 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Eina Kari Rajesh
Date: 2014-09-14 18:47
Hi all,
I need your help to repair my clarinet to play low E/B and F/C notes.
My clarinet slipped form the stand a couple of weeks ago and since then low three notes played with the pinkie got out of order! I took it to the local tech twice and even than the same continued (The second time only I play tested in front of tech it sounded OK then). When I contacted the tech again he refused to attend to the problem saying he's busy.
So, I searched the board and followed and rectified the problem. But a new issue arose. The real problem was the low F/C pad was not sealing properly just with the E/B lever but all fine when pressed down the F/C lever simultaneously.
I bent the crows leg? and the issue sorted out. I did this very lightly and slowly and found the resistance of sealing of E/B, F/C and F#/C# pads even. But, when left after playing, the LH F/C lever when pressed the pads sticks to the tone hole and couldn't released as normal. I loosened the screw and slightly bent the crows foot?. This only sorted the issue for the session but when returned to practise this problem continued. Could you please guide me to sort out his problem on my own, as I couldn't go to the tech for atleast a month.
Pls also note that I don't have any backup Clarinet and have to use this for my exam on Oct 17th.
Kindly never mind my language and the lengthy description, cos this's how best I could explain. Thank you in advance.
EKR
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-09-14 19:48
I suspect that when you bent the crows foot you moved the arm sideways slightly so that it is interfering with the keys through which the arm passes. Also, check the spring tensions, one may be weak. It may have rotated in the post or have been bent out of shape. Very closely examine the working of the key mechanism, most times this will enable you to isolate the problem.
Tony F.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-09-14 19:52
It is VERY hard to tell what you did to the crow's foot the SECOND time, so I'll start from the point in the middle of your post where the "F/C" won't come down with the "E/B" lever.
The simplest fix for this situation (and I do this ALL THE TIME) is to place your left thumb under the crow's foot (more of a propping or jamming sort of feel) and then you press on the "C" cup to bend it down ever so slightly. The idea is that then the "C" cup will be lower, and seal when the "E/B" lever is used. Of course if the slight bending of the "C" cup goes a bit too far, going back is even easier. All you do is press down on the right hand "F/C" key to bend the cup to a more open position.
If you can get things back to this point, the fix will be easy.
I think maybe you bent the crow's foot BACKWARD or to one side or the other so that the "heel" of it is now scraping the groove in the wood that it is supposed to clear without touching. OR, the arm of the crow's foot could be scraping against either of the two paddle keys (it needs to be right in the middle with NO contact).
Let us know how things are going!!!
..........Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2014-09-14 20:30)
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2014-09-14 20:37
This may not help in the short term but, if your tech is "too busy" to help you solve a problem that has come back after he/she has worked on your instrument, you definitely need to find a new tech. This sounds like a shop in my area. I have yet to see an instrument come out of there that was playable. Once they return an instrument, they are done and will not make any further adjustments. Probably the worst situation I am aware of with them is when a friend took his flute in to get one loose cork bumper re-glued. The next thing he knew, his flute was completely disassembled and they were unable to reassemble it. They could not reassemble it because they had bent some of the gold keys in the process of taking it apart and did not know enough about the instrument to even identify which of the keys were so badly bent. I have also seen them try to use two large pairs of Vise-Grips to try to tighten the nut on an audio jack on a solid body guitar.
The advice given by the above responses is good. Look very closely. Especially with the crow foot, it can often be hard to see where things are touching when they should not. A rotated needle spring can often be equally hard to spot without taking something apart.
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2014-09-14 21:36
Some of these folks used to work on your cars (poorly), or now are at your local medical lab handling your blood tests or biopsies. God protect us all.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: pewd
Date: 2014-09-15 01:16
+1 with finding a new tech.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Eina Kari Rajesh
Date: 2014-09-17 19:24
Thanks all. Sry I couldn't reply early, was in travel.
Thank you Tony and BartHx. Close examination did help. The cause was my tightening of the LH F/C lever screw. Earlier, I found the lever was loose and had a bit of gap(of about 1mm) and cold feel this when pushed or pulled the lever up or down (not pressed up or down). I tightened it, which caused the lever and the key to get stuck when pressed. So, l loosened it to it's earlier state and all fine.
Can you please say is this the case with all clarinet, that the LH F/C lever has to be comparatively loose than other levers?
Thanks fskelly, I too wish God repair us all!
Thanks Paul, to my little knowledge woodwind repair is not very prominent here, so finding another tech is doubtful.
Thank you Paul Aviles for your detailed description. The moral learnt from this is Knowing your instrument, physically and technically, ( to keep it from repair and fine tune) is as necessary as knowing your scales!
EKR
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