 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill
Date: 2019-01-31 02:03
I've fallen in love with an old clarinet (surprise!) that has a band on the top joint. However, it's not a standard flush band. It looks almost like a tenon ring, and it's situated at the very top of the top joint (beneath where the barrel attaches) -- like sitting on the "shoulders" of the top joint. It looks more like a "ring" than a band.
Should I forget this clarinet?
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2019-01-31 02:29
That's a repair. Generally these bands are added to fix a severe crack. Their purpose is to hold the wood in compression to keep cracks from opening up. Nowadays carbon fiber bands are far more common.
If the instrument plays good then I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just know that the resale value is affected.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: Bill
Date: 2019-02-01 00:49
Attachment: L4532.jpg (378k)
*BT*
L3542
Key of A
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2019-02-01 01:13
I have seen a similar band on a brand new Selmer some 20-25 years ago, but the band was flush with the outer diameter of the top joint.
I couldn't actually detect a crack in the wood though.
However this band definitely looks like a repair, as it isn't that cosmetically good.
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Author: Doug Leach
Date: 2019-02-01 01:57
Agree with others as to it seeming to be a crack repair. As to the horn itself, from the serial number you reported, this appears to be an L-series Selmer Paris, from 1933. Before falling in love with the horn, you should check it's intonation. I have an old Selmer Paris from 1928. I had it repadded, and then checked it's intonation before trying to play in an ensemble. It tuned to be at about A=445, so when you pulled out the barrel far enough to tune whatever note you were trying to tune to 440, the rest of the horn was terribly out of tune. This one may be similar.
Doug
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2019-02-01 09:34
It looks like a regular band. Whoever did it probably decided to band it, had that socket ring size, maybe couldn't make or find one to match the OD of the clarinet, so turned doen the body for it to fit. It is strange that they could turn down the body but not make a new ring, but maybe they couldn't find material for it, or "turned" it by hand.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2019-02-01 22:52
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/download.html/1,6187/L4532.jpg
Oh dear - that's been well and truly butchered! That's such a shame as it would otherwise be a nice clarinet had it not been disfigured in such an amateur way.
Using a socket ring is bad enough, but using one that's far narrower in diameter to the diameter of the joint is shockingly bad. Whoever did that clearly hasn't got a clue.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2019-02-02 00:03)
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Author: MichaelW
Date: 2019-02-01 23:37
Attachment: P1020498.jpg (121k)
Here I have another example: this is one of the oldest Fritz Wurlitzers, from about 1830. Somebody has replaced the upper ivory ring on the barrel by a very badly fitted metal ring; but at least, upon a closer look, I discovered that it is stamped "585"- that is white gold!
Post Edited (2019-02-01 23:39)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2019-02-02 00:09
Is that the original barrel? Doesn't look like boxwood.
As for the Selmer BT - that disaster of a socket ring can be hidden by machining it down (doesn't have to be made completely smooth) and fitting a wooden or black plastic collar over it, then shaping that to form the flare at the top joint tenon shoulder.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: MichaelW
Date: 2019-02-02 16:12
Attachment: Wurlitzer_s.jpg (139k)
Attachment: IMG_1168.jpg (74k)
There are big differences in grain and color between the joints of that old Wurlitzer (Foto 1).
With a barrel from another instrument with a badly fitting ring and a crack I'm just about modifying it, using carbon roving and epoxy (on foto 2 it is not quite finished as my old lathe broke down).
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2019-02-02 17:10
I still haven't banded a cracked boxwood instrument, or any other paler colour wood than grenadilla.
I am planning on using Kevlar as that (and the filler) has a natural pale yellow colour which should match the colour of boxwood better than carbon fibre. With rosewood, kingwood or cocobolo the colour can be matched by staining or painting the filler to blend it in. Although cocobolo can turn as dark as grenadilla.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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