 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sloopoo
Date: 2018-11-24 05:49
I just got a new Clarinet and it's pretty hard to take apart. I'm scared to use too much force because I don't want to mess up my keys. What's the best way to hold it when I take it apart?
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2018-11-24 06:32
Which joint is giving you trouble? Is it a Buffet?
Tony F.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2018-11-24 07:08
Sometimes letting the clarinet rest for a few days and dry out will let you take it apart. It sounds like wood to wood contact so bring it to a repairman and have him/her sand down the joint. The cork I don't think would be this tight as it is soft.
My guess is moisture from playing swelled up the joint. Let it dry out.
If you can't take it apart in a few days let a repairman mess with it. You don't want to break the joints or bend the keys. Be patient.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
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Author: Dibbs
Date: 2018-11-26 15:41
You do know that you need to grease the corks? Sorry if I'm stating the obvious but if you're asking how to hold it you might not know this.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2018-11-28 17:54
I've sanded the joints for many students over the years. Especially in warm humid climates. It's a very common problem. Bob's advise is best.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2018-11-29 19:43
View this video that I posted about a year ago. I learned this from Lohff & Pfeiffer, a pair of clarinet techs who live in Europe but also own a shop in the USA. They were at Boise State University, repairing clarinets for a few days and they taught me this. It's worked every time I've used it...whew!!! I don't know how to make it into a hyperlink, so you'll have to copy/paste.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0LW2wWGJU4
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-11-30 07:50
HA!!!
Very good technique. I would say though to try moving the joint after each one of those four moves and once apart have the joint "corrected" so that you only need to do that upon the next emergency (hopefully not a common occurance).
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2018-12-04 06:28
Agree about taking it to a repair shop if you can't get it apart. If you find the cork(s) dry (and of course greased) and still hard to put together, you may try using a small flat file on them. I've grown accustomed to this procedure after years of having to replace my mouthpiece corks. You have to be careful the file just fits working the cork and doesn't touch the body of the clarinet. Same with sand paper. But I'm no repair expert.
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Author: Dibbs
Date: 2018-12-04 15:05
Roxann, I was shown that method by a tech too. And yes, it seems to work every time. It's a bit scary though. It feels like I might break the tenon. I'd like to actually try to break a tenon on a scrap clarinet just so that I stop worrying but I don't have one I want to sacrifice. I suspect that, in reality, it's almost impossible to break it with your hands so close to the join.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2018-12-04 20:06
The method I've always used with stuck joints is as follows. Apply enough bend to the joint to open one side of the join wide enough to insert something like a knife blade or even a razor blade if the gap is very small. Leaving the blade in place bend the joint the other way and do the same on the opposite side, but with something thicker. Then leave that in place and repeat the process on the original side. Every time you do this you use thicker shims to completely fill the gap. After a few steps the joint will come apart easily with almost no stress on the joint or the keys. This method has never failed to work and I have never damaged an instrument doing it.
Tony F.
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Author: shmuelyosef
Date: 2018-12-05 05:16
Tony, I have always required a helper to do what you are describing (to insert the shims). Do you have some trick that lets you do it unaided?
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2018-12-05 05:46
No special method. I have no problem doing it with just my 2 hands. Hold the shim between the thumb and index finger of your dominant hand, use the remaining fingers and the palm to grasp the instrument. Bend the join against the other hand and insert the shim. No tricks, nothing up my sleeve. Works every time. I generally use packing knife blades, as I always have a lot of them laying around.
Tony F.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2018-12-05 09:48
For the worst cases I've always used the method described here by Tony F and I'm not sure why you would need an assistant for it.
The method shown in the YouTube clip, statistically, works about 70% of the times people bring me stuck clarinet parts, and most of the time only in combination with another method (cooling/drying the joint and/or using grippy gloves).
As other mentioned, if it gets stuck like that, it's usually something that needs to repaired . It shouldn't get stuck at all, unless you play and leave your clarinet assembled for a few days without swabing it.
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