 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: klook
Date: 2010-11-21 01:10
Okay, this is a specific post about the old Pedlers as well as a post about my first bass clarinet overhaul.
I picked up locally a Pedler Custom Built bass clarinet for $125. It came with the original case, neck, and a good old Bundy mouthpiece.
-is it common to find the hard rubber clarinets in two pieces? I feel like every rubber/plastic one I've seen had a one piece body, this one is two
-what do ya'll feel about these old Peddlers? This one needs work but sounds pretty good even with shot pads
-how the heck do I clean all that hard rubber without staining/discoloring it?
-this clarinet has a straight neck and one strap hook, how do you hold/play this comfortably?
-also, whats the best way to straighten warped key cups? I took this horn apart and a good 1/4" of the cups look tweeked.
-any tips on working on bass clarinets? I've done a number of regular clarinets, but this baby is a little more intensive!!
klook
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Author: SHMbass
Date: 2010-11-21 02:42
When you say warped key cups, do you mean that the cups are not aligned properly with the tone hole or that the cup itself is bent out of shape? If the key cup itself is bent, I normally use a the same procedure for saxophone pad cups. They can easily be bent in an attempt to incorrectly adjust the pads/cups to the holes. Use a steel block that is flat to place the pad cup on (hollow side down), and tap on the cup gently with a rawhide mallet. It does not take very much to "flush" the cups, a few light taps should do.
Keep your screws/posts/springs organized if you choose to completely disassemble the instrument (this might not be necessary), unless you like puzzles. :-)
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2010-11-21 04:29
I have a wooden Pedler Custombuilt and like it just fine. I've never actually seen a hard rubber one but have come across a few other wood ones. Does yours have the double register key mechanism?
As for your questions:
I agree the neck angle is horrible. I'd recommend having the neck re-angled so that you won't need to look around it in order to read you music. I'd also recommend having a peg receiver soldered onto the bell so that you can play sitting without using a neck strap. If you're going to be playing standing a lot you may want to look into having an additional hanger ring installed.
Hard rubber can be cleaned with any mild cleanser and a cloth rag. I usually dampen a scrap of old t-shirt with soapy water and then wipe down the body. If the rubber is already discolored there's not much you can do. Some people have had some success polishing it with Brasso but I've never tried this.
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Author: klook
Date: 2010-11-21 18:43
Okay, thanks for the info.
The key cups themselves are warped, I will have to do the whole thing with the mallet. I've never done that before, it'll be fun!
I'm not so sure I'll keep this baby, I bought it just to work on it, but if I do keep it I would certainly have to get a peg and maybe even have the neck reworked. I'll have to see how it turns out.
klook
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-11-22 04:00
I've tried one wood Pedler bass clarinet and have the same model of alto.
- I don't what most hard rubber bass clarinets are like, but it's probably irelevant. I think Pedler just made the models the same, only different materials.
- The Pedler bass clarinet was better than the alto, but both are IMO no where near the quality of a good model for example a good Buffet or Selmer. Personally I woudln't be happy to use it for what I do, but I imagine it can be a decent option in some situations for others. It also had some intoantion issue (e.g. very sharp throat notes, especially Bb).
- First try just water. Then maybe try dish soap on a little area to see if it causes any problem. If not, wash with dish soap. For the hard white stuff you can soak in vinegar. Some hard rubber mouthpiece change their colour and/or turn green from this but most don't. Use regular cheap synth vinegar (normally 5% acetic acid, so no need to dilute).
- Assuming you prefer a more clarinet angle, you can try to hold the instrument more angled (bell side to the back) in comparison with your body. Or you can have the neck re-angled.
- Depending on the shape of the the key cups (I don't remember what they are like on the Pedler), I prefer to have the back of the key cup level and not just the side rim. The method described by SHMbass would get the rim level, but not necessarily the back. I use this method too, especially for severe bends. I also use short round steel rods that go inside the pad cup and tap to level the back of the key cup. If the key cups are the "hollow" (i.e. the back is not straight but more like a cone) then it's not so important and leveling the rims is ok. The thing is it's not necessay that the rim is exactly accurate all the way around. It matter even less if you plan to completely float the pads without using the back of the cup for support at all. If the rim is also distorted (i.e. not round) then I like the pad cup and tone hole pliers you can buy for example from Music Medic.
- Work is the same. Find a problem, analyze what is causing it and repair the cuase of the problem.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2010-11-22 13:13
I'm not sure how much difference the model name made on Pedler clarinets. I've played a few different Pedler bass clarinets of different models and from what I could tell the only difference between them was the engraving on the bell.
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