 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2002-05-13 04:32
Today I replaced two cases. First, my Evette & Schaeffer case, in which the interior wooden frame or whatever it is that holds up the cushion had collapsed or dried up and so the clarinet pieces were wobbling around inside while I carried it. Also, one of the latches has been bent for many years, and despite my bending it straight several times, it seems to have memory and resume its bend. And the exterior trim has been wearing off.
Second was my Conn C-melody sax case. The latch had been giving me trouble for several months, and yesterday it wouldn't open at all. Salesman in the store finally got it open by taking the latch off!
The clarinet (and its case) are from 1967. The case has that distinctive Buffet styling, with the leather piping with double row stitching. It's brown. The style of the case immediately says to anyone who knows about clarinets, "this is a Buffet."
The sax case is less distinctive, a plain black leather box that was also used by other vintage horn makers, but it does, by its style say, "this is a vintage horn." (The sax is in fact a Conn "Wonder" model from 1922).
I couldn't give a fig about these old cases (although I am nostalgic for the old Buffet clarinet cases, to tell the truth), but I wonder if others do, if there's any market for them. Salesman in the store didn't want them, so I still have them.
Should I throw them out? Or invest in getting them fixed (or try to make a fortune on ebay:-) ?
Oh, for those who care, I replaced the clarinet case with a nice Pro-Tec case, and the sax case with a gig bag, to accomodate the irregular sizing of the C-melody.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-05-13 05:23
Ferree's Tools (to see sponsors, click on 'Sponsored By' at top of this page) sells some case hardware that might be useful to you. They're very nice and knowledgeable folks who, I'm sure, would be happy to reply to an E-mail inquiry.
<ferreestools.com>
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-05-13 13:53
Ferree;s is not a sponsor and can't be found on the Sponsor's page. Try the Equipment section or Resources/Retail section.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-05-13 16:27
Opps :| Sorry, Mark. I thought they were.
That'll teach me to do my homework
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-05-13 22:48
I just "redid" an old Evette case using hi density foam I bought from Musicians Friend. It turned out OK but not exactly fancy. Sculpted the foan with a scalpel. My experience is that redoing old cases is an art in itself depending whether you want to replace the velvet or not....and probably not worth the effort unless you are really turned on by that old case.
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Author: Willie
Date: 2002-05-14 04:04
I tend to like the older cases better than the new if it was one of the higher quality ones. Some are heavy and clunky but they have more room for extra "junk" inside and some seem to fit the clarinet parts better for more protaction. I really like the cases that came with the old Henkens clarinets. Well made, room for extra reeds, cork grease, screw drivers, swab, etc. It even has room in the lid for music or your favorite catalog. One of the kids at school recently got a new Buffet and the case doesn't even have a place for a spare reed or cork grease. A student needs to carry these things, so why not provide a space?
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2002-05-14 04:43
One of the Pro-Tec clarinet cases I looked at (the cheapest one) was so small I thought it was a mistake. Pieces just about fit, but case wouldn't close without crushing everything, so I didn't even bother to try closing it. It really was a Bb, not Eb case, but still that snug. No room in that case for anything spare either, like reeds, etc. I bought a more expensive model with extra pouches, etc, and the ability to close without bending the keys.
The sax gig bag came with two shoulder straps, so you can hang it on your back like a backpack. Now picture this: You go camping with a bunch of people, this gig bag hung over your back. They all think you're carrying a guitar or banjo for playing around the campfire in the evening. Well, darkness falls, the campfire gets going, you open the bag, and whip out your...C-melody sax. They all take off into the woods...
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