 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kontra
Date: 2011-02-15 01:25
Attachment: 3star2.jpg (236k)
I picked up a metal clarinet at a flea market the other day. Just a student Cundy-Bettoney Three Star, but I still thought it was pretty neat. Anyway, it is in need of a full overhaul, but I was wondering if the thumb rests on these clarinets are flat like mine or like regular clarinets:
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Author: Reedirect
Date: 2011-02-15 11:36
Gratulation for this purchase. I myself own a few. They all have a non adjustable thumb rest working similar to those found on older wood clarinets. However, in order to compensate for the smaller body of the matal clarinet these are attached with a distance holder. In some brands distance compensation is done by means of using a thick solid piece of formed brass, In others two brass strips are soldered to the body for proper distance while a J-shaped strip of brass is attached to them.
I personally have never seen a flat one. Do you have a phtograph?
Best
Jo
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Author: Reedirect
Date: 2011-02-15 13:30
OK, the upper part where the thumb is supposed to hold the weight of the instrument is just bent down! Clearly a minor problem, which can be fixed.
Fortunately, it is not not the solid brass type of thumb rest. Thus, you may be able to carefully bend the upper part back into the desired 90° position. Do it slowly. Otherwise, it may brake. If you heat the brass a little with a cigarette lighter before it may facilitate repositioning.
If it breaks, it can be resoldered. That, however, requires skill and equipment or a walk to the technician but it is not really expensive.
Give it a try to bend it back.
Best
Jo
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-02-15 14:03
It's been flattened out and will need to be bent back to form a right angle. To avoid damage to the body it's probably best to unsolder it from the body, bend it back and then resolder it as bending it in situ can cause the baseplate to put a dent in the body due to the pressure from bending.
The chances are there's most likely a slight dent in the body caused when it got flattened so it's probably best to unsolder it, push the dent out, bend the thumbrest back to a right angle and resolder it (but get the baseplate to fit with no gaps to the reformed body tube first).
Warming it up with a lighter won't soften the metal at all - you'll need to get it glowing red hot to do that.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Reedirect
Date: 2011-02-15 18:45
I just tried two of my metal clarinets, both student models made in Elkhart, IN, which happen to have very similar thumb rests compared with yours. I was able to bend the thumb rest brass strip on both clarinets back and forth quite easily with my fingers without damaging the tube. They are obviously designed that way in order to allow for minor adjustements of the thumb's very position.
Best
Jo
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Author: Kontra
Date: 2011-02-16 02:35
Attachment: thumbrest.jpg (213k)
I decided to take some pliers and bend it back myself. The metal was very pliable. It should work fine now.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-02-16 07:34
Now all you have to do is make sure it doesn't get flattened out again as it'll be work hardened and will probably snap off when you bend it back.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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