 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Caihlen
Date: 2018-06-13 17:13
Ah, the shining hope, the anticipation, and then the heartbreak. I got it for what I consider a reasonable price. I knew it was probably not without problems. It arrived, and I was pleasantly surprised by what looked like decent condition. A great start. It neede to be regulated and I had that done straight away.
The list: its very difficult to play. Way more resistance than I expected. I'm using a #4 Aria on a Behn Sono on my Backun Alpha. That combination on the CT is nearly un-playable. I can get it to play with a #3 Aria or a #3 blue box but the resistance is still significant.
It squeaks all over the horn. Every register.
There is now a good crack in the bell. I assume from the moisture of playing. I fear more cracking.
What to do?
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2018-06-13 18:35
Have you checked it for leaks? When you say regulated do you mean a quick trip to the shop or a full overhaul? It sound like there is either leaks, debris in the bore or some other defect causing problems. Either way the instrument should be examined by an expert to determine the problem.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-06-14 02:01
Is it the lower register that's resistant - especially middle C(4) and the E above it? Maybe the ventings are all set too low as well as leaks.
If you were local to me I'd let you try out my 1948 Balanced Tone to see how that compares.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2018-06-14 09:36
I own two Selmer CT's. I keep them in good condition and they don't squeak. They are large bore clarinets, and a suitable large bore mouthpiece works best for me. The old Selmer mouthpieces amongst others work fine. Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman used these "licorice sticks" to attain great fame and fortune. I'm sure with the proper setup, you can get them to work for you, too!
Jerry
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Author: DougR
Date: 2018-06-14 18:37
I have a CT I acquired recently, along with a Series 9; they're both completely different animals from my R-13. I've been using a Borbeck 11 on the Buffet for decades, with 3.5-4 reeds, and while it sorta worked on the series 9, the tuning was whacky.
Fortunately the CT came with an older Selmer HS**, which with slightly softer reeds works great on the CT.
(the CT itself doesn't work so well, though--the pads look snowy white but apparently they're very old; I sank some money into the horn to get leaks taken care of, but clearly not enough--it gets progressively resistant as you ascend the clarion register, and clearly there's still some sort of leakage going on.)
I did a search here on the B'board after I acquired the series 9, and found people recommending the following for large-bore Selmers: Selmer "bottom logo"/Table HS**; Vandoren 5jb; Pomarico crystal; there are others recommended too, but you'd have to search, I didn't write them down. Even non-collectible older Selmers in the HS-HS** range might work better than a current French-bore mouthpiece.
As others have suggested, you'd want to make sure the bore of the mouthpiece somewhat matches the bore of the upper joint; you may want to check the barrel to make sure it's on-spec for the instrument as well. (there are posts in the archives that deal with that)
I'm not interested in playing jazz on the horns, and I find that the older HS** produces a great, luminous sound; even on the leaky CT, you can tell once the leaks are sorted it's going to be a great horn. Good luck with yours.
PS, I'm an "oil when necessary" guy (some aren't) and I spent a couple days oiling the CT before I played it. It came looking sort of reddish all over; now that it's oiled it's more blackwood-looking. No cracks yet.....we'll see.
PPS you mentioned "heartbreak" and may I suggest that might be a little premature (unless you were hoping for a simple plug-&-play). Both my large-bore Selmers are teaching me things about acoustics and resistance and finger technique (the CT in particular seems to be resistant to any but the exact correct finger placement, possibly because of leaks). Like I said, good luck!
Post Edited (2018-06-14 20:37)
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Author: jbutler ★2017
Date: 2018-06-14 23:41
My first response is there are still some leaks in the clarinet. Also, I find these older Selmer's play better with more generous key height than other clarinets. Others have mentioned mouthpiece/reed combinations. I find these play quite well with older Selmer HS* (oval on lower part of table) and older Brilhart Tonalin mouthpieces (the ones with a serial #). They may have to be refaced but the large round chamber is key.
If you are in the Houston, TX area feel free to bring it by.
jbutler
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Author: Caihlen
Date: 2018-06-15 17:12
Thanks everyone. Progress has been made. I had a friend pick up a 5jb in Missoula and bring it up as she was coming this way. The 5jb and a v12 2 1/2 did the trick. Much less resistant and far more responsive. Thank you all so much.
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Author: shmuelyosef
Date: 2018-06-17 00:46
...per DougR
Quote:
"Both my large-bore Selmers are teaching me things about acoustics and resistance and finger technique (the CT in particular seems to be resistant to any but the exact correct finger placement, possibly because of leaks). Like I said, good luck!"
I have two CTs and a Series 9...the toneholes on these are larger than almost any other clarinet. Particularly if you have delicate fingertips it is tricky to cover them. Also look for worn grain in the tops of the ring keys in particular, as they will provide a leak path...they can be filled with epoxy or cyanoacrylate loaded with carbon particles and then polished flat.
Saxophones typically require venting that is at least 30% (preferably 35%) of the tonehole diameter to play freely and in tune and I have found clarinets to be similar. Most of the clarinets that I see are set up between 25-30%...at the low end of this range they play stuffy and with uneven intonation. On both saxophones and clarinets I try to set them up at the point where the sound no longer changes...I set up all the regulation and then playtest with key height using Valentino self-adhesive synthcork...when I like it, I replace with real material.
Post Edited (2018-06-17 00:49)
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Author: DougR
Date: 2018-06-19 03:57
Thanks, Jeff. Really important info that I had not known about or considered before (or read on this thread after extensive searching, either.) The ring keys are certainly worn enough to foster leaks. I appreciate your knowledge!
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