 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2026-01-13 20:19
And a completely pointless exercise as they offer absolutely no strength nor support to the sockets.
I've just fitted Buffet socket rings to a Louis Rossi clarinet as the plastic artificial ivory socket rings on that had all cracked and broke off. Plus I added an extra socket ring to the mouthpiece socket on the barrel as that was unsupported.
If you want the look of ivory socket rings, then fit artificial ivory ones over metal socket rings and everyone will be happy. The metal ones can also be completely hidden under the decorative plastic or wooden socket rings (even when looking at the ends of the sockets if made well) while secretly still doing the important job of supporting the sockets.
There are some clarinet makers going for a ringless look, but they have metal socket rings hidden uner the decorative wooden ones.
And I still think ringless barrels and bells are absolute dogdirt as you can't guarantee they won't crack regardless of how thick the wood is.
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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Author: donald
Date: 2026-01-13 23:32
I painted my metal socket rings black on my A clarinet and told a bunch of people I had these new super alloy rings to darken the sound... EVERYONE fell for it except for... ta-daaaaaa MY MOTHER
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Author: lydian
Date: 2026-01-14 22:58
Quick question. What's a socket ring? Is it the rings on the barrel and bell. If so, why would those ever need to be replaced?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2026-01-15 03:04
Socket rings are usually metal rings fitted to and reinforcing the sockets to prevent them from splitting when the tenon is fitted due to the outward force of the tenon cork.
The plastic ones on this Rossi clarinet were made from cast polyester and added no strenght to the socket, plus the expansion and contraction of plastics being far greater than wood with temperature changes combined with the expansion and contraction of wood widthways with humidity changes caused them to break and fall off.
Instead of replacing like for like and offering nothing in any way of support to the socket, I replaced them with Buffet socket rings. As Rossi clarinets have a single piece body, I replaced the bell socket ring as well as the existing one on the barrel, plus added an extra one to the upper barrek socket as that didn't have any form of reinforcement at all.
The easiest option was fitting metal socket rings - I could've gone down a more expensive route and either fitted a hidden metal ring or carbon fibre band and then fitted a decorative wooden one or another artificial ivory one over the top of that.
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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Reply To Message
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