 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: john gibson
Date: 2002-05-08 01:22
Alright....
Son in Hawaii just bought me and his mom tickets to Hawaii. I know,
what a nice kid! We leave next Friday the 10th. He wants me to bring my clarinets. My concern is....I live in Phoenix where the humidity is at it's highest around 30 percent...I'll be there a week. Is this going to create any problems with the wood? I've taken good care of these horns...kept them up to snuff in terms of hydration....but it's really dry here...and wet there(Hilo).
Any suggestions? Should I not take them since they're used to the "dry heat"? I really don't want to "not play" for 7 days...and don't have a plastic horn to take. thanks for all your expert opinions....
John
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-05-08 01:34
john...As for the change of climate on wood instruments, I can't offer any advice, and will leave that part of your question to others.
However: One possible solution might be to rent a plastic clarinet for 7 days from a local music store in Phoenix, before you leave. Many stores now have some student rental instruments which have been returned, as the school year is concluding.
(I was going to suggest renting a clarinet in Hawaii, but unfortunately unless you want to play ukulele, it could be difficult)...GBK
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2002-05-08 02:30
John - just as we add moisture with humidifying agents in dry climates we can take it away with desiccants in wet climates (we do it all the time here in the south). You can get those little silica gel packets that come in electronic equipment or possibly ask at the pharmacy for the canisters that they pack in bulk drug bottles. Check out the little packets to see that they are not leaving dust because the dust is not good for you (neurogenic). The canisters packed with drugs are more expensive to buy but are manufactured not to leak dust. You can buy them from speciality packaging companies - but better to get them free if they are available. You can get a little hygrometer (sold for cigar humidors) or a chemical indicator strip for RH 0-50 to tell you what the RH is in the case. I have a sealed case but you could do the same thing with a plastic bag (wring the air out) with desiccant inside. Nothing like playing your own horn in Hawaii - watch out Don Ho!
The Doctor
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-05-08 12:33
I know professionals who travel the world - and they don't do anything particular to the clarinet when taking it from home, into the plane (with it's abysmally low RH), to wherever, from whereever, and so on.
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-05-08 15:00
My impression is that if there is anything we know for sure about wood clarinets it's that changes in humidity are what may precipitate cracking. That doesn't mean that every wood clarinet will crack under a given set of humidity changes but rather, that some or one might.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2002-05-08 15:05
I have to agree with Mark in the travel dept. I've been to almost every climate imaginable with my clarinets and have never had a problem. As long as you are careful to maintain normal care about it, you shouldn't suffer any damage to your instrument. Avoid sudden temperature changes. Allow the instrument to acclimate before playing. Just a few tips.
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2002-05-08 17:35
Hi John,
I would not worry about it, if your instrument has been "broken in" and you play it often enough, the moisture that you put in it is sufficient to handle moderate climate changes.
-S
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Author: John Gibson
Date: 2002-05-08 19:43
Thanks...
I knew I could rely on the experts.....all of you are great.
John
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-05-09 01:47
It probably depends a great deal on the pardticular piece of timber you happened to get, and what treatment it has had, both during manufacture and post-sale.
There are plenty of examples of all the rings falling off for people who have moved from a humid to a dry climate.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2002-05-09 12:48
Short term travel doesn't usually have any effect. Playing and teaching professionally for many years including travel between places of varying climate, and differing modes of travel I have never had a cracking problem. That includes travel from the coast to a mountain area and playing in an un-airconditioned room during snow in the same day.
I also include many perormances under similar circumstances using period instruments 1870 through to 1931.
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Author: Brad
Date: 2002-05-11 06:20
(I was going to suggest renting a clarinet in Hawaii, but unfortunately unless you want to play ukulele, it could be difficult)...GBK
Oh my!! What makes you say that? That is an exaggerated stereotype, don't you think?
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