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Re: Noisy loose Keys quick fix?

Author: clarnibass
Date: 2008-04-15 05:52

Woody Ben

basically to repair a noisy key you first have to figure out what is causing the noise. Do you know if the noise for those keys is coming from the rattling levers? Or is there also noise from their key barrels or rods heating posts, etc.?

Oil may help in some cases, but depending on how rattly the lever pins are it might not be enough and you'll need feeler. If there is noise from a key with pivot screws (two small screws one on each side) then maybe they are not tightened enough? Or it could be something else. If it's on a rod screw (a long screw inside the key barrel) then the key could be loose over the rod, or at the ends, etc.

Oil might not help all the problems, but if you don't mind ordering online (from USA) then this oil http://www.musicmedic.com/catalog/products/lubr-a101.html or the Medium Viscosity one here http://www.musicmedic.com/catalog/products/ulti-150.html are good for general use on clarinet. I also have a very thick oil I sometimes use and the High Viscosity one from the second link might be good for that too.

For the lever pins and other places you can use grease instead of oil. As much as I like the oils from Ultimax above I really don't like their grease. I like the grease from this place http://www.doctorsprod.com/store/comersus_listItems.asp?idCategory=7 he has two types the black one is harder than the brown one. By the way I don't like the key oil from this place.

Maybe you can find similar products locally (I can but only in way too large quantities). If you order from Music Medic you can order a few clarinet pads and use the bladder for the lever pins http://www.musicmedic.com/catalog/products/pad-c10.html and if you do they all cost the same so get the biggest ones.

About the Ab/Eb lever, you will notice the plastic pin is not inside a hole, but at the top of the triangle that is soldered to the key. What sometimes happens is the lever leans on the clarinet and this way the pin is below the top of this triangle and creates double action which feels like a rattley key. This depends on the weight of the key and in playing position it is usually like this. This is fixed by the silencing material at the buttom of the lever. It needs to be the correct thickness to not have double action but not leave the Ab/Eb key open.

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Noisy loose Keys quick fix? new

woody

2008-04-14 12:28