 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Dan
Date: 2001-08-31 06:24
Hi all again.
Today, I came across a metal clarinet at a local pawn shop. It's $100.00 Cnd. and it's in okay condition. ( not excellent). I think it's cool looking. I know I'll have to at least re-pad it. And do you think I should buy this clarinet or not? Please give me some advice! And it is hard to re-pad a clarinet yourself? or how much do they usually charge in repair shops?
-Dan.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-08-31 12:51
This is probably slightly high for the majority of metal clarinets although some would be worth that much (I think that works out to about $67US). It depends on the brand and model. Do you remember what it was? Most of the ones that you will see will be student to intermediate grade. Try offering about $75 Canadian.
If it needs completely re-padded, that will probably run you over $100 Canadian.
Re-padding isn't too difficult, just tedious. There is an article on this site that describes how to do it. Be sure you keep track of the screws and the order in which you took off the keys. Making sure the pads seat well on the holes is tricky for some of the larger ones at the bottom of the horn but patient try and try again will usually get it done. I've done complete repads at the kitchen table with makeshift tools.
Here's what I recommend:
1. Read up on the procedure.
2. Collect *ALL* needed supplies and tools before starting
3. Set aside an afternoon where you can be uninterrupted until you are done. The first time it's best to reassemble the horn that very same day so that you remember where and how you took the keys off.
4. Before starting and as you take the keys off, study which side of the key each of the springs hooks on.
5. Use a logical method to lay out the keys and screws when they are not on the horn. Use some type of towel on the table so the screws don't roll off and get lost.
6. Do logical sections at a time. Don't take all the keys off at once.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-08-31 14:32
Good advice, Gordon and Dee. Most metal clars likely should be made into lamps, I keep one [non-playable] to show kids a bit of history. The several good metals have been discussed, so as G says, SEARCH. On repadding, some , maybe most, have different pad sizes from plastic/wood sets of pads, and somewhat differing construction [early 1900's] and my pro-repair friends speak of receiving a sack full of parts, with a "make it play, please" request. Not very profitable!! Don
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Author: Dan
Date: 2001-08-31 18:30
i went back to the store today. It's a American Standard by King. I bought it today for 100 Cnd. And then the repair shop quoted me 200cnd to bring it back to playable situation. And I decided not to do so. ( Don't have that much $ to spend on something just for fun..)Guess what?, I then bring it to the antique store and sold it for 150Cnd. .....so.. not a too bad transaction ...
-Dan.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-08-31 19:58
The American Standard was not particularly rare so that antique dealer didn't know what he was doing when he paid that much for it. So you made out there.
The $200 Canadian sounds reasonable if that covered essentially a complete overhaul (all new pads, new corks, adjustments, and as many new springs as needed).
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Author: Dan
Date: 2001-08-31 20:57
Yeah, I believe that the $200 Cnd complete Overhaul sounds reasonable. I would do it if it's a R-13. or even a YCL-34. But for this metal clarinet, my original intent was to get a sopie sax- looking clarinet for jazz playing or solos. But I don't want to spend 300 Cnd in total for just this purpose. I know.....it's nice to have a piece of history at your home..... But, well....at least I now know how this piece of history looks like....heh...
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Author: jenna
Date: 2001-08-31 23:17
That's why I bought my metal clarinet.. just for the novelty. I paid more than it was worth and i knew it, but it was something neat that I had never seen in person before. It was worth the looks on various peoples' faces when i opened the case, though. My high school marching band clarinet line was amazed. Now if only I could get it overhauled before competitions.. I'd play it on the field in a second.
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Author: jim lande
Date: 2001-09-01 02:44
Some shops don't want to work on metal clarinets, especially if any of the screws are rusted. I have repaired more than a dozen, and I have never managed to start and finish one the same day. Usually it ends up taking big chunks out of two or three weekends. And don't think it is because I am fussy and want to get things just right. I think I am up to B minus quality.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-09-01 16:44
Jim -
I've been told that some shop owners wouldn't allow a metal clarinet on the premises. Absolutely detested them. Almost a phobia. I imagine they were at some time in history trashed by the truckload.
Now they're almost in the category of collectors' items.
How things change, huh?
How're your Alberts doin' ? :]
- ron b -
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Author: Jim Lande
Date: 2001-09-02 04:32
Ron, I certainly hope they are collectable. I have more than 30 ;-)
Your comment about repair shop prejudices made me recall a local shop.
Today marked the closing of Zavarella's music store in Alexandria Va. They
moved from downtown D.C. to across the river in 1972. I actually went there shortly
after the move to look at a soprano sax and didn't like the owner, who was rude and
very intimidating. I was 22 at the time.
Years later, I told a friend that I could repad a bundy flute for her daughter. Not that I had
done much repair work at that point, but i had repadded two clarinets. I went to a
nearby shop to buy a set of flute pads. The owner said he would sell me the pads,
but that I would never get it to work -- much harder than a clarinet. Well, I could
not managed to get the pads to seal and I didn't want to slink back in defeat, and it
had been 25 years, so I went back to Zavarella's.
At that time I had two metal clarinets, one of which I had repadded successfully.
However, the second had two screws that I couldn't get loose. I brought that, too.
A young guy met me close to the door and asked if he could show me anything.
"Oh, I think I will just saunter through the repair shop." I replied.
Almost instantly a harsh voice rang out from the middle of the store (which was
the repair area). "Just what the @!#$ do you mean 'Saunter through my repair
shop.'" that was old man Zavarella. Then he caught sight of the metal clarinet. "And
what are you bringing that piece of crap into my store for. Throw that thing into the
street. Put it under a truck."
Of course, I wasn't a kid any more, so I took that as an invitation to haul my stuff
into the shop. His son Phil took the flute and said he could get it working in two
days. (Ultimately he replaced one pad and then put the whole thing in a steamer with
clamps holding down some of the pads. Voile, $25 and my friend thought I was
great!). Anyway, while I fooled with a contra alto that i found hanging on a wall, his dad
got the screws out, muttering all the while.
It turns out that Mr. Zavarella Sr. only worked a few hours a week and Phil, who
is my age, ran the store. Once I had passed the trial by abuse, all three generations
of Zavarellas were very nice to me. When I have a broken key, I take it to Phil.
Usually he can fix things while I wait and he seldom charges much. (I suppose
he recalls that I ended up buying the contra alto. And A few weeks ago he sold the
Silva Bet eefer to me.)
His dad died a few years ago. The internet and the discount stores have killed
most of his retail business. So, they closed the store today. I would have gone over,
but I knew that I would have hauled home junk from the dumpster. The metal clarinets
are bad enough. Phil plans to continue the repair business, and maybe
buy and sell a few vintage horns, but from a shop in his home. I hope that works out.
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2001-09-02 05:15
Actually I think the store on So. 23rd St. (in Arlington) goes back to the late '60s. Before that Tony (the old man) had a store on Mt. Vernon Ave. in Alexandria for a short time before being flooded out in '65 or '66. Before that he was partners with Chuck Levin at the original Washington Music Center on H St N.E. in D.C. The old man was definitely a trip and was known to throw people out of his store if they rubbed him the wrong way. He was always nice to me, though. I was sad when I heard they were closing. Zav's has been a landmark on 23rd St. for more than thirty years.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-09-04 16:40
I'll kinda miss Zavarella's, also. Many years ago, when as an aspiring jazz saxophonist I needed a copy of the "Real Book" (y'all in the know know what I mean), there was only one place in town to go.............In a way, the advent of the Internet and big mail-order discount houses (not to mention Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc. etc.) has made the world a less interesting place.
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2001-09-04 18:40
Yeah, I have a good assortment of "real books" for Eb, Bb, and C instruments that I got from Zav's. I used to buy my reeds there too but a few years ago I discovered WW/BW. It's just too easy buying anything (practically) you want without getting up out of your easy chair. So I guess I share some of the blame for the demise of ma and pa stores like Zavarella's.
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