 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-03-17 13:25
Under the heading of "shameful plug" I just thought I'd post this link to a new info site by my favorite repairman, Jonathan Onks. He is ostensibly more of an oboe person but I'm sure he'd love to get some suggestions from the clarinet community for more postings since he is making more inroads in this direction.
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLgkNkPoNNpcSMdJmSH2UA
[ Link fixed - GBK ]
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-03-17 14:28
Always makes me cringe whenever I see people yanking the pullthrough through their clarinet at warp speed.
SLOWLY PLEASE!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-03-17 18:50
Hi Paul:
I watched Mr. Onks videos specific to clarinets and went to his website. Many fine repair people are out there, and Mr. Onks certainly seems to be one of them.
By way of suggestions for more postings, I might like to see a series of videos that are not different than those made available to me by my health care provider or my automobile dealer, that talk about various life scenarios, from birth to elderly nursing home care, and everything in between, only, of course, as it applies to instruments, rather than human beings or motor vehicles.
This can include things you should first do when taking possession of your clarinet, to the maintenance and checks a player should perform (no differently than a motorists checks oil, or a person does self examinations for lumps and bumps that may be precursors to cancer,) to when it's time to call the repair tech (the doctor.)
Common mistakes and myths people have about instrument care, like how Mr. Onks showed hoe to apply cork grease (or, by analogy, that you should starve a cold and feed a fever) can be examined.
Just as a car dealer has a maintenance plan for a vehicle, suggesting certain examinations, repairs, and replacements at certain mileage points, so to can Mr. Onks talk about things like, when it's time to overhaul certain aspects of the instrument, or the instrument in its entirety.
Finally, just as it's good to know what to keep in your medicine cabinet, Mr. Onks might want to talk about what to keep in your case, or at home, in case of a clarinet emergency.
Bottom line, I think that approaching the needs a clarinet might have, in the same way as thinking about what humans or automobiles need during their life cycle is a good way to come up with topics to discuss. If at 70,000 miles we change the timing belt, or at age 50 we get our first colonoscopy, like all things subject to wear and tear, the clarinet must have things it needs checked or repaired at, say, 3 years of playing life.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-03-17 15:00
An interesting point "ThatPerfectReed." I had a maintenance issue that I never new I had (until years later) with my Wurlitzers. Apparently Wurlitzer actually uses a shellac on the bore of their new instruments. At the year mark, this coating becomes scaly and needs to be polished out (part of their standard service at the year mark). I was however unaware of this issue though I did notice the rough bore. Perhaps this also had a contributing adverse affect on my assessment of what was going on at the time, but I was oblivious. Most clarinet makers DON'T use this method, but it would be nice to know what expectations YOUR PARTICULAR manufacturer may have over the course of your instrument's life.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2014-03-17 19:00
Pulling the swab slowly allows for better absorption of water. Make it into a three step process. Pull stop, continue pulling stop, then pull through.
Freelance woodwind performer
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