 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mr. Deathly
Date: 2023-01-03 03:38
Recently a contrabass clarinet was returned to my school from the shop after it had been lost and forgotten about for 5 years. It had been sent in when the old band director left and our new one took over and had somehow escaped being catalogued, so no one knew of it. I tested it, it got sent to a different shop for repairs, and is back now. I am pretty sure the contrabass is a Leblanc 295.
Besides it obviously needing more work done on it, I have another problem. When I am playing and need to take aggressive breaths, my upper lip starts to dry out. Is their anything I can do to stop this?
Another problem I am having, which is obvious, is high notes. I know I probably won’t play them, but I can’t help but want to master them as well. The higher I go, the sharper I get. *note, I am using the clarinet music notes.* It starts getting out of tune around the first D and then for some reason resolves itself around the next D and then starts getting out of tune again and is a whole half step sharper. I think that is correct, but if not, I think it is the same as +50 cents.
Another problem I have is with my low E. It struggles to come out a bit. I do bet that it is an instrument issue though because my Eb comes out fine.
If there are any other tips I should know, please tell me. My band is, like most high school bands, underfunded. So I don’t feel like I could get my band director to send the contrabass back in so soon. I am willing to do self repairs.
Thanks for any help given. I will greatly appreciate it
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2023-01-03 17:03
Is this a "paperclip" or "straight" instrument? There is no model 295, I assume that is the serial number? If you can post a pic I can help determine what it is.
How far are you pulling out the neck? Also what note are you tuning to?
It sounds like the register mechanism may not be adjusted correctly. This is one of the most complicated mechanisms on any woodwind instrument so not something you should be messing with yourself without experience, even experienced repair techs sometimes struggle with this if they are not used to working on low clarinets.
The stuffy low E may be an easier fix as it may only involve increasing pad heights. Fairly easy to do but again something to be left to a professional.
-JDbassplayer
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Author: Mr. Deathly
Date: 2023-01-04 05:00
It is a straight contrabass.
I do not pull out the neck at all, because I am pretty it likes to drastically get out of tune when I do. I don’t think I will be able to test that again until tomorrow or some other day this week. (I have to do some work tonight and may not finish in time to test).
Can you link me any how to video for adjusting the register mechanism? I do realize that it is hard, but my dad has a workshop and I am pretty smart. (I know, not humble, I mean it as a statement though). I have the motivation to work on stuff like that. I doubt that there is anyone near me that is experienced with contrabass clarinets. The repair shop it was taken to last said that the contrabass gave the repairwoman a headache. So I think it would be an expensive and long repair or adjustment.
I am also going to play the contrabass for at least one band assessment piece this spring, so any repair time would have to be decently fast so that I could get to playing again. I will relay the range I need and say if I have any problems once I get the piece. I am pretty sure I will be fine with my piece range so far.
I just looked up the name again and think I found out why you couldn’t find it. Their is an instrument shop or something selling a straight Leblanc with multiple pictures on google images that say 295, but I think that may be sale 295. Lol.
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Author: Hunter_100
Date: 2023-01-04 16:26
It is not your instrument, you should not be messing around with it. Have the school pay a shop to fix it or send it out yourself to a shop and pay for it. I am very confident that your "dad's workshop" is not the suitable place to teach yourself how to repair a contrabass clarinet.
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Author: Mr. Deathly
Date: 2023-01-04 22:53
Lol, fair. I would not be messing around with it like you may be thinking of. I would be very careful. I have fixed the contrabass with moleskin before, (I know), and had to screw a rod screw back in to hold a rod that had decided to fall off while I was playing. I like to solve things and I have great problem solving skills.
I am responsible and fully realize the cost and importance of the instrument’s wellbeing. I would not do anything that could potentially harm or break the instrument.
I also have a very analytical brain, so I remember things like directions easily, so I would be able to watch an explanation video by someone and be able to understand what to do.
If I do get the chance to fix it, that is if someone is willing to help or say that I could do it, I would be as careful as possible. I realize my limits and am not the immature teenager you may be thinking of.
I am actually considering instrument repair as a job. I love music and I love to help others and I love to solve problems, so instrument repair is an appealing job. I will still accept your statement that I should not fix the contra. I hope you understand that I am responsible and mature and will always be as careful and safe with the instrument as needed.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2023-01-04 23:45
It’s necessary to pull out the neck to tune, it’s just how you tune these instruments. Once you tune to open G and get the other issues sorted everything should fall in place.
I know of no such video. It’s not a matter of being smart or having a workshop or being motivated, it is about experience. I have overhauled several of these contras and fixed many more and I can tell you each one is different. Some need Teflon, some don’t. Some benefit from heat shrink tubing and some benefit from ultrasuede. Moleskin is definitely not the right material to use in any case. Sometimes you need to bend something or swedge a key which requires proper tools that you are unlikely to find even in the most well equipped (non-instrument) workshop. And sometimes you need to diagnose an issue which you won’t be able to do without experience. You can’t teach experience in a 10 min video unfortunately.
Please don’t take this as me dismissing your intelligence. I’m sure with instrument repair experience you could figure it out, heck it may be something simple, but regardless you should absolutely NOT attempt to learn repairs on an instrument that you do not own.
If you can give your general location I can help you find a shop that might be able to help. Also if you want to learn instrument repair I can recommend several courses that I have heard great things about. Alternatively buy a junk Bb clarinet on eBay and learn repairs on that from YouTube. Either way you need to walk before you can run as they say.
-JDbassplayer
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Author: Hunter_100
Date: 2023-01-04 23:52
That 295 number seems to me to be some internal stock or inventory number that read and squeek uses for their store. If you check out their other for sale products, they have random 3 digit numbers associated with lots of instruments that don't match model numbers.
Did you tell your band director that the instrument is still not playable and see if they will send it out to a better shop? Or are you just assuming they won't get it fixed properly because they already tried once at some local tech?
Without being overly specific of course, where are you located? I'm sure you will get a lot of suggestions about good repair technicians close to you if you share that information, maybe you could take the instrument on a daytrip to one of them and get it fixed properly and maybe even watch the repair being done to learn about it.
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Author: Mr. Deathly
Date: 2023-01-05 01:12
I did not know what note to tune to, so thanks for that. Also, I did figure out that neck part two weeks ago, but thank you for telling me.
I used the moleskin example to indicate my resourcefulness, I hope you didn’t think that I thought I could fix a lot with it. Lol. Thanks for elaborating on what types of problems and solutions their are for the instrument. It gives me a better idea of the extent of things.
Thanks for the repair tip. I haven’t really thought of that. That’s a smart thing to do.
In response to Hunter_100 , it is playable and I can play most notes fine, but their are a few finicky(?) notes.
I live in a western part of Virginia. (In America if you guys are from another country).
Thanks for the help.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2023-01-05 04:17
Mr. Deathly,
There is only one person I know of that has a wealth of experience with these large Leblanc low reeds. That's Eric Satterlee at Meridian Winds (MW) in Michigan. His shop does major repairs for woodwind as well as brass professional players all over the country. His crew is amazing; check out the MW blog on FB for some shots of repairs that have been done. Over the years he has had numerous large LeBlanc contrabasses cross his bench.
I am not suggesting you call him for advice, but you may suggest to your band director that MW or a similar shop is where this instrument should go. DO NOT TRY TO ADJUST ANYTHING ON THIS IBSTRUMENT. TURN NO SCREWS AND ABOVE ALL BEND NOTHING.
HRL
PS Your litany of your abilities is a nice start, but you are not ready to repair such an instrument. I have heard Eric say many times, "If you don't know exactly what to do, ask..."
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Author: Johnny Galaga
Date: 2023-01-05 05:23
In my mind, I've always questioned the very practicality of this instrument, the contrabass clarinet. Why not just get a bass guitar and amp for way cheaper and won't sound so rough?
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Author: Mr. Deathly
Date: 2023-01-05 20:45
Okay then. I’ll keep that in mind. I may go to Michigan this summer, so maybe I could convince my parents to make room for the contrabass
Johnny, the contrabass is an octave lower than the bass. The reasoning is because of the voice (and you don’t need electricity). As you probably know, every instrument has its own unique sound.
A low reed sound is different from a bass. You get get a more emotional and (I can’t think of what I want to say). Notes with more levels to it.
A bass is directed by speakers. A contrabass is directed by the bell and the vibrations through the instrument and it’s shape. It is just different. My explanation is terrible, so if someone gets what I mean or thinks they do, feel free to elaborate.
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Author: Mr. Deathly
Date: 2023-01-05 21:30
Okay, so I had to transcribe the tuba part for my assessment music because my band director read “contra alto” and thought it was the same as “contra bass”. Lmao.
The highest note I have is my octave key “g”. This is the note I start struggling with on high notes. Is there anything I need to change with my embouchure? Or is it probably a register mechanism problem? When I use more air, it comes out loud, so I guess it would be a pad problem.
I can play everything else fine and can just take the note or phrase down an octave.
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Author: crazyclari
Date: 2023-01-08 07:13
Above advice is all solid. I had a well know contrabass mouthpiece refaced by Mr Pillinger, it came back a much more stable mouthpiece in the high register.
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Author: HANGARDUDE
Date: 2023-01-10 14:53
Hunter_100 wrote:
> That 295 number seems to me to be some internal stock or inventory number > that read and squeek uses for their store. If you check out their other for sale > products, they have random 3 digit numbers associated with lots of instruments > that don't match model numbers.
Allen, I can confirm that 295 number is a listing number on Reed & Squeak uses to identify the individual instruments they're selling. I know the owner very well(the bass clarinetist of a top UK orchestra) and have done business with him multiple times. Also he doesn't normally list the specific model number of an instrument, but does list the model name if it there is one.
Josh
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Author: Mr. Deathly
Date: 2023-01-13 18:36
Okay, so I looked into it more, and I am pretty sure it is the 342 model of the Leblanc contrabasses. There are multiple pictures of it from different sources.
During the time I was gone from this post, I figured out there are two keys that are out of alignment.
•The first key that is out of alignment is the key that is on the top half of the instrument and can only be pressed by a key on the bottom. (In between the top fingers and bottom fingers. I think it may be the low C key). The pad is lower on the part away from the bar and so is not level when pressed down. (So there is a gap. To simplify it).
(I am probably overthinking this, but I don’t know what to call it. I want to say pad, but it is the structure holding the pad, and the key is the part that is pressed).
•The second key I forgot the location. (Oops). I think it may be the low Ab key. The pad is offset a little. It is offset along the length of the contrabass. I think the full key portion looks a little bit newer than some of the other keys, so it may be the wrong size replacement.
Sometimes when I carry the contrabass somewhere, something will get out of place and the contrabass will squawk higher than I meant to play. So I will tap the keys and it will fix itself. The first time it happened, I noticed the two pads and thought it was just broken, so I put away the contrabass. The second time, I tapped the keys and it fixed itself.
(The school bass has a similar problem where one of the four in a row side keys on the right can get over the guide stopping it from getting out of alignment). That messes up all of my playing and I have have to pick the key up over the guide bracket to play again.
Next time the contrabass does that, I will take my time to find the problem. I’m sure the pad alignment issues wouldn’t be much of an issue for a repair person.
I don’t know if I said this, but my music is not bad for the contra. The only problems I have are the weird rhythms. The highest note I have is my high G. The notes do build up from lower to higher, so it is not too bad playing it.
Anyways, I hope you guys have a good weekends. Stay safe. I love you.
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Author: Reese Oller
Date: 2023-02-02 23:39
I, too am a teenager playing a leblanc contra, looking at instrument repair as a job. Hello, there!
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