 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2015-03-12 07:36
My R13 has an extremely steep angle for the left pinky C/F key. The angle is so steep that I frequently feel I'm going to slide off. I checked my Yamaha CSV and the angle of that key tilts up in relationship to the B/E and C#/F# key, so that after the C/F key reaches the bottom when fully depressed on the Yamaha the angle matches the angle of the left B/E and C#/F#. On my Buffet the angle of the C/F starts off matching the angle of the B/E key but when the C/F is fully depressed the angle become steep enough that I feel my pinky could actually slide off. How hard is it for a tech to tilt the C/F key upward a bit? Is this a common issue with some horns?
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: nellsonic
Date: 2015-03-12 10:44
Many people have keys re-angled to suit the size, shape, and natural inclinations of their hands. Shouldn't be a big deal for a qualified tech.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tony F
Date: 2015-03-12 10:57
It's a very simple process, and should only take a couple of minutes, if that. I routinely re-profile keys on my instruments to suit my shovel-sized hands
Tony F.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2015-03-12 16:43
Reginald Kell had a cross-hatch pattern engraved into that key on his B&H model to avoid slippage. I tried one many years ago and thought the change was a good idea. However, you'd have to have at least the engraved area re-plated.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: TomS
Date: 2015-03-12 23:20
I've stuck a piece of a rubber MP patch on mine ... makes the key a little closer and gives some grip and tactile niceness. This key is also one that seems to get out of adjustment the most frequently, due to compression and/or damage of the bumper corks. Use Teflon for more durability ...
Adjusting this by bending or possibly ratio of two bumper cork thickness will raise it as well.
After you get used to your instrument as well as possible, then it might be time to have some little tweaks made to the keys. All my clarinets have small modifications on some of the keys ...
Tom
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-03-13 00:07
The set of Selmer Series 9* clarinets I bought had the LH F/C touch on both the A and Bb bent to an upward angle of around 20° to the key barrel. I bent them back down again as the F#/C# lever clattered against them.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2015-03-13 00:22
With many clarinets I service I find that the geometry of the LH F/C mechanism is very poor, sometimes as result of wear but more frequently because that's the way it left the factory (even on some pro models!!).
Almost invariably I end up soldering small metal shims to the cam or the arm and shaping them for optimim responsive operation.
Having a good tech check this out and modify as needed to prevent the need for excessively thick and spongy shims between the cam and the key arm can do wonders for the operation of this mechanism.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-03-13 02:06
I like to keep the thickness of silencing materials used in linkages to a minimum to avoid any sponginess, so natural cork is a no-no for me in such cases. Even on B&H clarinets that were fitted with thick spongy linkage corks from the factory are improved with using much thinner and more durable materials.
I tend to disregard what was used as silencing materials from the factory as there are always better choices of materials to use - so natural cork is kept to a minimum (I only use it on the throat A key stopper) and materials that are more durable and other materials that have good sound deadening properties can be used on open standing keys.
If some of these materials have a certain amount of give in them, then work with that as you would do anyway - slighty over adjust things as they will always settle during playing. If things are set up perfectly, then they will go out as compression and settling takes place, so think and plan ahead once you know the properties of the materials and pads you use.
While Buffet clarinets have very poor geometry and interaction in this linkage, it can be improved by some careful bending to get the linkage from the RH F/C key to sit close and parallel to the underlever (linkage piece) on the LH F/C key so a thin piece of rubco (tech cork, gummi-kork, etc.) can be used so the action is nice and snappy with no lost motion.
All Buffet need to do now is improve the springing on the RH F#/C# key so it can be balanced better and therefore feel better in use.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2015-03-13 02:15
Tom Ridenour reversed the spring on the left F/C lever so that it follows the right key up when pressed. He also used a strip of teflon at the camming area. This eliminates any clacking, since the keys are always in contact.
In theory, it's not good to have one spring overcoming another, but the left hand spring can be set very light so it doesn't interfere with the action.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-03-13 02:22
I used to reverse the spring on my LH F/C levers but found it didn't make the RH F/C key feel too snappy due to the weight of the LH F/C lever even if the spring tension was reduced to nearly nothing.
Howarth fitted an adjusting screw to this linkage on their S2 and S3 clarinets to get a more positive feel - the adjusting screw wasn't on the overlever from the RH F/C key as one would expect as that would only chew through the silencing material due to the motion, but it was fitted to the LH F/C linkage to remove the play completely. The adjusting screw tip made contact with a rubco disc glued to the body joint to keep it quiet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
