborate repair.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2010-10-24 20:18
take it to a tech. he can tell you better what to do. its not his first time with a auction instrument i can promise you!
the main thing is that your daughter really need a playable/good horn when she is starting. if the first years is colored by playing a faulty horn, she maybe dont want to play for so long, or she maybe develop some really bad playing habits that it will take years to work away!!
my parents gave me a chinese made Olds that didnt seal and that had the worst mechanics ever...
it took me a few years only playing saxophone and then a lot of years to re-learn the clarinet when i finaly got a good one to play on!
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2010-10-24 20:20
ACK, easy fix. An original replacement part can be used (with similar longevity (or shortevity), or a metal lookalike, or a piece of (really thick) nylon fishing line could be employed as well, in a pinch.
Anyhow, as with all equipment bought used and online, a short visit to your friendly repair person is advised - even minor issues can have a dramatic effect on player satisfaction.
--
Ben
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2010-10-24 20:20
I'm not as clear as David and Paul seem to be about what the broken "plastic connection" is. If it's one of the tenons that's broken, it's not a $10 part.
In any case, since you aren't going to be able to repair it yourself, you're going to have to pay whatever a local repairman charges to put it in good playing shape. Have your local repair shop estimate the work and itemize what they think it needs to have done. Then you'll have a realistic idea of whether keeping and fixing it are worthwhile.
Karl
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-10-24 20:31
Karl, it's the nylon pin in the end of the LH F#/C# lever that's broken, so a very straightforward repair by anyone with genuine replacement parts or by anyone that can fabricate a suitable (and probably better than the original) replacement part.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2010-10-24 20:56
rent a decent one from a reputable local dealer ; or, buy a new e11 with a decent mouthpiece
pelo's advice is spot on ; don't handicap a new student with an auction site instrument
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2010-10-24 21:43
Ah. Sorry I missed whatever made that so clear to everyone else. Certainly, that's an easy one to fix.
If that's all that's wrong...
Karl
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Author: jasperbay
Date: 2010-10-24 22:17
Why hasn't anybody remarked that the Vandoren 2RV mouthpiece is vastly superior to the stock Buffet Crampon mouthpiece?
Go ahead and get it checked out, you still got a better deal than renting!
Clark G. Sherwood
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-10-25 01:27
David: "psychic" or "PSYCHOTIC????" ![[whoa]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie10.gif)
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: DougR
Date: 2010-10-25 01:48
Michigan, there was a huge long thread here on the board some years ago about Buffet using nylon pins exactly where your instrument is broken (and using them on instruments that sell for 20 times what you paid for yours).
I took my Buffet to a local tech, who knew just what to do, and he machined stainless-steel (& therefore unbreakable) pin replacements for $20 each (there are 2 pins that you'd need to replace--or just fix the one, up to you).
So--easily fixable (although perhaps inconvenient) breakage, plus you'd need to get the horn tweaked anyway for leaks & adjustment, plus a better than original mouthpiece.
Depending on what the visit to the tech turns up, you might have made out fine.
(discl: the $20 was some years ago, YMMV)
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Author: GLHopkins
Date: 2010-10-25 05:49
There's a bit of a trick to getting the broken bit out of the lever, but it isn't difficult.
When a clarinet like that comes into my shop I replace both pins with metal pins. Shops typically charge $25 for that in my area.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-10-25 10:13
Well.............
The WHOLE idea behind teflon pins (vastly superior to nylon which break regularly.....see picture!) in this spot is to make it fairly UN-noisy without having to put in fish skin to quiet down the mechanism. I remember the OLD days when constantly adding a "buffer" was part of regular maintenance.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: michigan
Date: 2010-10-25 18:31
Great news!
I've found a repair shop and they told me that they will replace the pins (put metal ones instead) as well as tiny corks under "things" and pads. They told me that it is a minor job... will charge $60! They have a lot of orders and, even though there are 4 people that are working there, it will take a week.
In the meanwhile they gave me another clarinet to use... My daughter's first lesson will be on Saturday. I hope the taecher will not find more problems with her new B12 once it comes out of this repair facility...
Thank you so much for the advice!!!!!!
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2010-10-25 19:15
I'd probably opt for a metal pin myself and then wrap it in teflon tape. This way it would not be noisy and wouldn't be prone to breakage either.
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Author: michigan
Date: 2010-10-25 22:44
Where can I buy the teflon tape for that? Do you think I can do it (wrapping) myself?
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2010-10-26 00:42
The metal pin is going to have to be covered with something to quiet it and take up any lost motion.The repairman is probably going to want to use fish skin (the covering from a pad). Ask him if he'll use Teflon tape instead. It's sold in the plumbing department of any hardware store or even many supermarkets.
Karl
Post Edited (2010-10-26 01:00)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-10-26 04:39
>> I'm not a repair person, but I'd be asking/demanding that they put teflon pin instead of the noisy metal pin. <<
Any decent repairer wouldn't leave it metal to metal contact. I use between one to several layers of bladder (like what clarinet pads have) or one layer of spinnaker sail material, sometimes with and sometimes without bladder over it. The spinnaker is much stronger and thicker. If I use several layers of bladder I glue them with cotnact glue and also glue the material to the pin. This makes the material stronger and a lot less likely to fall or tear. I prefer this much more than teflon around a metal pin.
Re teflon pins, are you sure you meant teflon and not plastic/nylon, like the original? Teflon is not possible to glue so I guess it would have to be jammed very tightly not to fall. Not sure though, I probably wouldn't trust this. Also either this or nylon can break again, the reason for metal pins.
Another advantage of a made pin is it's possible to make it specifically in a shape that is best for that linkage. Though some places just make a straight pin and put enough silencer on it, which doesn't feel as good IMO.
The covered metal pin is not noisy at all. Actually with several (2+) layers of bladder or with the spinnaker cloth, with correctly shaped metal pin, it's probably quieter than the nylon pins.
Post Edited (2010-10-26 04:49)
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2010-10-26 16:46
This is an easy fix, one that any reasonably handy person can do themselves. The nylon cord that "weedwacker" string-line trimmers use is sold at hardware stores and is perfect for replacing the broken nylon part. With a small screwdriver, remove the screws holding both levers and take them off. Dig the remainder of the broken nylon bit out of the hole with a needle, then cut a suitable length of nylon cord. Put a drop of Crazy glue onto the end and insert into the hole, and reassemble . Works fine, no noises, stronger than the original machined part.
PS- be happy about the replacement mouthpiece- much better than the Buffet.
Jerry
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