 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mark Weinstein
Date: 1999-01-27 00:28
refers to an (clarinet) instrument service performed by what appears to be a well-known repair shop/technician in IL, which has an affiliation with International Musical Suppliers, Inc. I am aware that this type of service can be performed by any technician who is highly proficient in working with Clarinets.
from what I have heard heard and read elsewhere, a number of "operations" may be performed on (subject) Clarinets where it is deemed appropriate/necessary. the result is a better, tuned sound & less problems & plenty else I am sure. << i KNOW that cork pads beat the heck out of my stock buffet pads (they get wet, stay wet & get sticky from time-to-time. nice, albeit a PITA >>
NOW, please explain to me S-L-O-W-L-Y what E-X-A-C-T-L-Y is done with a) Tone Holes (do they use a pocket knife?) b) Tenons c) Tube d) Keys (aside from setting up the way a particular clarinetist likes his/her keys setup) e) anything else I can't remember or never knew.
Thanks for your help.
mw
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-01-27 00:39
Mark Weinstein wrote:
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>I am aware that this type of service can be performed by any technician who is highly proficient in working with Clarinets.
Bill Brannen does a bit more than most ...
<snip>
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NOW, please explain to me S-L-O-W-L-Y what E-X-A-C-T-L-Y is done with a) Tone Holes (do they use a pocket knife?)
Chip removal, undercutting/filling as necessary
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b) Tenons
Check the rigs, tighten/loosen as necessary, check shoulders (where they cut the wood for the cork) for possible binding
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c) Tube
Check register tube for correct length, internal dimensions, protrusion into bore, etc.
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d) Keys (aside from setting up the way a particular clarinetist likes his/her keys setup)
Change to teflon instead of cork for bumpers along key connections.
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e) anything else I can't remember or never knew.
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Brannen is expensive, and there have been (told to me off the record) a few instances where Brannen has not been able to successfully accomplish what was intended.
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Author: Mark Weinstein
Date: 1999-01-27 22:30
Bill Brannen does a bit more than most ...
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since the "terminology" included this gentlemen's name I used the term "highly proficient".
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Chip removal, undercutting/filling as necessary
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Don't have any (real) info about the performance of these tasks? Where are the chips located? Anywhere near/in the tone hole? Does this occur often;ie any oft-performed task?
What is undercutting/filling as necessary ?
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Check the rigs, tighten/loosen as necessary, check shoulders (where they cut the wood for the cork) for possible binding?
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What is a rig ?
Are the shoulders the (upper) border area (the outside edge) of the cork or syn material ?
Binding is when the instrument "hangs up" and won't come apart very easily, right ?
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Check register tube for correct length, internal dimensions, protrusioninto bore, etc.
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Why would the register tube be an INcorrect length or fail to protrude properly?
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Change to teflon instead of cork for bumpers along key connections.
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My tech does this for me to stop the "hanging up" of the key where the cork has "indented" .... left hand pinky keys on lower joint. Where else might Teflon be used, ie other keys?
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Brannen is expensive
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Who or what isn't these days? Sometimes, too, the customer is guilty of overreaching or has unreasonable expectations.
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Thanks.
Mark Charette wrote:
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Mark Weinstein wrote:
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>I am aware that this type of service can be performed by any technician who is highly proficient in working with Clarinets.
Bill Brannen does a bit more than most ...
<snip>
---
NOW, please explain to me S-L-O-W-L-Y what E-X-A-C-T-L-Y is done with a) Tone Holes (do they use a pocket knife?)
Chip removal, undercutting/filling as necessary
---
b) Tenons
Check the rigs, tighten/loosen as necessary, check shoulders (where they cut the wood for the cork) for possible binding
---
c) Tube
Check register tube for correct length, internal dimensions, protrusion into bore, etc.
---
d) Keys (aside from setting up the way a particular clarinetist likes his/her keys setup)
Change to teflon instead of cork for bumpers along key connections.
---
e) anything else I can't remember or never knew.
---
Brannen is expensive, and there have been (told to me off the record) a few instances where Brannen has not been able to successfully accomplish what was intended.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-01-28 00:50
Mark Weinstein wrote:
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Chip removal, undercutting/filling as necessary
============================================================
Don't have any (real) info about the performance of these tasks? Where are the chips located? Anywhere near/in the tone hole? Does this occur often;ie any oft-performed task?
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Yes; there are often tone holes with small chips where they were drilled/cut. Not all dealers inspect & fix these problems.
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What is undercutting/filling as necessary ?
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Tone holes may be undercut or filled to correct intonation problems.
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Check the rigs, tighten/loosen as necessary, check shoulders (where they cut the wood for the cork) for possible binding?
============================================================
What is a rig ?
Drills for oil or drives down highways :^) Ring
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Are the shoulders the (upper) border area (the outside edge) of the cork or syn material ?
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No - the wood part.
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Binding is when the instrument "hangs up" and won't come apart very easily, right ?
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Or won't go together easily
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Check register tube for correct length, internal dimensions, protrusioni nto bore, etc.
============================================================
Why would the register tube be an INcorrect length or fail to protrude properly?
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Incorrect assembly, or intonaiton may require some adjustments.
************************************************************
Change to teflon instead of cork for bumpers along key connections.
============================================================
My tech does this for me to stop the "hanging up" of the key where the cork has "indented" .... left hand pinky keys on lower joint. Where else might Teflon be used, ie other keys?
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Not many techs put teflon on. Brannen puts teflon (I hear) on every sliding surface that has cork.
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Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-01-29 00:21
My repairman that i use, in Davenport, Iowa does, in my view, as good of work as Brannen for much much less... even less than a run-of-the-mill area repairman.
I now send my horns to him once a year for an annual check-up. Last year was the first time i had sent him my Bb, and he adjusted pad heights, replaced a few pads with cork (he hand cuts all his cork and pads to ensure proper opening), and replaced some of the cork bumpers with either felt, or Dura-foam or denser cork, depending on the amount of pressure on that particular key or lever or bridge. He also repaired whatever chipped toneholes were needed. Realigned the low E key for proper seating, tightened a loose ring on my barrel that i didn't notice, and adjusted spring tentions because all of them were to tight for my tastes... all for about $60.
He works even more miracles for saxophones. which is another story in and of itself when it comes to my Mark VII that i sent him...
Oh yeah.. kinda fergot to mention who he was.. heh.. :-)
His name's Denny Lawson... for his phone number or address, e-mail me...
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Author: Christa Chaffin
Date: 1999-01-30 02:29
Bill Brannen is very good at what he does. My clarinet teacher at the University of Tennessee insists that all of his students send their clarinets to Brannen. Unfortunately, my clarinet is quite old (over 40 yrs.) and so Mr. Brannen refuses to work on my instrument. So ultimately I am not the expert, but all of the clarinet majors at UT have been extremely satisfied with the work.
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Author: Rick2
Date: 1999-01-30 04:16
How long did that service take in your necxk of the woods? I know out here in SF bay it took me 3 months to get some new key corks put on my backup horn, frustrating me to the point that I've decided to do as much work on my own horns as an engineer can possibly do. (The fact that I want to train myself for a low stress trade to retire into is beside the point.) I can't stand having my horn sitting on somebody else's shelf for 3 months for a couple hours worth of work.
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Author: Mark P.
Date: 1999-01-30 13:27
Can't say that I like a tech who will refuse to work on an instrument solely on age. My newest clarinet is my Selmer E flat soprano from 1969. I can see a tech who will advise a client not to put money into an old un-named or off name instrument. Back when I worked in a music store people would walk in with clarinets needing substantial repairs on top of a complete overhaul and the techs would advise them not to sink their money into it. ie a no name wood clarinet with a broken tenon and no pads that they bought at a garage sale. But a professional model should not be refused no matter the age. IMHO
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Author: Lelia
Date: 1999-01-30 23:29
Mark P. wrote:
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Can't say that I like a tech who will refuse to work on an instrument solely on age. [snip] I can see a tech who will advise a client not to put money into an old un-named or off name instrument [snip]... ie a no name wood clarinet with a broken tenon and no pads that they bought at a garage sale. But a professional model should not be refused no matter the age. IMHO
I agree in general, since I recently bought a 1937 Buffet and am delighted with it as my main clarinet. It's certainly not just a curiosity. A previous owner had already had the clarinet overhauled, by someone who did a fine job. I do think that with an older clarinet, when it's possible to have the work done by someone with a particular interest in "vintage" or historic instruments, that's the way to go, rather than argue someone into doing the work who would really rather not. People who have studied the history and the particular intonation compromises on the older instruments undertand how to bring them back to their best possible condition. Sometimes the best pad thicknesses are different, or the key heights are different, etc. (I'm thinking of Conn saxes from the 1920s and 1930s, for instance, which do better with thinner pads than most modern saxes need.) Better to go with a restorationist who understands these things up front instead of messing around with trial-and-error.
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Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-01-31 17:53
I sent my horns from Houston to Davenport and had them back within two weeks.... my sax took a week longer cuz it was in really bad shape 9as i found out)...
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Author: Ginny
Date: 1999-02-01 02:14
Rick, my fellow SB denizen, where did you get your repair done? I only had my Ferdinand (my other throw-away clarinet) in for about a week to replace a spring. I could have done it myself, but he charged ten bucks and gave me some good advice on intonation. West Valley Music on Grant Rd. in Mountain View. Dennis is the repair guy (I think) and has a great reputation with my old flute player friend.
Some repair guys let you make a repair appointment, especially if your famous :-)
Ginny
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Author: Kim
Date: 1999-05-02 12:46
I second this assessment of Denny's work - he is very good and VERY reasonably priced. I've been sending my clarinets to him from Chicago because I haven't found a repairman yet here whose work I trust. FYI, if you ship your clarinet to Denny, you will have to pay the cost of getting it there but the cost of them shipping it back to you is generally included in the price of repairs. Great deal!
Kim
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