 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SonicManEXE
Date: 2021-04-20 05:19
Hello all,
I am attempting to practice for graduate school in the fall. I am fine on the Bb side of things, but I do not own a bass clarinet. I unfortunately do not have access to the Selmer Privilege bass I used in undergrad, but I do have access to a Buffet 1180 that my middle school director has time and time again graciously allowed me to borrow. It is in incredible cosmetic condition, but it is not in the best of repair (and was probably never set up to begin with). There are things I can live with, and then there's this.
It has what I would say is a register key and a half (or at least two unusual register keys). It has one for throat Bb and another positioned on the top joint (not the neck) for every note above that. It has one of those see-saw mechanisms to switch between them, and this is where my problem comes from. Clarion B and C are very stuffy, and I think it is because the top register key is not far enough away from the tone hole. I would try to pull it away to create more space, but the issue with that (besides bending the key) is that there is less than a paper's thickness between the key and the hole when throat Bb is pressed. So the key is both too close and not close enough.
Is this a combination of different issues? The spring for the top register key is definitely a little worn. As it stands, it is next to impossible to practice because the break is much too difficult to blow through.
Jared
Ft. Lauderdale & Tampa, FL
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2021-04-20 06:08
If it's a newer one there should be a screw on an arm opposite of the register vent that allows you to control the height of that pad. Try loosening it. if that doesn't work it's probably best to take it to a tech with experience working on low clarinets and have them adjust it.
You can make it a little better by having the pad raise higher however, having worked on one of these, the upper register will always be fairly stuffy. The 1180 isn't a great design, but if it's all you have there's not much you can do. On the plus side, when you do eventually get a better bass you appreciate it even more!
-JDbassplayer
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