 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ben Shaffer
Date: 2017-01-21 20:21
I've heard it said than you should rubber Band the left hand 2nd key when not playing( left hand Pinky for middle B) to I guess preserve the current keys good adjustment
So is anyone doing this?
Sounds good in theory, although I don't see myself taking the time to do this
Ben Shaffer
GSO,NC
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2017-01-21 20:30
That is probably not the best idea for a few reasons. It will put unnecessary stress on the keys which could cause them to bend under creep. Also if you have a newer Buffet clarinet the plastic pins could shear. Lastly the sulfur compounds in rubber bands can cause silver keys to tarnish.
If your keys are in good adjustment now there's no need to worry as they are unlikely to come out of adjustment unless the instrument is mishandeled.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-21 20:59
ABSO-BLOODY-LUTELY NOT!
Worst. Idea. Ever.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2017-01-21 21:03)
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-01-21 21:39
Buffet makes a spring-loaded gizmo that holds that key down when the clarinet isn't in use. The point is to maintain the seating impressions on the large pads at the bottom of clarinet that normally are open when the F/C and/or E/B keys aren't being pressed. My impression is that this is more of an issue with traditional skin-covered pads and that some of the newer pads don't rely as much on a sharp imprint for a good seal.
I never really knew whether or not it made a difference - I suspected not - but if you try it, don't use rubber bands or even elastic rubber hair bands if your keys are silver plated. Hair bands made of stretchable plastic, sold in the hair products section of almost any supermarket or pharmacy, at least won't tarnish the silver plate.
I don't think there's a serious danger of bending anything with these bands - you put more pressure on the keys when you press them in playing than the bands do, and the keys on good quality clarinets aren't *that* soft and malleable.
Karl
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-21 22:06
And if you have one of those spring-loaded black plastic things, then bin it and forget it ever existed. You don't need it and neither does your clarinet need it.
Clamping keys closed is allegedly done to prevent transit damage, but in truth it's forcing the pad closed to create a deep impression in it. But the risk using anything to hold down the LH E/B lever on a Buffet is only asking for trouble if the nylon pin breaks at the most inopportune moment - and getting any replacement Buffet parts in the US is a task and a half from what I understand.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-01-21 22:19
Chris, I'll take your word that the stress is high enough to make breaking the nylon pins a danger. For those of us playing clarinets that are old enough to still have metal pins or are from makers who have never adopted nylon, that specific risk isn't an issue.
It's tangential to Ben's question, but is replacing the nylon pins with metal ones a major job in terms of shop time? I know that it's done, and if I had a clarinet with nylon pins I'd seriously consider having them replaced. But I don't really know how much of a job (and consequent expense) is involved.
Which other manufacturers (than Buffet) are using nylon pins?
Karl
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-21 22:45
Attachment: reinforcednylonpins 001.JPG (208k)
Prevention is always better than cure, so there's no need for having to use those spring things on any clarinet with plastic or metal pins. If the pads are seated correctly and the instrument is well regulated, then you don't need to force the pads closed - that will only deepen the impression which will only put things out of regulation and make the pads firmer and noisier.
As for Buffet's nylon pins, I drill them through and fit a piece of blued steel needle spring in there to give them the strength they lack (see attachment). This only takes a matter of seconds to do whereas fabricating and fitting metal or carbon fibre pins takes far more time and will be costly for such a tiny item.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: dubrosa22
Date: 2017-01-21 23:50
Silverplate can be badly damaged by longterm contact with rubberbands.
Just ask my alto sax's octave key...
PS It wasn't me but the previous owner too lazy to replace a spring.
Vaughan
Post Edited (2017-01-22 00:06)
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-01-22 00:30
Well, I did have damage done to the silver plate on my clarinets by those elastic hair "scrunchies" that *was* my doing, hence my reinforcing the warning about rubber. I don't clamp the E/B key down anymore in any case - it didn't seem to accomplish anything useful.
Karl
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