 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kilo
Date: 2012-07-03 08:57
What's your ritual method of assembling your instrument?
I know when I open my tenor sax case the first thing I do is put on my neck strap. Then I stick a reed in my mouth — it's a Legere, but old habits die hard — and put the horn on my sax stand. Next I put the mouthpiece on the neck, then install and adjust the reed, and finally I put the neck and mouthpiece into the socket, hook the clip and I'm ready to go.
I follow a certain order when assembling my soprano clarinet as well.
I don't get out my bass that often and when I do I'm always thinking, should I put the bell on the second joint now or should I assemble the two joints first? And when do I put in the peg? That sort of thing. Mind, it's not as if I have trouble putting the thing together, but my actions lack a certain grace. I was wondering how seasoned bass players order the assembly. Can you share your particular methods?
Thanks.
Post Edited (2012-07-03 08:59)
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Author: Fishamble
Date: 2012-07-03 10:23
Here's what I do:
1. Start sucking on a reed
2. Peg on to bell
3. Lower joint on to bell
4. Upper joint on to lower
5. Mouthpiece on to neck
6. Reed on to mouthpiece
7. Neck on to upper joint
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2012-07-03 13:17
Kalmen Opperman said that bass clarinets have a design weakness. Any downward pressure on the mouthpiece is multiplied into pressure on the neck tenon and especially the socket at the top of the upper joint. Even a reinforced socket with a metal band can easily crack. It's important not to have any downward pressure on the mouthpiece as you play. At least on a Buffet bass, if you see a gap open up at the front where the neck goes into the socket (i.e., the neck has rocked back), you need to make sure you're not hanging the weight of your head on the top of the mouthpiece.
I assemble my bass from the bottom up. I take the neck apart, insert the lower half into the upper joint, put the mouthpiece on the upper half, add the reed and then put the halves of the neck back together.
Ken Shaw
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2012-07-03 13:38
Here's my routine (optimized by a compulsive-obsessive engineer with 35+ years experience playing bass clarinet):
1) Place reed in water glass to soak for 10 minutes +/- 12 seconds. (Well, about ten minutes, anyway.)
2) Put on neckstrap, if used.
3) Grease whatever tenon corks need greasing.
4) Assemble two long body joints (if two-piece body instrument), making sure to hold each joint (if applicable) such that the one or two bridge keys are UP on the upper joint and DOWN on the lower joint -- so the mating halves don't collide and bend or break.
5) Install bell.
6) Install floor peg (if applicable) on bell and adjust to desired length.
7) Install neck (I usually store the neck with mouthpiece attached, but some folks don't, in which case install the mouthpiece too).
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Author: Bill Patry
Date: 2012-07-03 16:20
Very close to Fishamble:
1. Get reed ready.
2. Put bell on lower joint
3. Put lower joint on upper joint.
4. Put peg on lower joint.
5. Put mouthpiece on neck. I think it a bad idea to put the mouthpiece on the neck after the bass is assembled, since the pressure from putting the mouthpiece on the neckmight bend the neck.
6. Put Neck on upper joint.
7. Put reed on mouthpiece, followed by ligature. I don't put the reed on the mouthpiece when I am putting the mouthpiece on the neck because you may have to twist the mouthpiece on the neck to get it aligned perfectly, and I worry about putting pressure on the ligature and the reed.
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Author: davetrow
Date: 2012-07-03 20:19
The tech I work with on my bass clarinet emphasizes how important it is to assemble the reed/mouthpiece/neck *before* putting it on the rest of the instrument, for the reason Ken Shaw mentions. He also notes that, unlike the soprano clarinet, it's virtually impossible not to put pressure on the keys in an unfortunate fashion when assembling the upper and lower joint.
Dave Trowbridge
Boulder Creek, CA
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2012-07-03 20:40
I'm with David, except that I skip steps one and two except that
a) I wet the reed in my mouth while I assemble the instrument (funny that everyone wants to ask me questions while I have my mouth full - same in a restaurant, but I digress) and
b) I storm out of the band room in the last minute because I've forgotten the Sling Thing.
--
Ben
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Author: Grabnerwg
Date: 2012-07-04 03:56
Bottom up, starting with the peg in the bell (Low C bass). If for any unfortunate reason I would drop it, I would want it to land on the rubber ball on the peg first.
I always put the mouthpiece on after assembly of the instrument, but I very carefully brace the neck to relieve any sideways pressure on the tenon.
Note: my requirements might be a bit different than most individuals. These days, I mostly play bass clarinet when making mouthpieces. When working on a mouthpiece I may put it on and take it off a dozen times as I adjust and test it. It would be very inconvenient to take the neck off every time.
The reed and ligature always go on last.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
New and Used Buffet Clarinets
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2012-07-04 05:42
The "issues" such putting the mouthpiece on after the neck are simply not issues if you do it carefully. If you are not sure that you can do it carefully then maybe better not to do it.
I usually hold the bell upside down between my legs when I put the peg. This would be very uncomfortable or impossible if it was already on the lower joint.
Then I hold the lower joint mostly pointing to the side or down when assembling the bell, usually holding in near the bottom and leaning it against my leg. That would be very uncomfortable if the main joints were assembled.
I stand the lower joint plus bell plus peg on the floor and put the upper joint. I prefer to do that on the bell with peg and not just the bell or without the bell (though possible, just be careful). I also don't need to change its position again after that.
The mouthpiece and neck vary and as long as you are careful it doesn't matter.
When I see someone assembling the bell before the peg and especially the joints before anything else it is strange because it is so cumbersome.
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Author: kilo
Date: 2012-07-04 09:37
Thanks for all these replies; just what I had hoped for! Now before I start practicing scales I'll practice my assembly technique until I get it smooth!
Quote:
Kalmen Opperman said that bass clarinets have a design weakness. Any downward pressure on the mouthpiece is multiplied into pressure on the neck tenon and especially the socket at the top of the upper joint.
... Ken Shaw
I notice a big difference between sitting and using a peg (and strap) and just using the strap alone when standing. I came out of that old school clarinet method where "pushing up" was encouraged and I find myself compensating for the unyielding stability of the peg by putting this downward pressure on the mouthpiece. This is not a problem when standing and using a strap — using the ring as a pivot point it's very easy to get that "pushing up" feeling without using any downward pressure at all. I may have to experiment with using the strap alone while sitting.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-07-04 17:28
We each have our own method I guess. Been playing bass for 53-54 years now, 49 in the BSO. I keep my bass clarinet reed on the mouthpiece, oh no, you can't do that, well I do. I run water through it and put the cap on after blowing the excess water out of it. I learned that from Iggy Gennusa but I don't do it on my clarinet. Sure I clean it often and put it back on the MP, keep the ligature loose and put it in an air tight bag.
I add the bell to the lower joint, then add the top joint, then add the neck and then the mouthpiece holding the bottom of the neck when putting on the MP to alleviate any presure on the neck at the welded spot. Opperman was correct about not applying undo presure on the neck but I advocate using more presure with my top teeth in order to relax my bottom teeth on the reed when I play. Although I'm not really pushing down hard I can keep the bass clarinet steady without using my hands and I never use a neck strap anyway. Of course I don't play that way, that's just an example. I find it's easier to play more of the notes using my hands. :-).
I play on an old Selmer and it has a welded joint on the neck, I've only had it seperated once in the 45 years I've owned that instrument and that was about four years ago. Hint, make surethe corks are grease so you don't force any of the joints. I add the peg last. ESP eddiesclarinet.com
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
Post Edited (2012-07-05 03:48)
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Author: Bill Patry
Date: 2012-07-04 17:52
Very few things are a problem if you do them carefully. And if you do everything carefully, then you can do most things. Being careful is a given, so that's not the issue. The issue is simply, are there ways that can generally minimize problems? Not a rule, but merely a good idea. Putting a lot of pressure on a neck can be a problem for some necks. Putting a mouthpiece on a neck that is on the horn isn't inherently a problem, if, as you say, you are careful. I play on a heavy custom neck made by Blashaus of Zug Switzerland. Putting a mouthpiece on that particular neck while the neck is on the horn isn't a problem even if you aren't all that careful, and like Walter Grabner, if I am trying different mouthpieces I too don't take that neck on and off. My point was a general one for beginners: for beginning players, with perhaps not the strongest neck, it can avoid problems if the neck is put on after the mouthpiece is on the neck. Not a rule, not something you need to do every time, not something everyone may want to do, but simply a good idea for beginners IMHO.
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