 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: nron
Date: 2016-05-06 11:05
Hello all
So I picked up an old wooden clarinet from a junk shop and I'm looking for tips or precautionary measures to take before I start to play it to avoid cracking or warping of the wood.
I have no idea how long the horn has been dormant but i suspect it has been for quite a while and all I know is that it is a buffet.
I would also like to shine up the key work as well - should I just take some Brasso to disassembled keys and go or could that cause more problems. I am not sure if the keys are silver or nickle either and don't know how to tell on an older example (when they are shiny I can tell by the colour usuallly)
thanks
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2016-05-06 15:04
Play the clarinet 5-10 minutes a day, increasing gradually over weeks. When you put it away swab it throroughly, and use paper towels to remove all the water from the sockets.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2016-05-06 16:57
Personally I hate Brasso, I find it far too abrasive.
What I would do is oil the bore with olive oil. Keep oiling until the oil is no longer absorbed into the wood, then swab out excess oil and let the clarinet dry. Be sure to avoid getting oil on the pads. Unless you plan on replacing the pads I would avoid polishing the keys, or at least only polish the areas of the keys other than the pad caps. Once you reassemble the clarinet be sure to give the keys all a bit of oil.
Good luck getting your new clarinet up and running!
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: DougR
Date: 2016-05-06 18:39
Ditto to all of the above. If it hasn't cracked with all the years in junk shoppes and closets and whatnot, it's probably not a candidate for cracking unless you leave it outside in the rain or something truly idiotic.
If it were me, I'd probably disassemble it, use some mild detergent and a washcloth (cotton) to get the worst of the dirt & grime off it, maybe oil it inside & out with a nice fragrant olive/almond oil combination (2:1 olive vs. almond), maybe clean the old oil out of the the key tubes with pipe cleaners and/or q-tips, and put it back together & enjoy.
If the keys aren't plated now, they're perhaps German silver (not silver and not German either, by the way) and they're not supposed to be anything but a dullish luster--I'd never use anything on metal that leaves swirl marks, so Brasso may indeed be too abrasive. Red Bear is a good copper cleaner, also has some catalytic action on the metal that wouldn't involve fierce rubbing but should bring out a matte shine, so I might try that. If the keys aren't plated, 'matte luster' might be the best you could (or should) hope for.
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2016-05-06 19:08
How about some photos before you actually tear into this thing? As a non-tech (but I know enough to be dangerous and I've stayed at a Holiday Inn Express), unless it's obviously non-playable, I'd start with a minimalist approach. Same as I did with great success with a Leblanc Dynamic 2 I got in similar non-played condition some years ago.
Do not remove any keys. Wipe it gently. Perhaps a slightly damp soft cloth. Swab the bore. A SMALL amount of bore oil is probably a good idea, but here on BBoard there are 12 different conflicting ideas about what kind and how much. Better too little than too much IMHO. No oil on outside (some disagree).
Play it for a few minutes only first few days. Address bad pads, misaligned keys, bad cork (every old clarinet needs new cork) and such as your skills permit, while you're not "allowed" to play at length.
If you're lucky, in a few days you'll be home free with a great playing instrument, as I was. And I learned that bad looking pads can still seal great, even if their appearance does not inspire confidence. If not, at least you'll know what really needs to be addressed.
I like shiny keys, too. My Dynamic keys responded to elbow grease and some cheap Blitz polishing cloths over time. More drastic polishing can wait for an overhaul (don't remove keys just to pretty them up, IMHO) if and when that's needed.
Many many fine clarinets out there that need only a little proper TLC to be appreciated. Unfortunately those are mixed in with a zillion worthless relics, hard to know the difference sometimes. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Best of luck!
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
Post Edited (2016-05-06 19:17)
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