The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

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Re: Bumper Materials

Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-06 20:13

d'Addario are one of the most respected names in guitar strings, so no reason why not.

What diameter is the B string? I'd suggest a minimum diameter of 1mm - use a centre drill and mount the adjusting screw in your lathe chuck to drill it. Otherwise make a centring jig that fits over the screw thread to centre the drill or countersink then finish it with a 1mm drill but don't drill too far into the screw - about 1.5mm-2mm deep will do.

Apply a drop of superglue to the end of the guitar string and push it in place, trim the excess off so you're left with a maximum of 1mm and then file it down with a fine file while mounted in a bench chuck to dome the nylon right down. If the screw head is protruding too far from the pip, then file the end of the screw down by as much is needed and replace the nylon insert.

Best way to gauge the correct length of the adjusting screw is to screw it into the pip so the head is almost flush with the top of the pip and file the screw tip down almost flush with the underside, but again that depends on how much of a gap there is between the G# and A keys - some clarinets will need a greater length of screw tip showing than others.

On the throat A key, remove the cork or other material in the recess and clean it well. If you have to, burnish it smooth so the screw tip will run smoothly across it when in use.

On B&H clarinets they have the annoying problem of the spring screw hole being drilled all the way through the throat A key, so you'll have to glue something into the recess so the adjusting screw tip doesn't catch in the spring screw hole. A piece of thin rubberised cork coated with graphite will do the trick unless you can fill in the screw hole with hard solder and drill and retap it for the flat spring (which may also need to be replated due to the high temperature).

If there isn't much of a recess on the throat A key (usually on older clarinets that haven't got an adjusting screw fitted to the G# key, but you want to add one), then file it deeper and paper up and burnish it smooth.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

Post Edited (2014-09-06 20:15)

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