 The Fingering Forum
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Author: Lindy Lou!
Date: 2004-11-29 21:31
Hi, I have a Buffet E-11 and it is going on it's 3rd winter in a semi-tropical (Lower Alabama) climate. We were told not to oil it for a few years. We don't get consistently cold weather, but we do get cold snaps and two of my friends' clarinets cracked last year because of it. When is a good time to start oiling?
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Author: Dee
Date: 2004-11-30 13:58
There are two things that cause clarinets to crack.
1. Undetectable internal flaws and/or stresses induced in the manufacturing process. You cannot do anything about these. Such instruments crack no matter what you do. This might have been the case with your friends instruments.
2. Excessive dryness. Did your friends leave them in a cold, dry place or in a hot, dry car? It takes a while for dryness to stress the wood enough to crack (days, weeks or months not hours). However you can do something about dryness. Just keep something in your case to keep the instrument humidified when you are not playing it. Some put a piece of wet sponge in a perforated bill bottle others buy commercial gadgets and so on. Just like people and houseplants, clarinets fair best with humidity between 40% and 60%.
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