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Clarinet Donations

5/11/2017

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  I've had a couple of kindly clarinet donations recently, and it occurred to me that many of you probably have an old clarinet in non-playable condition in a closet or attic: why not donate it to the Vintage Clarinet Doctor for restoration and re-sale/ re-gifting to a deserving student or musician on a budget? I'm happy to accept older wood clarinets in usable condition (no cracks or frozen keys, please!) and will be happy to refund shipping and give a valuation for tax purposes, if desired. Please contact me before sending to verify the instrument's suitability :-) Thanks, Jeremy


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The Pros and Cons of Cork Pads for Vintage Clarinets

5/5/2017

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 I recently received a horn for restoration and was impressed with the look of the previous overhaul: cleanly beveled cork pads on the upper joint, and tan kid on the lower. The only problem was that it didn't pull anything close to a vacuum: Those beautiful cork pads had been laboriously installed on a 1920's Albert system clarinet, whose tone-holes were nowhere near flat or sharp enough to make a clean impression...and, hence, a good seal!

  This got me thinking about the pros and cons of cork pads: many people request them in an overhaul, often without any clear reason for doing so other than that they heard it was the 'thing to do'. On a modern horn with crisp, flat tone-holes cork is a joy, giving a great seal and improving the clarity and projection of dull notes. On anything older than a couple decades, I will generally try to discourage customers from full cork on the upper joint, and here's why:

 A tone-hole is cut flat into a curved, wooden surface. Wood changes over time, flexing, swelling and shrinking with variations in temperature and humidity. A new tone-hole will be flat and sharp, if you're lucky - an old one is often anything but! Aside from changes in the wood itself, there is also the quality of the initial machining and subsequent overhauls to consider: Hasty/careless work will sometimes leave small nicks/dings on the edge, and sometimes you'll see evidence that someone has attempted to 'reface' a tone-hole, doing more harm than good.

In these circumstances, a cork pad is more of a liability than an asset! Its firm surface, well suited for taking a clean impression from a perfect tone-hole, won't contour to an imperfect one and the result is a poor seal. This can be hard to diagnose subsequently, as the ring that cork takes will fool a paper feeler with its bite, leaving you scratching your head as to where that leak is coming from!

 On the 50+ year old instruments that I commonly service, I'll use cork on the register key (since its tube doesn't change with age) and maybe A/Ab if the throat is stuffy and the tone-holes look good: often they'll need a little 'touching up' to pass muster. Other than that, I stick with leather, which is long lasting, contours well to the aging tone-hole, and has a feel more similar to the fingertip for even response. I'd be interested to hear about other people's experience with cork on older horns....

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    The Licorice Shtick Blog is the creation of the Vintage Clarinet Doctor, a Winston Salem, NC based woodwind instrument repair shop specializing in vintage and antique clarinets, saxophones, and the occasional flute.

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  • Home
    • About Us
    • Clarinet Donations
    • Why Vintage Clarinets?
  • Before and After
  • Contact Us
  • Learn
    • Blog
    • Clarinet Lengths
    • Clarinet Makers
    • Fingering Systems
    • Links
  • Shop
    • Clarinets >
      • Vintage Jacques Albert Fils Brussels Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Buffet Crampon Academy Model Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Fernand Chapelain Bb LP Albert System Clarinet
      • Vintage Siour Chapelain Paris Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Couesnon & Cie A Paris Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage J. Gras Paris Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Lacroix C LP Albert System Clarinet
      • Vintage Leblanc CB Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Leblanc Noblet Bb Boehm Clarinet​
      • Vintage Rampone Cazzani Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Antique Henri Selmer Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Triebert C LP Albert System Clarinet
    • Flutes
    • Mouthpieces
    • Saxophones >
      • Vintage Dolnet Series II Bb Tenor Saxophone
      • Vintage Holton Model 201 Eb Alto Saxophone
      • Vintage Kohlert Eb Alto Saxophone
  • Services
    • FAQ
    • Services II - Technical Info
  • Testimonials