Author: LGS316217
Date: 2019-06-18 18:17
Ah, Phoenix! I've never maintained a clarinet there but I have family who have moved there and I can tell you the climate wreaks havoc on tires, windshield wiper blades, my complexion... It also hasn't done any favors to my mom's beloved antique furniture; my grandfather's desk fell apart completely when we picked it up to move it. I myself live in MA and the winters are very dry, with many swings in temperature. Can be 20 degrees colder today than yesterday. As I'm also an aficionado of vintage instruments, that's a hazard. Our heating system is humidified but you can only increase the moisture so much, or else the windows get condensation. I've heard lots of pros'/con's of humidifying clarinet cases, but after my 1953 pre-R13 popped a crack twice, I got a new Protec case and a Humistat to put inside. A few people have complained about leaks, but if you fill it correctly, it won't leak. After you fill it you can leave it on top of a paper towel for a few minutes before putting it in the case to make sure you sealed it properly. Plus, keep it in the accessory compartment, never inside any part of the horn. That way if it does leak it will only be a small amount, as far away from the clarinet as possible. It's an improvement on the DIY pill bottle/sponge method. I use it late October to early May in MA. In AZ you will likely need it year round. Tip: get a good quality hygrometer you can fit in your case and test the environment at least weekly. Get one from a cigar shop; the ones I've seen on the music store sites are pretty cheap and don't maintain calibration. Optimal humidity for wood clarinets is said to be 45-55%. Also, have you heard the orange peel trick? Makes the case smell nice, and in the fall/winter you will have plenty of citrus in AZ! For reeds I use a D'Addario reed case and the reed vitalizer to go with it. In MA I can get away with changing the vitalizer pack about every 6 months, but you will go through them much faster in AZ. Keep the whole case inside a ziplock bag. Good luck!
Amy Paul
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The Clarinet BBoard
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