 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: John Gibson
Date: 2002-06-28 16:38
Curious if a crack in a bell is serious. It's on the inside...doesn't go through to the outer wall....is about 3 inches long...and when you rub your finger across it...you can fell a difference in the heighth from one side to the next. This is an older clarinet. 50 years or so. Should I be concerned? Thanks...
John
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-06-28 17:17
John,
Don't sweat it unless you can hear a buzz or rattle from the bell (unlikely unless the crack progresses all the way through the wall to the outside). Very common on older bells.
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Author: L Skopitz
Date: 2002-06-29 03:39
I have a small crack in my c clarinet bell. It does not sound a extensive as yours. My repair guy used a bit of superglue which seems to be working for now. Replacement bells are available, so that may be an option if the crack should ever start to affect your sound. Good luck- LMs
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2002-06-29 07:45
If the ring on the top is still holding then it should be OK. The wood has probably just twisted to a more natural shape. Filling the crack will probably arrest any further cracking. Just be a bit careful using epoxy fillers they can sometimes contract and put stress on the crack which may deaden the tone. Feree's blackwood filler or an old LP record boiled down do the trick. Acetate fillers , as above, are used to fix blemishes in the wood on new clarinets by major makers Buffet, Selmer etc.. Dont se any bore oil near the crack either as it may hold water and expand.
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