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Re: Mystery clarinet

Author: fskelley
Date: 2016-02-02 00:13

Time for an update.

The clarinet arrived in unplayable condition (no surprise). Bent keys (maybe fault of lousy case), pads falling out and damaged. No identifying marks or numbers on anything. I tried not to be disappointed, but it looked like maybe I got even less than I paid for.

I've replaced a few pads in the past and done other minor stuff- so here was a chance to get better at it. I replaced 2 or 3 pads. I straightened keys (were they soft?- maybe, but if so I guess that helped me). I bent and realigned ring keys, bridge mechanism, and crow's foot- how skillfully I don't know- but I made it better over a period of several days. I kept trying to play it.

Eventually I got some notes to play- there were obviously still leaks but at least I could begin to evaluate. And it was nice enough to make me keep working at it. Some pads I guess I reseated 3 or 4 times. The cork between the top and bottom sections has a gap- eventually I'll replace it but for now I put lots of cork grease to make sure it seals. I adjusted (shimmed with tape and/or bent keys) the crow's foot a dozen times.

A few days ago I got it playing pretty well. Top and bottom sections seal respectably though not great. But- immediately this clarinet beat out my other backup horn, which I have not picked up since. I've played it several hours now, over several days. Eventually I will take it to a real technician for service- I hope they don't refuse to work on it.

Intonation has some troubles, probably better than my other backup. (Edited to add- test with tuner indicates mystery clarinet intonation is far worse than Lyrique 2nd.) Eventually (after service on all horns) I will try precise tuning measurements as others have reported here. The keywork feels as nice as anything else I've played. In the past I rejected newly serviced and ready to play Vitos and student Yamahas for clunky keys, so I do have some standards. The nice feel was the biggest surprise. And it sounds fine to me.

My main Arioso clarinet will be back home newly serviced in a few days, can't wait, been without it for almost a month. And I will re-evaluate my old backup and this mystery clarinet against it, maybe then I won't be so generous.

So what is it? My best guess is Helmke. There are a couple of others on eBay now that look identical except they have the more standard conical key cups, and a couple of other differences. And they have the same stinky cases! I read reports that Helmke ("by German Engineering" LOL) produced many with no name- like mine. I also read glowing reports on Helmke saxophones, and other reports of fraudulent good reports on them, ugh. It all kind of makes sense for a Chinese product with perhaps decent basic design and variable or just bad production quality. This clarinet seems to have been played a lot (very worn noname mouthpiece) but perhaps was never in good shape, that would be sad.

Jury is still out, but I think this will be a serviceable backup for me. And the other backup?... who knows.

Stan in Orlando

EWI 4000S with modifications

Post Edited (2016-02-05 07:52)

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Mystery clarinet new

fskelley

2016-01-10 17:24