 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: bbrandha
Date: 2013-02-02 18:27
I have just completely redone a lacquered brass Noblet clarinet. I even stripped and relacquered due to damage from being by salt water. The clarinet is finished and plays well up and down with one exception. It jumps up an octave when it shouldn't. If I play a scale, there is no problem, but if I ask it to from, say, a D down to any notes that use the right hand, it goes up rather than down. I cannot find any leaks, but I don't have the brightest leak light, either.
Any advice?
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Author: TJTG
Date: 2013-02-02 18:31
Check for leaks with suction and blowing through the instrument with plugged ends and closed pads/tone holes. It could be a trill key or something opening up when put under light pressure.
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Author: bbrandha
Date: 2013-02-02 18:35
It is a one-piece clarinet. I guess I can tape Saran Wrap over the end, though. Thanks!
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Author: TJTG
Date: 2013-02-02 18:39
I think it may be a two person operation. I always like a free hand when checking an Eb for leaks.
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Author: bbrandha
Date: 2013-02-02 20:08
Yep. The low G# blows open. The spring is hooked.
Bent the spring and it is better. Have to wait for someone else to get home again to recheck. It plays worse now. Ugh.
I've been lucky so far. All the other clarinets (5) have just gone back together and worked. No tweaking needed.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-02-02 21:58
I bought a dozen or so small rubber stoppers from a laboratory supply place. Vaious sizes to fit tone holes and bore. Makes life much easier. Cost cents only.
Tony F.
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Author: lhoffman
Date: 2013-02-03 02:41
Spend some time with a feeler gauge. Many leaks that can't be seen with a leak light are as clear as day with a gauge. It should pull evenly all the way around the pad. They're easy enough to make, you could use a popsicle stick and something thin, like a Mylar balloon, or my favorite which is this fancy, tough tissue paper that came with some flowers.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2013-02-03 13:44
Good advice here -- but I'm curious about something. Is the note really jumping up by an octave? Because when one of my clarinets starts hooting due to a leak, the squeak is either a 12th or a 19th. Saxes do hoot the octave when they leak, but I've restored a fair few leaky old flea market clarinets and although plenty of them squeaked upwards, I've never yet heard one break to an interval of an octave.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: bbrandha
Date: 2013-02-03 16:55
No, it wasn't an octave. Sorry to not be precise. It was jumping up to whatever the note would be with the octave key. Low E to B, etc. I was just frustrated and trying to not be wordy.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2013-02-03 18:40
then the culprit is usually the throat A or Ab which works like the register key when leaking.
(fixed typos)
--
Ben
Post Edited (2013-02-03 19:00)
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Author: bbrandha
Date: 2013-02-03 20:33
Got it! It actually had 3 blowing open. It had had a rough life, poor thing.
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