Author: John G.
Date: 2020-04-17 11:19
Karl and Chris....
Chris, I completely understand what you're saying. I should perhaps clarify that I DO in fact do slight bending of keys, key cups, etc. at times. Unfortunately, I don't always work on professional level instruments and if I had to bend everything to fit well, there would literally be no end in sight! I think there's a (for lack of a better term) "happy medium" between our two different ways of approaching this topic. Then again, I don't think we're that far apart on it actually.
On higher/better quality instruments, I find I do more slight adjustments via the key manipulating approach than compensating with cork/materials. That's not to say I simply put a stupidly large piece of cork/synthetic felt on a key from a student line clarinet and call it a day. I'll bend to get things as close as I can, but often find there's still some "play" that needs to be eliminated by using cork, synthetic felt or a very thin piece of sheet teflon.
Karl, I agree that thickness of pads, how much glue/shellac is used in the key cups, etc. all play a role in this. As I mentioned above to Chris, If the keys (on the crow's foot for example) are even and where they need to be, I'll do the last bit of "fine tuning" using my preferred materials. Taking into consideration the consistency of how far keys open, etc. is also vital. It's a balancing act for sure and just like with many other things in life, there's more than one acceptable way of getting to the finish line!
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The Clarinet BBoard
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