 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Linus Travelli
Date: 2001-06-27 15:41
i have a new R13 (well...10 months, hehe) the keys and rings are silver plated, giving them that clean, white, shiny silver look. but on the very bottom ring on my bell, the metal looks very dull and not shiny. I've polished it and it still looks the same. Do you think Buffet forgot to silver plate my bell? Also, the wood on the looks a lot shinier than the wood of the other parts of the clarinet. The other parts have a kind of matte finish and the bell is very shiny, almost like plastic (but it's not plastic, i'm sure).
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Author: clarinet713
Date: 2001-06-27 16:09
I have an R 13 as well-its going to be 2 yrs old in September-and the keys and everything is silver plated but like you, the ring on the bell does not look as though it is silver plated. So I don't think they forgot to silver plate yours, unless they forgot mine too! Though I am curious as to why it's not silver. Does anyone know?
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-06-27 17:15
Hey guys, don't sweat it too much. You'll give your R-13 a complex! : )
Seriously, when you polish (or over-polish) metal ... the gleam you get involves some degree of wear to the metal surface. Also, I wouldn't want to over-polish the (bottom) Bell ring because I would be afraid that I might stretch the metal a bit &/or loosen the adhesive between the ring and the wood.
Linus, after you try out for the Met's Principal Chair (& get it!) you can have your keys gold plated. Of course, then your clarinet will be too heavy and you will have to add a Kooiman thumbrest to overcome the wrist pain from the excess weight of your beautiful clarinet. (of course, Boosey & Hawkes will be giving you free clarinets every year ... )
Seriously (again), your concern/care for your clarinet shows how important it is to you. That's great!
Best,
mw
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Author: Keil
Date: 2001-06-27 19:43
My Buffet R13 is just as you have described yours linus as is eveyone else's i've seen... i think it's standard! LIke MW said, don't sweat it... it will play gorgeously regardless...hehehe...
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Author: David Kinder
Date: 2001-06-28 02:30
I remember reading somewhere that the bell ring is german silver - it's meant to be dull.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-06-28 14:19
German silver = nickel silver = cupronickel = the standard metal of clarinet parts = EPNS 'silver' cutlery metal = metal of most 'silver' coins = approx 4/5 copper and 1/5 nickel. NO SILVER.
Often this metal is silver plated. Sometimes plated with nickel, etc.
Here is a possible answer:
The bell ring is often (always?) installed with a press which 'shrinks' the ring around the timber. Quite a lot of force is needed. This possibly is inclined to damage the surface. If the surface is cupronickel it can be buffed after installation. If it is plated it would be easy to buff through the plating. The chemicals involved with plating would make plating inappropriate adjacent to the the timber, i.e. after installation
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-06-28 18:35
Gordon, thanks for jumping in. YES, I was aware (from your prior posts) that the lower ring was shrunken to fit with the special tool. Howver, is ANY GLUE employed by the various manufacturers? Have you seen eveidence of this? Thanks. mw
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Author: Jesse
Date: 2001-06-28 21:34
I have also noticed that on many buffet bells there is a subtle line on the bottom of the bellstarting from the inside, then out. I think this was from the manufacturers tool.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-06-29 08:47
I look closely at bell rings only when the are loose &/or vibrating, in which case I find a way to secure them. If they were glued I think they would frequently fall off with changes in the timber's moisture content, and I've never come across this happening. So I surmise that they are always pressed.
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-06-29 17:01
Gordon. yes pressed (sure) but is any adhesive applied by the manufacturer at the (same) time of installation on the bell? I'll p[ose the question to Francois Kloc and find out what Buffet does w3ith theirs. Thanks. mw
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-07-01 10:54
I have no idea. But if the wood shrank any adhesive would not have much chance of stopping it. I recall reading info from Yamaha that on at least one model they squeeze them on with very high forces which actually compress the timber significantly - for "tone" reasons.
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-07-01 16:36
OK., thanks for sharing. My thought was two-fold: 1. I thought it possible that some amount of adhesive might act as a filler betwwen the wood & the metal. 2. I have can imagine some metal rings if polished enough, considering the turning motion which would be employed in polishing the round metal band/ring, would possibly have some WEAR to the wood rather than shrinkage. I should say that I recently saw a plastic bell where there was evidence of use of adhesive. I don't think it was "amateur work", but can't rule it out.
I have had success re-introducing moisture to wooden bell ring-areas where there had been very obvious shrinkage to the wood. [Of course, IMO, as soon as the 35-40% humidity factor is removed, the wood very likely will shrink again!]
Best,
mw
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Author: Mandy
Date: 2001-07-16 20:04
I have an E-13 that I have had the pleasure of owning for six months and it too has a bell ring which is showing tarnish whereas the rest of the key work is spotless.I think this is in part due to salivar contacting this area as it runs down the instrument,while the rest of the keywork is kept relatively dry,I am always very careful to swab thoroughly and wipe the keywork after use.
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