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Q. about breaking in old clarinets.

Author: m1964
Date: 2025-07-25 00:11

Do old clarinets that were stored for long time require long break in period to sound their best?
To be clear- my question is not about cracks prevention.

I sometimes get old R13s that were stored for long time, often in far from ideal conditions.

I fix the instrument. When I play it for the first time, often it sounds like a student-level clarinet.
Keep playing it and after a few days the sound improves significantly.

I wonder how much time is needed for these clarinets to get to their full potential.

Thanks for your thoughts.

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Re: Q. about breaking in old clarinets.

Author: mozartklar
Date: 2025-07-25 00:27

I would think that hydration of the wood has a lot to do with it. I'm playing on an R13 from 1957 that I just got overhauled. It sat for decades and as I've been playing it, it has turned out nicely. I am still figuring out it's character.

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Re: Q. about breaking in old clarinets.

Author: m1964
Date: 2025-07-25 01:04

mozartklar wrote:

> I would think that hydration of the wood has a lot to do with
> it. I'm playing on an R13 from 1957 that I just got
> overhauled. It sat for decades and as I've been playing it, it
> has turned out nicely. I am still figuring out it's character.

Thank you for replying to me.

How long do you think it may take to get the most out of such an instrument? Is it weeks, months or even years?

thanks

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Re: Q. about breaking in old clarinets.

Author: mozartklar
Date: 2025-07-25 16:08

I don't really know but I would think that with consistent playing, or might be a matter of months.

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Re: Q. about breaking in old clarinets.

Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-07-25 19:07

If a clarinet has laid dormant for decades, then play it in as you would do a brand new one once it's all been brought up to scratch. Start with playing sessions of around 30mins at a time with long breaks in between, then increase this daily over the course of the first few weeks and don't subject it to extreme temperature or humidity changes (although the latter is a bit difficult because of the nature of the beast).

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010

Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes

NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.

The opinions I express are my own.

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