 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: manhattan51
Date: 2014-09-30 01:53
My Buffet R-13 B-flat clarinet is 39 years old, and works perfectly in all conditions. My R-13 A clarinet is only 3 years old, and extremely temperamental. In the right temperature and humidity conditions (i.e., all summer) it plays very easily and produces a beautiful sound. In the winter, however, when the humidity is very low due to house heating, it becomes very difficult to blow into. It has been to a couple of very good repair people and the problem persists. Any ideas other than getting another clarinet?
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Author: cyclopathic
Date: 2014-09-30 02:52
oiling? Had any of repair people had given it an oil bath? That usually helps to stabilize wood. You could also experiment with case humidifier, they are ~$20 @amazon.
Also have they done any vacuum tests? It could be as simple as barrel tenon cork leak. Try to wrap plumber tape around barrel tenons.
Any key is binding? another possibility
If not I'd re-pad top joint with kangaroo or valentino master pads. It has to be a leak somewhere.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2014-10-01 16:40
Sounds to me like it might begin to leak in the winter as well. If the wood shrinks even a tiny bit it could be causing a tiny leak. I always suggest using cork pads in the upper joint as many pros use as well. A good cork pad not only lasts a long time but if installed properly seals very well. You could get a room humidifier for your room, just make sure it doesn't get to humid in the room. You can also keep a damit in you case, I've always done that in the winter. They come in different sizes, use a middle size and keep it damp every day with the case closed all the time you're not playing.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: TomS
Date: 2014-10-01 22:40
I agree with Mr. Palanker ... might be a leak opening up during dry winter conditions. I can't imagine the wood's acoustical characteristics or dimensional specifications changing drastically enough to cause the blowing resistance to increase, but something might be shifting or changing just enough to cause a small leak.
As far as professional clarinets, there is always Buffet Greenline and the hard rubber clarinets made by Tom Ridenour. They should be immune from most seasonal changes ...
Take special care with you clarinets in the winter. I really watched the temperature and used orange peels to humidify my instruments. No problems, in the last 40 years. Don't leave your clarinets in their case on the floor (the floor is often much colder than the room temperature) ... leave your clarinet cases with instruments in a drawer in a wooden chest in a comfortable room.
Tom
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Author: kdk
Date: 2014-10-02 00:43
Are you absolutely sure it's the clarinet that's changing? Often players find they need to use very slightly stiffer reeds in the winter from what they use during the summer.
A clarinet that old might be reacting to the dryness of home heating, but wood that old, especially a dense wood like grenadilla, is pretty stable. Are the tenon rings loosening? That's a first sign of slight wood shrinkage and can be fixed by humidifying the inside of the case when the instrument is put away - Dampits or pieces of orange peel can tighten slightly loose rings overnight, even very loose rings in a few days.
Have you had the repair people look at it in summer or in winter? They need to see it at its worst to be able to find a mechanical problem. If it's pad leaks that are opening only because of wood shrinkage, a repair tech will need to look at it when the leaks are there.
I would absolutely try humidifying the case and experimenting with slightly harder reeds - maybe not even a half- or quarter-strength, just try new ones of the same reeds you normally use and see if some of them play better than the ones you were using during during the pre-heating weather. It may turn out that the harder ones in the same box, the ones that were too stiff in the summertime, may now work better.
Karl
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Author: Clarineteer
Date: 2014-10-02 02:26
I believe that the problem is the fact that newer instruments such as your A clarinet that was produced only 3 years ago has unstable wood in the winter due to harvesting the wood before it is properly matured and then to make matters worse quick curing it using a kiln which leads to instability. I would sell your A and replace it with a older clarinet from 1975 like your Bb is which has wood that was fully matured and properly cured which would eliminate the problem completely.
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2014-10-02 03:06
Sounds like a leak. Hard to see crack, leak at register tube, thumb tube, or pad. A key that binds slightly and doesn't close with enough force.
Steve Ocone
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Author: kdk
Date: 2014-10-02 04:45
Sorry, I read the original post too quickly and thought the problem was happening to the 39 year old Buffet. A 3 year old instrument might be less stable.
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-10-02 19:03
I agree with Steve Ocone. Very likely a mechanical issue (ie key binding between posts when the wood contracts with cooler ambient temperatures and/or lower humidity - actually DEW POINT, then what happens is that the key is not free to come down properly and create the seal).
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: manhattan51
Date: 2014-10-03 00:04
Thank you for all the responses. Having tried almost everything -- case humidifiers, different reeds, vacuum tests, cork pads, taking it to top NYC repair people -- I think I'm inclined to agree that the problem is the wood on a newer clarinet. Maybe its performance this summer is sign of good things to come, and it'll improve with age.
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Author: avins
Date: 2014-10-04 17:10
Thats what is so great with my legers , or any plastic reeds. Humidity here can reach 90 % or very low with aircon. No problem.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-10-04 20:46
Yes, I have fantasized a "perfect clarinet" made of Greenline, using Valentino Masters pads and playing it with a Legere reed.
Still a fantasy to get each component to be the BEST in terms of what they do, but we may get there!
...............Paul Aviles
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