 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-03-29 08:56
Some Buffet cases require this to fit the clarinet in the case. I think the double pochette case does. So is the player expected to periodically disconnect these pieces and cork grease them?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-03-29 08:41
You mean the bell remaining on the lower joint when in the double case.
I honestly don't know why Buffet double cases are still being built like this as it's a bad idea. They ought to know by now s these cases have been made since the mid to late '80s and were a bad idea back then. Selmer Recital double cases also did this.
There is some room so you can partly undo the bell to let the upper half of the tenon cork recover. So after playing, remove the bell and dry the bell socket, then lightly grease the tenon cork and put the bell part way on and back in the case.
I've seen several instances where the bells have bound solid to the tenon and took a lot to remove them - the tenon cork had to be replaced in every case as it had compressed so the bells wouldn't stay on once they were removed. One instance the tenon cork had stuck fast to the inside of the bell socket and the glue had failed on the tenon, so the bell could rotate but wouldn't come off.
If you want a hard double case with all the joints separated, then get a Yamaha double case as they're less expensive than Buffet double cases and are much better built.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: john4256
Date: 2014-03-29 21:26
Chris can you tell me where to buy a Yamaha double case in the UK? I have looked on line at several of the noted stores and none are listed! Also will B and H 10 10's fit this case?
Many thanks
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-03-30 01:37
1010s should fit, but you will have to compress the polystyrene tray for the lower joint compartments to fit the Acton vent mechanism (if fitted) which is easy to do - use a fork handle or wooden spoon handle of similar to compress it into the right shape so the lower joint fits in properly and no pressure is applied to the Acton vent mechanism.
You're best contacting as many woodwind specialists as possible in person or by phone as they often get left behind in favour of zip-up back-pack style lightweight cases, so someone may have one or more taking up room in their shop and will be glad to get rid of them for a lot less than they retail for.
Either that or eBay - I got my newer double case which I adapted to fit my set of full Boehms from John Myatt's and an older brown vinyl covered and larger double case off eBay for my Gino Cioffi set (of Series 9*s).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: RAB
Date: 2014-03-30 02:39
Please take the bell off, dry it and dry inside the tenon, lightly apply grease and only put the bell on as much as needed to close the case. I have seen joints "welded" together, wood rotting and corks molding due to the bell never being removed and cleaned. I have no idea why the case is not redesigned!
Rodney Berry
Repair Dept
Muncy Winds Music Company
Boone, N.C.
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-03-30 04:44
Bruno:
The case, while designed as mentioned with this "issue," also features a slim design and relatively small footprint for two clarinets, making it attractive in that regard. I didn't know when starting this post that you could partially seperate the barrel from the lower joint--that makes a difference, especially if the bell and lower joint can be seperated enough to clear, or nearly clear the bell from the bottom of the cork on the lower joint.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-03-30 07:19
The only cases I have that leave either the bell or barrel on are my Selmer single case for my full Boehm CT where the barrel remains on the top joint while in the case (which I remove, dry and grease the tenon cork on before putting away) and my Yamaha Oehler system case where the bell remains on the lower joint - again I remove the bell, dry the tenon and socket after playing, apply a thin layer f grease to the tenon cork and refit the bell before putting away.
My Masspacher C clarinet came with a Yamaha 400 series German Bb clarinet case (same width but less depth than the Oehler system case as it hasn't got the full length accessories compartment at the back) where the instrument was split in two halves (but the mouthpiece was separate), but I've since refitted the case by adding high density foam spacers so all joints are separated which is more desireable.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: donald
Date: 2014-03-30 14:20
Hi there, normally I'd bow to the advice from the repair techs, but i feel i must add my experience to this...
I have had Buffet clarinet cases (with the bell on the lower joint) since 2003, playing my clarinets for between 2 and 10 hours a day on average over that time, and have never experienced any problem associated with the bell being stuck on the joint when put away. I have never heard of any friend or colleague or student having any problem associated with it. Not one.
Yes, it seems wrong, when i first got a buffet case like this I intended to replace it asap for this reason. I had the same opinion as the posters above, but the fact is that it hasn't created any bad side effects in over 10 years and that doesn't seem likely to change.
Sorry guys, but i've just never seen or heard ANYTHING EVER to suggest that it causes a problem, despite really really wanting to agree with you about this (I probably take my bell off once every few weeks and grease the cork, definitely not as often as once a week but probably more than once a month)
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-03-31 02:33
Donald I think you have been rather lucky.
A few years back I had a Buffet brought in with the bell fimly welded to the cork and the cork rotating in the tenon groove. Apparently bell had not been removed for at least a year. None of the various techniques I tried would shift it and reluctantly I had to say to the customer that it was going to be a permanent fixture.
I have many Buffets brought in with badly hardened bell tenon corks that allow bell to virtually fall off once release by 2-3 mm.
Yes I also instruct customers to try and store the instrument with bell withdrawn as far as possible which helps considerably.
This case design seems to stem from early practice where I have seen clarinet cases that only permit the instrument to be separated at the centre joint.
The logic of Buffet keeping up this practice beats me. But my pair of early 70s S1s come in a good Buffet case with all joints separate and space for 4 barrels so clearly they could get it right at one time.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-03-31 12:30
If Yamaha can make a double case that's smaller than the Buffet one and also has all the joints separated, then there's the potential there for the Buffet double case innards to be redesigned.
As the cases are made in Germany, maybe that could be a contributing factor as the majority of German clarinets traditionally come with cases that keep the bells on.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Lee
Date: 2014-04-01 05:58
I keep my clarinet all together all the time. After each time I play I swab and dry each tenon and socket with a piece of shop towel. The corks were last replaced over 9 years ago but they are still tight. I only use cork grease when they go together with difficulty.
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-04-01 06:50
With all this talk about the need to seperate sections of the clarinet I thought it a good idea to take a saw to my Eb clarinet and seperate (or perhaps I should say make) the top joint from the bottom joint just like on my Bb. I needed to switch to a hack saw to cut through that stubborn rod that runs between both halves.
I wouldn't want those 2 sections of my "Efer" to get frozen together!
Was that a bad idea?
(Yes---that's a joke)
Post Edited (2014-04-01 06:53)
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Author: donald
Date: 2014-04-01 07:21
but oddly enough the only problem i've ever had with the cork on the bell joint was with my eefer, which lives in a case where the bell is removed from the lower joint...
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