 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: John Elison
Date: 2002-10-28 22:34
I have a 25-year-old Leblanc Pete Fountain model (silver keys) that needs a complete overhaul. I'd like it restored to it's original splendor. Can anyone recommend a topnotch clarinet restorer. I live in Lexington, KY, but I can ship the instrument anywhere.
Additionally, should I have cork pads put on the upper section? What are the pros and cons?
Thanks for the advice.
John Elison
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2002-10-28 23:33
John Butler - a Woodwind.org sponsor - has done some excellent work for me and I would recommend him highly. John is in Texas but is accustomed to shipping carefully. My good friend Jimmy Yu in NY, NY is a master also but usually has a long waiting list. I like cork pads in selected upper keys but they must be carefully fitted.
The Doctor
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2002-10-29 02:07
I just had cork pads placed in the sidekeys and the g#/c# key. Pros that I know of is that they last longer and apparently are more resistent to water damage. I don't believe they change tone/intonation that much since in most cases the pads are lifted OFF the clarinet and not banged down onto it. Ummmm. That's all I know. Good luck on the restoration!
Alexi
PS - Along with this, should I have the A and Ab throat keys corked?
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-10-29 16:41
About a year and a half ago, I got a 1908 Buffet Bb/A pair on eBay, really cheap because they had been in an attic for 90 years. They were completely covered with grunge.
Peter Spriggs, one of the sponsors here, did an excellent restoration job. They looked and played like new. His work was fast, high quality, and, because he's in Canada, the exchange rate made his prices lower than for equivalent work in the U.S.
Steve Fox, also a sponsor, did spectacular restoration work on a Selmer contra-alto for me -- 35 pins, all completely invisible, and it plays beautfully. He has a long waiting list, though.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: tim k
Date: 2002-10-29 17:52
I agree John Butler does an excellent job. I recently bought an old LeBlanc from him and it plays very well. His prices are on his web site. You can reach his site from the Sponsors page.
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Author: John Elison
Date: 2002-10-30 01:56
Thank you for your replies. I appreciate the information.
Best regards,
John Elison
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-10-30 23:17
L. Omar a question for you ...
Out of curiosity - if you are shipping a clarinet to a repairer would you normally cover the individual pieces in bubble-wrap (don't know what you call this in America) and then wrap the case in the larger scale (heavy duty?) bubble-wrap?
diz, sydney
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-11-01 03:02
diz: In the USA, Vegemite is called Vegemite (if it can be found).
In like manner, "Bubble Wrap" is called "Vegemite." No, no... I mean it's called "Bubble Wrap." This is but another illustration of the intrinsic similarity of the American and Australian tongues. One might even think they share a common ancestor. But I digress.
By the way, diz, most people who ship Clarinets in this country do a miserable job of packaging them. I, for one, like your idea of using small bubble wrap around each joint.
Regards,
John
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-11-01 20:16
I strongly recommend against packaging clarinets for shipment in Vegemite (or Spam, for that matter) --- makes quite a mess if you do. All seriousness aside, on a couple of occasions I've sent (or received) clarinets whose individual joints were wrapped in Bubble-Wrap inside the case, in which the extra thickness of material caused some keys to be bent upon closing the case lid. I'd recommend instead placing the clarinet parts inside the case in the normal manner, then laying one or two flat sheets of Bubble-Wrap on top of the whole affair before closing the lid. Then, tightly wrap the entire closed case with the Bubble-Wrap and tape around it securely. Always, when adding padding to the inside of a case, test the closing to make sure nothing is being unduly compressed.
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