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Re: Clarion b issue

Author: Zeno_42
Date: 2024-05-22 03:08

Some good tips here. More info:

1) I tried Karl's test above going from D5 to C/E, but everything seemed fine. But since its so intermittent I'll have to keep trying for a while to see if I can reproduce the issue under those circumstances.

2) Two years ago I moved from the US eastern seaboard to the Australian outback. So its both warmer and much, much dryer than I am accustomed. So much so that I often can do an hour long concert and not need to swab out the clarinet afterwards... I've also lost notable weight in the last year and, as noted, I'm in my 50s now. So I would absolutely believe part of the issue is my finger pads not quite covering the way they used to. Its just weird to me that I played here for a full year without issue before this cropped up.

3) Pretty good analysis mechanically. The most obvious issue with the initial bad service was that he replaced the cork on the crow's foot, but didn't get the thickness correct. I think he rushed a bit trying to finish up before I had to fly back. So the lowest pad didn't properly seal at all. I tried self-repair by carefully sanding the cork by hand, but ended up mailing it to a trusted repair shop in Oz to properly sort out everything the initial guy worked on. That made things better - but it went from "can't play clarion B at all" to the current inconsistency. I sent it back to the same guy, and he fully disassembled the lower section to exhaustively check it out. He said the lower post was loose, and required some special attention to straighten out. Since then its been as it is now.

Just had a lovely blues quartet performance go a bit pear-shaped because the B failed when it was my turn to come in and we had to improv a bit until I got things worked out and could take back the lead. At this point I suspect its in my head enough that I tighten up crossing the break in anticipation and make it self-fulfilling.

Thanks all.

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