 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-11-17 16:39
Even if you keep your clarinet (or any wind instrument) looking clean and have an excellent maintenance routine (drying the bore, drying the sockets, keeping the tenons clean, cleaning tonehole chimneys regularly, wiping fingerprints off keywork, storing it in its case after playing, etc.), you will STILL need to have your clarinet serviced on a regular basis.
Depending on how much you're playing, regular servicing can be performed every 6 months, every year, every 18 months to two yearly intervals depending on usage. What regular servcing will do that you won't be doing yourself (unless you service your own clarinets) is making sure your clarinet is mechanically and structurally sound - anything that needs replacing or attention will be done during a service.
Even though your clarinet may look pristine from the outside, it may be a different story once the keys are off. When was the last time you took the keys off to clean fluff and debris from toneholes? Over time, dust and other fluff can build up in the toneholes though it will be a gradual thing that you won't notice as you're becoming accustomed to the build-up as it happens. Then one day you'll find the throat notes are hard work and of poor tonal quality in relation to the rest of the instrument - even using the side key Bb won't be of much help. It may get to the point when you feel you may need a new clarinet as your current one isn't playing as freely as you like.
Unless you're clued up in servicing your own clarinet yourself, make sure you have it serviced on a regular basis by a good and experienced tech to keep it playing in top form for the time you own it. Outside appearances can be deceptive - don't be fooled that a shiny clarinet will play well as it could be all gunked up inside. You can only do so much yourself, and this is the reason why there are specialist woodwind repairers out there to do the work you can't do, and to diagnose and cure any problems you may be having with your clarinet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2010-11-17 17:01
Chris (and other techs out there),
Is there some sort of "kit" I could buy somewhere with some good key oil, extra cork for either tenons or keys, or anything like that?
I'm interested in maintaining my own instruments (not fixing, just maintaining). I've been watching Tom Ridenour's youtube channel and trying to soak in his tech tips on little tricks and whatnot. But I'm wondering if there's a "kit" or something instead of me having to piece together key oil from here, rod grease from there, etc.etc.
Thanks.
Alexi
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-11-17 17:11
Alexi, you can get good key oil from the Doctor's Products. If you use wooden instruments, stock up on his bore oil, too.
I think you can get corks and pads from musicmedic and other sources.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-11-17 23:02
It's always good to learn some basic repair techniques and not to be scared of taking keys off provided you don't do any harm - see if you can get some guidance from an experienced tech before doing anything, but don't do anything too drastic if you know you may not be able to put it right.
Find a good used clarinet on eBay to practice repair techniques on before attempting to repair your pride and joy - at least a used Vito, Bundy or Artley won't cost the earth to buy off eBay and will mean you still have your best clarinet to play if some of your handywork hasn't gone to plan (but can be put right with more time and reasoning) instead of being left without one when you need it most.
Today I had a player bring her Esprit along to me - her maintenance routine is perhaps the best I've ever seen as she did everything as I would recommend, but she did this all on her own accord as we've never met before. She uses the pullthrough to dry the bore only and washes it regularly, uses a separate cloth to dry the sockets, uses cotton buds to keep the tenon shoulders free from grease build-up, uses a soft cotton cloth to keep the keywork and joints clean and always puts it back in it's case after playing.
All good and well, but when it came to playing it, the tone was very weak from open G upwards. The ventings were excellent but throat G# and A were very weak and would kick if pushed to anything louder than forte. I took the throat G# and A keys off and the toneholes were occluded where they meet the bore.
Only when the keys are off can this tonehole occlusion be seen due to how far down the toneholes it is (it can't be seen by opening the keys), and I scraped the accumulated fluff from the toneholes to show her what was causing the problem. A bit more cleaning up to make sure all of it was removed and put the keys back on, and then played the offending notes - only this time they played as freely as my Leblanc LL which I used for comparison. So it should all play as good as new when it's all been done.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: davetrow
Date: 2010-11-17 23:57
"uses cotton buds to keep the tenon shoulders free from grease build-up..."
What does that mean? I'm doing everything else described.
Dave Trowbridge
Boulder Creek, CA
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-11-18 02:01
Oh yeah - cotton buds are Q-tips.
You can use them to keep tonehole chimneys clean as well.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2010-11-18 13:13
One of the easiest things clarinet players can do for ourselves is to make sure the register key tube stays unobstructed. The register key is the most likely to get clogged (and, as Chris says, that tube will clog up eventually even with good swabbing), but it's also the easiest key to take off and put back on again. There's no need to remove other keys to get to it and little likelihood of confusion about how to put it back on. A pipe cleaner (the all-soft kind, not the kind with the metal wires woven in) does a fine job of clearing out any gunk that's accumulated in the narrow hole.
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: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-11-18 15:06
I have my clarinets overhauled about once every ten years by a very good tech. Cork pads on the upper joints of the regular clarinets, leather pads on my bass. I oil the keys, at the joints, a couple times a year with 3 in 1 oil with and oil applicator so it doesn't spill all over the wood. I clean the register tube with a pipe cleaner about twice a year. I keep the corks greased and I make sure the pads are dry and swab out before putting them away. And I don't anything stupid like leave them by the heater. Four of my clarinets are over 40 years old, one is only four. I've never had a crack and bring them into my tech about once a year to have a pad replaced and / or make an adjustment if needed. If you take care of the horns every day you will need very little work done to them especially if they have good pads that are set very well the begin with. The real secret is how the clarinet is overhauled in the first place by an expert. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-11-18 15:23
Once the clarinet has left the tech's hands, their work should then be honoured by the owner doing their best to keep everything in good order in between servicing.
It's only in the player's best interest to keep up their own maintenance routine to get the best out of their instrument, though anything beyond the player's capabilities (such as replacing a broken spring, damaged pad or tenon cork) should be addressed as soon as possible by your tech. Never leave things too late - there's no point in struggling with a faulty instrument for weeks or months when some simple problems can usually be sorted out within an hour if you make an appointment with your tech to see you as soon as they can.
If you do get a broken spring (and they can go without warning), don't leave elastic bands on silver plated keywork as that will damage the finish due to the acid in the rubber - by all means use them for emergencies to get you through a rehearsal or concert, but take them off straight afterwards.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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