Sometimes, when an instrument shows up, it's a true pleasure to work on. Repairs and maintenance can be fun, but a pleasure to work on isn't as common as you might think. Most horns are fix them, play test them and get them back to the customer. This was not the case with the customer who brought in his grandfathers tenor sax. He brought it in to me, asking if I could go over it and do some light maintenance on it. When I opened the case, my jaw dropped instantly. It was a Selmer Mark VI, and looked brand new
The Mark VI tenor horn is one of the most sought after vintage saxophones of all time. They started being produced in the mid 50's, when many of the instrument manufacturers in the US were shifting back to making horns after WWII. Many of the factories had halted production and switched to war-time production of tanks, planes, etc...... The Selmer plant evolved the design of the pre-war Balanced action and the Super-Balanced action to make the new model, and it's tone and ease of play made it an instrument that became an instant success.
Usually, when I get in a vintage instrument, it looks like it's had a hard life. The easiest sign of the age is the state of the lacquer or silver finish. Scratches and scrapes abound, showing exposed brass that has turned green with patina. Also, there's usually some other wear and tear on the instruments in the form of dents, dings, or discoloration. There was none of that on this horn. The lacquer on this horn was complete and scratch free. I thought maybe it had been refinished, but the darkening of the finish that was there told me otherwise. The once clear coat finish had darkened over time, so the bright brass underneath now had a smooth caramel color to it. It was gorgeous.
I took the horn apart, expecting to find some clues to tell me it had been refinished or restored, but everything I saw pointed to the fact this was all just meticulously cared for. There was some light cleaning to do on the hinge rods for the keys, and a few pads needed to be readjusted to level. All in all, took very little time to bring it up to specs. Then came the fun part, play testing time.
I'm originally a trumpet player, and only learned basic level of woodwinds for the purpose of play testing them to make sure they were working correctly. I know if the squeak coming out is me or more work to be done, so I know that I don't sound anywhere near good on most woodwinds. That being said, the sound that came out of this saxophone brought the saxophone instructor down the hall to find out what was going in. Big, bold, and well rounded, this was a sax that was a joy to play.
When the customer came to pick up the horn, I had to ask more questions about the history. His grandfather played it occasionally, but most of it's life was spent being cared for, and that level of care really showed. It was a horn I was truly pained to see leave, and hope that it will last and be played for many decades to come
Monday, March 26, 2018
Friday, February 16, 2018
General Tips #6: Cold Season recovery, you and your instrument
Having a winter cold is no fun to begin with. Achy, sneezing and coughing night and day, and everything else that comes with it takes it toll on everyone. It becomes even less fun when you still have to work, and even less if you play a wind instrument. All the back pressure making your head hurt, trying to play music through the mental fog, and having no endurance even before you play. But sometimes the show must go on. The question becomes what can be done to get through it easier and to get over being sick faster, and there are things you can do to help this.
The big problem for a wind player is that it's very easy to extend the length of the illness without meaning to. As the moisture from our breath sits on the interior surface of the instrument, it can relapse the illness upon contact with your body again, extending time of the symptoms. But there are things the player can do to help minimize the recurrence of the illness.
First and foremost is cleanliness both for the instrument and it's case. For either brass or woodwinds, a big part of this can be solved by cleaning your mouthpiece regularly. Get as much of the bacteria and such from your mouth off the instrument at regular intervals. If you have an old toothbrush, most of the mouthpiece can be cleaned with this. Using some warm soapy water, clean the inside and outside of the mouthpiece as much as possible. Brass players typically have a mouthpiece brush that will clean up the shank of the mouthpiece, and they are relatively cheap.
While warm soapy water will do most of it, a disinfectant that is safe for the body is an even better step. While bleach is an acceptable solution for some, the solution has to be left on the surface long enough to work after it is diluted in order to not be harmful. This is done at a ration of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. There are many commercially made mouthpiece disinfectants, and there is a great debate about their efficacy. They are generally alcohol based, which will kill bacteria. An easy homemade solution is to use an alcohol based mouthwash you are comfortable with. Putting it into a small spritzer bottle and spraying down the mouthpiece after use will go a long way to killing the bacteria you deposited on the mouthpiece. A few sprays, then wiping it down and setting it out to off gas will do wonders towards helping. (Hint to trombone players, make sure you don't confuse this with the water bottle you use to lubricate your slide)
For brass players, the cleaning of the whole instrument is a good idea at a few points during the illness. Lets face it, it's a good excuse to do the maintenance that many forget to do anyway, so might as well do it now if you're not too sick to do it. Warm soapy water and the like will do a lot to get rid of the bacteria from playing, but stay away from anything stronger. Alcohol can damage lacquer if too strong or left on too long.
For woodwind players, there is extra care that has to be taken for the reed. As it will hold moisture far longer than the mouthpiece, the bacteria will live and thrive in the reed, making it very likely to reinfect you as you try to heal. Again, I advocate alcohol based mouthwash. The reed can take a short soak in it and have little to no ill effects on the playability. While the bleach/water solution can work for some, the taste is a bit harder to deal with, and I personally don't want to put anything in my mouth that isn't safe as is. This way you don't have to throw away your reeds, especially because getting sick always seems to coincide with a new reed and you don't want to have to toss it as it's just about to be broken in.
Apart from these cleanliness points, the biggest thing that will keep you from recovering is tiredness. Realize that your endurance and stamina is at a much lower level than normal. This means that your normal play or practice time will have to be shorter so that you don't exhaust yourself. Just because you can normally practice for an hour doesn't mean that you can when ill. No matter what medication you have, it will still take time to overcome the illness to the point you are back to normal, and most medication works to minimize the symptoms while you are sick. Minimizing the symptoms is not the same as getting better. Time and rest are still the strongest methods to get better faster, and even then there's a minimum period that you just have to "ride it out."
The big problem for a wind player is that it's very easy to extend the length of the illness without meaning to. As the moisture from our breath sits on the interior surface of the instrument, it can relapse the illness upon contact with your body again, extending time of the symptoms. But there are things the player can do to help minimize the recurrence of the illness.
First and foremost is cleanliness both for the instrument and it's case. For either brass or woodwinds, a big part of this can be solved by cleaning your mouthpiece regularly. Get as much of the bacteria and such from your mouth off the instrument at regular intervals. If you have an old toothbrush, most of the mouthpiece can be cleaned with this. Using some warm soapy water, clean the inside and outside of the mouthpiece as much as possible. Brass players typically have a mouthpiece brush that will clean up the shank of the mouthpiece, and they are relatively cheap.
While warm soapy water will do most of it, a disinfectant that is safe for the body is an even better step. While bleach is an acceptable solution for some, the solution has to be left on the surface long enough to work after it is diluted in order to not be harmful. This is done at a ration of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. There are many commercially made mouthpiece disinfectants, and there is a great debate about their efficacy. They are generally alcohol based, which will kill bacteria. An easy homemade solution is to use an alcohol based mouthwash you are comfortable with. Putting it into a small spritzer bottle and spraying down the mouthpiece after use will go a long way to killing the bacteria you deposited on the mouthpiece. A few sprays, then wiping it down and setting it out to off gas will do wonders towards helping. (Hint to trombone players, make sure you don't confuse this with the water bottle you use to lubricate your slide)
For brass players, the cleaning of the whole instrument is a good idea at a few points during the illness. Lets face it, it's a good excuse to do the maintenance that many forget to do anyway, so might as well do it now if you're not too sick to do it. Warm soapy water and the like will do a lot to get rid of the bacteria from playing, but stay away from anything stronger. Alcohol can damage lacquer if too strong or left on too long.
For woodwind players, there is extra care that has to be taken for the reed. As it will hold moisture far longer than the mouthpiece, the bacteria will live and thrive in the reed, making it very likely to reinfect you as you try to heal. Again, I advocate alcohol based mouthwash. The reed can take a short soak in it and have little to no ill effects on the playability. While the bleach/water solution can work for some, the taste is a bit harder to deal with, and I personally don't want to put anything in my mouth that isn't safe as is. This way you don't have to throw away your reeds, especially because getting sick always seems to coincide with a new reed and you don't want to have to toss it as it's just about to be broken in.
Apart from these cleanliness points, the biggest thing that will keep you from recovering is tiredness. Realize that your endurance and stamina is at a much lower level than normal. This means that your normal play or practice time will have to be shorter so that you don't exhaust yourself. Just because you can normally practice for an hour doesn't mean that you can when ill. No matter what medication you have, it will still take time to overcome the illness to the point you are back to normal, and most medication works to minimize the symptoms while you are sick. Minimizing the symptoms is not the same as getting better. Time and rest are still the strongest methods to get better faster, and even then there's a minimum period that you just have to "ride it out."
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Brass Tip #6: The humble water key
If there is one piece of the brass instrument that gets no respect, but deserves much, it is the water key. Yes, the water key is not called the spit valve. That slang name for it demeans what it does and also how the brass player plays their instrument.
The water key is a relatively simple mechanism, usually similar to the closed pads on a woodwind instrument. The air passes over the hole, but with the spring holding the "pad" closed, it passes by with little disturbance. If it is open (leaking) some of the air will divert out through this opening instead of the bell, making the tone and ease of playing the instrument greatly diminished. This happens because the pad is not covering the hole, or the spring no longer has the tension to keep the pad closed.
Often the pad material is cork or some sort of synthetic rubber, and both work about the same. The cork ones deteriorate quicker, being a natural material, but the synthetic will deform more permanently, making a seal somewhat harder to get until it settles.
The purpose of the water key is to vent the water that collects inside the bore of the instrument. WATER, not spit. The liquid that collects is water. It comes from the humidity inside the breath meeting the colder surface of the metal. It's the same thing as the drops of water on the outside of a cold beverage. When it collects in sufficient quantities, it starts to interrupt the airflow through the instrument. Due to the nature of water, it creates a gurgling affect to the sound, sometimes even a popping noise. Water keys need to be emptied regularly, the frequency is dependent on how "wet a blower" the player is. It is also dependent on how cold the room is the player is in.
In the past decade or so, there have been a few innovations to how water keys work. One of these is a different style called an "Amado" water key, named after the company that started them. They are somewhat harder to explain, as they are a sideways piston that closes the with the side of a piston. I recommend looking them up to see how they sit on the horn. They have no cork or rubber, and are fairly durable. Their primary reason for creation was the idea that the area under the pad is a soldered on piece called a nipple. It acts like the tone hole of a woodwind to give the cork or rubber pad a flat surface to seal. The hole under the nipple is usually smaller than the hole the cork covers, and the theory is that it causes air flow turbulence in this gap, which distorts the sound. While this may be true, the amount of difference these water keys make compared to the traditional water keys is so minimal, if at all, that you would need a spectrum analyzer to truly find a difference. I personally feel that the amount of solder used to hold the bell braces to the bell will have a greater affect on the tone, as that actually will change how well the bell vibrates.
There are other types of water keys, and many others that existed for a short time that didn't work out. Overall, the reason to use one type over another is personal preference. It comes down to which helps you to do the water key's primary job the best. This question is simply, "How well does it help me drain the water from my horn?" If it works for you, it works fine. Any other questions about it are side notes, and if they don't need to change, it won't necessarily help you if you do.
That being said, if you do decide to put on a different type of water key, my only advice is to do it well before any performances. We all have muscle memory about how our instruments work, and if you reach for your water key during a few rest measures at a gig, you need to make sure you have the way your water keys work pre-programed into your hands so you can do it without fumbling. This way you can empty and get back to playing with as little stress or difficulty as possible.
The water key is a relatively simple mechanism, usually similar to the closed pads on a woodwind instrument. The air passes over the hole, but with the spring holding the "pad" closed, it passes by with little disturbance. If it is open (leaking) some of the air will divert out through this opening instead of the bell, making the tone and ease of playing the instrument greatly diminished. This happens because the pad is not covering the hole, or the spring no longer has the tension to keep the pad closed.
Often the pad material is cork or some sort of synthetic rubber, and both work about the same. The cork ones deteriorate quicker, being a natural material, but the synthetic will deform more permanently, making a seal somewhat harder to get until it settles.
The purpose of the water key is to vent the water that collects inside the bore of the instrument. WATER, not spit. The liquid that collects is water. It comes from the humidity inside the breath meeting the colder surface of the metal. It's the same thing as the drops of water on the outside of a cold beverage. When it collects in sufficient quantities, it starts to interrupt the airflow through the instrument. Due to the nature of water, it creates a gurgling affect to the sound, sometimes even a popping noise. Water keys need to be emptied regularly, the frequency is dependent on how "wet a blower" the player is. It is also dependent on how cold the room is the player is in.
In the past decade or so, there have been a few innovations to how water keys work. One of these is a different style called an "Amado" water key, named after the company that started them. They are somewhat harder to explain, as they are a sideways piston that closes the with the side of a piston. I recommend looking them up to see how they sit on the horn. They have no cork or rubber, and are fairly durable. Their primary reason for creation was the idea that the area under the pad is a soldered on piece called a nipple. It acts like the tone hole of a woodwind to give the cork or rubber pad a flat surface to seal. The hole under the nipple is usually smaller than the hole the cork covers, and the theory is that it causes air flow turbulence in this gap, which distorts the sound. While this may be true, the amount of difference these water keys make compared to the traditional water keys is so minimal, if at all, that you would need a spectrum analyzer to truly find a difference. I personally feel that the amount of solder used to hold the bell braces to the bell will have a greater affect on the tone, as that actually will change how well the bell vibrates.
There are other types of water keys, and many others that existed for a short time that didn't work out. Overall, the reason to use one type over another is personal preference. It comes down to which helps you to do the water key's primary job the best. This question is simply, "How well does it help me drain the water from my horn?" If it works for you, it works fine. Any other questions about it are side notes, and if they don't need to change, it won't necessarily help you if you do.
That being said, if you do decide to put on a different type of water key, my only advice is to do it well before any performances. We all have muscle memory about how our instruments work, and if you reach for your water key during a few rest measures at a gig, you need to make sure you have the way your water keys work pre-programed into your hands so you can do it without fumbling. This way you can empty and get back to playing with as little stress or difficulty as possible.
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Woodwind Tip #6: The Mystery of the Pad, Part 1 (Saxophone)
This one came from a request by a woodwind player, wondering just what makes up pads. I'm going to split this into at least 2 sections, as there's way too much to cover based on different woodwinds to cover in just one post. I'll start with saxophone pads, as they are easier to cover.
Pads became essential for woodwinds once the size of the holes increased beyond the players ability to cover them up with their fingers. This happened for intonation of the notes, as chromatic fingerings weren't really true to pitch without manipulating the air flow in some way to center it, or because the bore size of the instrument meant that the holes were too big and/or too far apart for fingers to work on their own anymore. The pad was born out of necessity, and has evolved to the pads we know now
Despite the variations, there are only two types of pads: Natural or "skin" pads and synthetics. The anatomy of any pad is pretty much the same. There's the backing surface that glues into the key cup, some sort of compressible middle section, and a top surface that meets the tone hole to seal it, which wraps around and glues to the backing surface. In the middle of the top surface, there is usually a hard material to reflect the sound out called a resonator.
For skin pads, the typical line up is a cardboard backing, felt filling, and leather for the surface. For simplicity, I'll refer to the different sections with these general terms. Note the word "typical," There are always exceptions to this formation. Usually the biggest variation for these pads is the surface. Leather, soft feel leather, extra thick leather kangaroo leather (yes, that's right), sheep skin leather, etc. The list goes on and on. The main thing about this surface is that it must seal the tone hole off from leaks when the pad is closed. For the beginner, how the pad "feels" under the fingers when the pad meets the tone hole isn't important, as they don't know what they're feeling for. As they progress, they'll start to notice how spongy or firm they prefer their pads. Yes, there is some credence to the idea that how soft a pad is will affect the tone, as the pad surface is hit by the sound waves and has to go around the pads to get away from the instrument, absorbing some of the sound before it travels away from the saxophone. However, this is dealt with greatly by the resonator, so the affect of this is usually only noticeable through scientific measuring (meaning the difference at that point is beyond the average human ear's ability to hear it).
The felt layer is usually made of some sort of wool felt, either woven or pressed. The difference between them goes into the subject above about firmness of pad. generally woven felt is firmer. Another upside of firmness here is that the pads themselves wear out slower, as the firmer materials are more resilient. However, the less firm the felt, the easier it is to keep a seal, as the felt will accommodate changes in humidity and temperature more easily with minimal affect on the playability. It's the trade off players have to make.
One of there areas with least variation is the backing. It's almost always cardboard. It offeres a nice textured surface for the glue to adhere to, helping hold the pad into the key cup. It's other function is to give the leather a surface to glue onto as well, so there are not ragged edges of leather to come up and cause problems. There isn't a huge problem with cardboard, and I've seen some pads offered with metal on the back. I was even taught how to cut away the cardboard and soak the glue into the felt directly. This firms up the felt, increasing it's firmness. For 99% of players, this part of the pad doesn't matter that much, and it really shouldn't.
Synthetic pads are just that. The materials are all machine made, usually made from plastics and metals. While they are an option, their main advantage is they are unaffected by weather changes. They will wear out like other pads, dependent on use. They are an option for anyone, but are usually a bit more expensive than their natural counter parts.
The resonator is it's own special thing. Like stated above, it's job is to help reflect the tone away from the pad once the key is open. Otherwise the air is pointing directly at the pad, and some of the sound will be absorbed directly into the pad itself. However, there are as many resonator styles as there are pad styles, maybe even more. Plus, each type of resonator can be put on any type of skin pad. Plastic dome, plastic flatt, metal dome, star shaped metal, accordion star shaped, it goes on and on. They do affect the sound, but no one can agree how. In blind tests, they could tell there were different resonators, but no one could agree how they changed the sound.
So, what does all this mean to you, the player or the parent of the young player. If you or yours is a beginner, there's not much point in going high end. Your technician will know this most likely from the level your saxophone and/or player is at. If they have a student model sax, they don't have a reason to put on high end pads. Also, if it's a high end saxophone, but the player is a beginner (yes, I've seen it happen) they still won't put high end pads on it unless requested to for special circumstances. As the store has to buy the pads first, they probably won't recommend high end for anyone that doesn't need them.
If you are at the intermediate level, Talk with the technician about what they recommend. They'll have questions for you about what you play (jazz, chamber, solo, group, etc), what kind of sound you currently have and also what you want to change it to. There are many other questions, but these will start them figuring out what to try. Note I said "try". Every player is different, so the tone they get from the exact same setup as someone else will be different. It will take some experimentation, and the best thing you can do is record yourself and listen back to it to see how it sounds from the front. What the player hears and what the audience hears are wildly different.
In the next woodwind post, I'll get into the other members of the woodwind family, as the pads for these are wildly different.
Pads became essential for woodwinds once the size of the holes increased beyond the players ability to cover them up with their fingers. This happened for intonation of the notes, as chromatic fingerings weren't really true to pitch without manipulating the air flow in some way to center it, or because the bore size of the instrument meant that the holes were too big and/or too far apart for fingers to work on their own anymore. The pad was born out of necessity, and has evolved to the pads we know now
Despite the variations, there are only two types of pads: Natural or "skin" pads and synthetics. The anatomy of any pad is pretty much the same. There's the backing surface that glues into the key cup, some sort of compressible middle section, and a top surface that meets the tone hole to seal it, which wraps around and glues to the backing surface. In the middle of the top surface, there is usually a hard material to reflect the sound out called a resonator.
For skin pads, the typical line up is a cardboard backing, felt filling, and leather for the surface. For simplicity, I'll refer to the different sections with these general terms. Note the word "typical," There are always exceptions to this formation. Usually the biggest variation for these pads is the surface. Leather, soft feel leather, extra thick leather kangaroo leather (yes, that's right), sheep skin leather, etc. The list goes on and on. The main thing about this surface is that it must seal the tone hole off from leaks when the pad is closed. For the beginner, how the pad "feels" under the fingers when the pad meets the tone hole isn't important, as they don't know what they're feeling for. As they progress, they'll start to notice how spongy or firm they prefer their pads. Yes, there is some credence to the idea that how soft a pad is will affect the tone, as the pad surface is hit by the sound waves and has to go around the pads to get away from the instrument, absorbing some of the sound before it travels away from the saxophone. However, this is dealt with greatly by the resonator, so the affect of this is usually only noticeable through scientific measuring (meaning the difference at that point is beyond the average human ear's ability to hear it).
The felt layer is usually made of some sort of wool felt, either woven or pressed. The difference between them goes into the subject above about firmness of pad. generally woven felt is firmer. Another upside of firmness here is that the pads themselves wear out slower, as the firmer materials are more resilient. However, the less firm the felt, the easier it is to keep a seal, as the felt will accommodate changes in humidity and temperature more easily with minimal affect on the playability. It's the trade off players have to make.
One of there areas with least variation is the backing. It's almost always cardboard. It offeres a nice textured surface for the glue to adhere to, helping hold the pad into the key cup. It's other function is to give the leather a surface to glue onto as well, so there are not ragged edges of leather to come up and cause problems. There isn't a huge problem with cardboard, and I've seen some pads offered with metal on the back. I was even taught how to cut away the cardboard and soak the glue into the felt directly. This firms up the felt, increasing it's firmness. For 99% of players, this part of the pad doesn't matter that much, and it really shouldn't.
Synthetic pads are just that. The materials are all machine made, usually made from plastics and metals. While they are an option, their main advantage is they are unaffected by weather changes. They will wear out like other pads, dependent on use. They are an option for anyone, but are usually a bit more expensive than their natural counter parts.
The resonator is it's own special thing. Like stated above, it's job is to help reflect the tone away from the pad once the key is open. Otherwise the air is pointing directly at the pad, and some of the sound will be absorbed directly into the pad itself. However, there are as many resonator styles as there are pad styles, maybe even more. Plus, each type of resonator can be put on any type of skin pad. Plastic dome, plastic flatt, metal dome, star shaped metal, accordion star shaped, it goes on and on. They do affect the sound, but no one can agree how. In blind tests, they could tell there were different resonators, but no one could agree how they changed the sound.
So, what does all this mean to you, the player or the parent of the young player. If you or yours is a beginner, there's not much point in going high end. Your technician will know this most likely from the level your saxophone and/or player is at. If they have a student model sax, they don't have a reason to put on high end pads. Also, if it's a high end saxophone, but the player is a beginner (yes, I've seen it happen) they still won't put high end pads on it unless requested to for special circumstances. As the store has to buy the pads first, they probably won't recommend high end for anyone that doesn't need them.
If you are at the intermediate level, Talk with the technician about what they recommend. They'll have questions for you about what you play (jazz, chamber, solo, group, etc), what kind of sound you currently have and also what you want to change it to. There are many other questions, but these will start them figuring out what to try. Note I said "try". Every player is different, so the tone they get from the exact same setup as someone else will be different. It will take some experimentation, and the best thing you can do is record yourself and listen back to it to see how it sounds from the front. What the player hears and what the audience hears are wildly different.
In the next woodwind post, I'll get into the other members of the woodwind family, as the pads for these are wildly different.
Monday, October 16, 2017
Tales from the bench #5: The CLO (clarinet-like object)
Not all of my stories happened years ago. This one is less than a week old, and touches a point that is important.
Like anyone, I appreciate a good deal. I see the same thing at a cheaper price, and I figure that even with a lower quality, it's a good way to get started. However, in the instrument world, this can lead to more problems than solutions. It is definitely a world where, overall, you get what you pay for.
About a week ago, a new customer contacted me to talk about his clarinet (I'm using this term because it's what it was called by the people who made it). The cork on the top joint had come loose and needed replacing, but more than that, he wasn't even sure it was a clarinet worth the cost of a new joint cork. Fact is, he had purchased it off someone for $25, and was unable to figure out anything about the "brand name" on it. He told it to me, and my search capabilities came up with less than glowing recommendations
Truth is, I was unable to find anything about the company other than they were being sold through some very low cost sites, and the only info about the manufacture was the blurbs about the instruments themselves. This is something that always makes me nervous to work on. There are many knock offs of good instruments, but then there are knock off of knock off of........ until it's an instrument in appearance only.
Still hopeful I could help him some, we scheduled an appointment, and he brought the "instrument in question" over for a diagnosis. Once I opened the case, I immediately congratulated him on purchasing a $25 case that came with a toy clarinet in it. Nothing about this instrument spoke well. The very cheap plastic the clarinet was made of was very light in weight and felt way too delicate. Beginner clarinets are often made of plastic, but the composition of the plastic usually makes the instrument heavy enough to mean it's got high durability (a plus when the beginner is a child)
The keys on this were bright and shiny, but there were many things about them that were unsettling. They seemed out of proportion to the instrument, and the shiny coating felt more like a think chrome than the more durable nickle finish.
At this point, I put it together and tried to play it. the joints were all loose but not so much that it would fall apart. With the cork grease on, I could slide everything around way too easily. Where I live, the high humidity usually means the corks are tight and need to be adjusted thinner. This was the other way around. The sound that came out of this was somewhere between a clarinet tone and a dying yak. It was harsh and unfocused. I had to fight for every note, and could feel the cheap keys bending under my fingers as I tried to put more pressure than I should need.
Then came the funny moment. I told him how I could get it to play, but the harsh tone would always be there. I also told him that it would cost more to fix than it was worth. He agreed, with no reluctance, and I started to disassemble it to put the instrument back in the case. As I started to take the bell off, the plastic tore apart in my hands, and the top most portion of the bell, including the metal ring, stayed on the bottom joint tenon.
I want to stress that, at that point, I was not trying to break anything. I was telling him that it would make a good lamp, and was trying to simply take things apart. When it broke, he looked at the pieces in my hand and even chuckled a bit. "Lamp it is" was what I recall hearing at that moment. He then asked if I had any clarinets for sale, and I sold him a Selmer Bundy student model. Still black plastic, but a make of repute. I've been in contact with him since then, and he's already off and running, learning and enjoying the clarinet he now has.
Moral of the story: Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's any good. If it's cheap and a brand that has a history of quality, jump on it. But, if it's cheap but you can't verify it's worth anything, then you are getting exactly what you pay for, or could even be overpaying
Like anyone, I appreciate a good deal. I see the same thing at a cheaper price, and I figure that even with a lower quality, it's a good way to get started. However, in the instrument world, this can lead to more problems than solutions. It is definitely a world where, overall, you get what you pay for.
About a week ago, a new customer contacted me to talk about his clarinet (I'm using this term because it's what it was called by the people who made it). The cork on the top joint had come loose and needed replacing, but more than that, he wasn't even sure it was a clarinet worth the cost of a new joint cork. Fact is, he had purchased it off someone for $25, and was unable to figure out anything about the "brand name" on it. He told it to me, and my search capabilities came up with less than glowing recommendations
Truth is, I was unable to find anything about the company other than they were being sold through some very low cost sites, and the only info about the manufacture was the blurbs about the instruments themselves. This is something that always makes me nervous to work on. There are many knock offs of good instruments, but then there are knock off of knock off of........ until it's an instrument in appearance only.
Still hopeful I could help him some, we scheduled an appointment, and he brought the "instrument in question" over for a diagnosis. Once I opened the case, I immediately congratulated him on purchasing a $25 case that came with a toy clarinet in it. Nothing about this instrument spoke well. The very cheap plastic the clarinet was made of was very light in weight and felt way too delicate. Beginner clarinets are often made of plastic, but the composition of the plastic usually makes the instrument heavy enough to mean it's got high durability (a plus when the beginner is a child)
The keys on this were bright and shiny, but there were many things about them that were unsettling. They seemed out of proportion to the instrument, and the shiny coating felt more like a think chrome than the more durable nickle finish.
At this point, I put it together and tried to play it. the joints were all loose but not so much that it would fall apart. With the cork grease on, I could slide everything around way too easily. Where I live, the high humidity usually means the corks are tight and need to be adjusted thinner. This was the other way around. The sound that came out of this was somewhere between a clarinet tone and a dying yak. It was harsh and unfocused. I had to fight for every note, and could feel the cheap keys bending under my fingers as I tried to put more pressure than I should need.
Then came the funny moment. I told him how I could get it to play, but the harsh tone would always be there. I also told him that it would cost more to fix than it was worth. He agreed, with no reluctance, and I started to disassemble it to put the instrument back in the case. As I started to take the bell off, the plastic tore apart in my hands, and the top most portion of the bell, including the metal ring, stayed on the bottom joint tenon.
I want to stress that, at that point, I was not trying to break anything. I was telling him that it would make a good lamp, and was trying to simply take things apart. When it broke, he looked at the pieces in my hand and even chuckled a bit. "Lamp it is" was what I recall hearing at that moment. He then asked if I had any clarinets for sale, and I sold him a Selmer Bundy student model. Still black plastic, but a make of repute. I've been in contact with him since then, and he's already off and running, learning and enjoying the clarinet he now has.
Moral of the story: Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's any good. If it's cheap and a brand that has a history of quality, jump on it. But, if it's cheap but you can't verify it's worth anything, then you are getting exactly what you pay for, or could even be overpaying
Friday, September 29, 2017
General Tips # 5: Ways to keep your tech happy
At some point, every instrument needs to come into the shop. Either for routine maintenance or a problem to be corrected, it's going to happen. When it does, you hand the instrument to the technician, they take it from you, and get to work. At this point, they will do their job to make sure it works as well as it can. They will be professional, but there are things you can do to help them stay motivated to work on your instrument.
For the record, this is not me griping about anything any particular customer has done, but rather a list of advice for any customer in interacting with a technician.
1) Wait your turn
When you walk in to get the instrument worked on, odds are the technician has a few instruments lined up in front of you. This is not to say he's lazy, but probably quite the opposite. If he's good, there's other people that got there first. Do those other people deserve the same level of service you desire? Yes, and they got there before you. Therefore, they come first.
I've heard techs joke that you can jump the line only if you're willing to pay 10x what the repair will cost. So far, no one is willing to take them up on it. Bottom line, you were taught not to cut in line in kindergarten, and it still applies.
2) Know what the instrument needs
I know I've posted about this in previous posts, but it still bears repeating. By having even a vague idea about what your instrument needs, you streamline the process and give the tech an area to zoom in on. They will still look for anything else, but it's triage. Just handing them the case and saying "it just doesn't work" may mean a simple fix, or it may mean a complete overhaul. Without some degree of what is wrong, nothing can be overlooked, and everything has to be double checked. This means a lot of time and energy looking at things that may be perfectly fine, which gets annoying after a while, and costs you more.
3) Don't Hover
This one should be somewhat self explanatory. Unless the tech asks you to come closer so that they can show you something, give them some space to work. No one likes the feeling of having someone breathing down their neck as they're trying to do delicate work. Trust me, it's all delicate work, even if it's just a cleaning. Unless you are another more able technician that is verifying something you are teaching them, you have nothing to add to what they are doing apart from upping the repair tech's blood pressure. Usually this goes with the first point of waiting your turn. Many times your instrument won't be fixed with you there. If you happen to catch a technician with an empty bench, then it's still a good idea to go for a walk while they work on it. Odds are, a few things you see might make you regret watching.
There are times I will tell a person I can do the repair while they are there. If your tech is willing to do this, take a seat and just chat with them.
4) Let them work till it's done
I have had people try to give me an instrument back part way through so that they could "check my progress." I have heard things like this come from many other technicians, and frankly, it does nothing but cause frustration. It's a lot like trying to test drive the brake job on your car right after they pulled the old brakes off. New ones aren't installed yet, so it won't work. The tech will tell you when it's done, and might even have you test it out to see if it needs any final tweaking to make it play how you like.
5) Trust the technician
You have a job, and are probably skilled at it. You do your job to the best of your ability, and don't like it when people tell you how to do it. Especially people that, while they may use your services, don't have the same knowledge and training on how to do your job that you do. So why would the person who fixes your instrument be any different? They have countless hours of training, and many times over that in hands on practical experience. Respect them that they know what their skills are. If something is outside their scope, they will warn you before they act. If it isn't perfect for you, their professionalism will mean they keep working till it's right.
6) Remember that they are a person too
At the end of the day, a technician is a person like everyone else. They work hard, and they won't always get it right without a mistake. They will own up to their mistakes, hopefully, and sometimes it means they can't do the job you need. Before anyone gets mad at them, remember that they aren't infallible. Yes, your instrument is dear to you, and you want it to work well. They want it to work well too. As much as you are upset the repair went wrong, they are equally upset they didn't get it right. They are just as human as you, and want to do a good job. That's why they got into this field in the first place. If something can't be repaired, maybe it's because it just can't be. No amount of being upset at them will change that.
Again, I don't list any of these to point fingers at any particular client I've had. Rather, these are things that will help keep a repair technician happy to help you, rather than "it's just my job, and the pay is worth it, I guess." Kinda something for anyone to remember about anyone else, come to think of it
For the record, this is not me griping about anything any particular customer has done, but rather a list of advice for any customer in interacting with a technician.
1) Wait your turn
When you walk in to get the instrument worked on, odds are the technician has a few instruments lined up in front of you. This is not to say he's lazy, but probably quite the opposite. If he's good, there's other people that got there first. Do those other people deserve the same level of service you desire? Yes, and they got there before you. Therefore, they come first.
I've heard techs joke that you can jump the line only if you're willing to pay 10x what the repair will cost. So far, no one is willing to take them up on it. Bottom line, you were taught not to cut in line in kindergarten, and it still applies.
2) Know what the instrument needs
I know I've posted about this in previous posts, but it still bears repeating. By having even a vague idea about what your instrument needs, you streamline the process and give the tech an area to zoom in on. They will still look for anything else, but it's triage. Just handing them the case and saying "it just doesn't work" may mean a simple fix, or it may mean a complete overhaul. Without some degree of what is wrong, nothing can be overlooked, and everything has to be double checked. This means a lot of time and energy looking at things that may be perfectly fine, which gets annoying after a while, and costs you more.
3) Don't Hover
This one should be somewhat self explanatory. Unless the tech asks you to come closer so that they can show you something, give them some space to work. No one likes the feeling of having someone breathing down their neck as they're trying to do delicate work. Trust me, it's all delicate work, even if it's just a cleaning. Unless you are another more able technician that is verifying something you are teaching them, you have nothing to add to what they are doing apart from upping the repair tech's blood pressure. Usually this goes with the first point of waiting your turn. Many times your instrument won't be fixed with you there. If you happen to catch a technician with an empty bench, then it's still a good idea to go for a walk while they work on it. Odds are, a few things you see might make you regret watching.
There are times I will tell a person I can do the repair while they are there. If your tech is willing to do this, take a seat and just chat with them.
4) Let them work till it's done
I have had people try to give me an instrument back part way through so that they could "check my progress." I have heard things like this come from many other technicians, and frankly, it does nothing but cause frustration. It's a lot like trying to test drive the brake job on your car right after they pulled the old brakes off. New ones aren't installed yet, so it won't work. The tech will tell you when it's done, and might even have you test it out to see if it needs any final tweaking to make it play how you like.
5) Trust the technician
You have a job, and are probably skilled at it. You do your job to the best of your ability, and don't like it when people tell you how to do it. Especially people that, while they may use your services, don't have the same knowledge and training on how to do your job that you do. So why would the person who fixes your instrument be any different? They have countless hours of training, and many times over that in hands on practical experience. Respect them that they know what their skills are. If something is outside their scope, they will warn you before they act. If it isn't perfect for you, their professionalism will mean they keep working till it's right.
6) Remember that they are a person too
At the end of the day, a technician is a person like everyone else. They work hard, and they won't always get it right without a mistake. They will own up to their mistakes, hopefully, and sometimes it means they can't do the job you need. Before anyone gets mad at them, remember that they aren't infallible. Yes, your instrument is dear to you, and you want it to work well. They want it to work well too. As much as you are upset the repair went wrong, they are equally upset they didn't get it right. They are just as human as you, and want to do a good job. That's why they got into this field in the first place. If something can't be repaired, maybe it's because it just can't be. No amount of being upset at them will change that.
Again, I don't list any of these to point fingers at any particular client I've had. Rather, these are things that will help keep a repair technician happy to help you, rather than "it's just my job, and the pay is worth it, I guess." Kinda something for anyone to remember about anyone else, come to think of it
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Brass Tip #5: Valves - more than just shiny metal
Every brass player, at some point, has to take their instrument apart to clean it. When they do, they will notice the parts of the horn that aren't like the rest. The majority of the valve is made of a metal cylinder with holes through it, and a stem area of a smaller diameter. But, there are parts that go with the valve that matter just as much, and they serve very important purposes.
Along with the valve, there is a spring. It's a coiled spring, either inside or outside of the first smaller section of the valve. This is what makes the valve go back up when you take your finger off of the top. This part is pretty self explanatory, but there are a few things younger players need to keep in mind. First, the spring should be left alone. Second, THE SPRING SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE. Not fussing with it whatsoever will mean this spring will be the longest lasting part of the instrument, as far as things that would need replacing. Stretching it, pulling on it, even squishing it down apart from normal use will decrease it's lifespan. Removing it for cleaning should involve as little force as possible, and reinstall it as soon as things are clean. Period
Next, the valve guide. This is a a little piece of hard material used to keep the valve from spinning in the valve cylinder. Without it, the ports in the valve (the holes) won't line up with the slides anymore, and air won't go through the horn. When removing the springs, the valve guides will usually come out at the same time. The only hard part about that is making sure they go back in the same direction, so that the valve faces the right way, and the problem with the valve spinning doesn't show up.
There is a choice that some instruments can make here, and it pertains to what the guide is made of. There are really 2 choices at this point: Metal or Plastic. To some degree, it is a personal preference. The metal ones will last a lot longer, and the plastic tends to be quieter. Any other difference anyone tells you is subjective and a bit of placebo on their part.
Next, and very importantly, are the bumpers. The first set of these is on the skinny part of the valve stem, right under the top cap. The second set is either on a ring on top of the valve cap, or on the underside of the finger button, sometimes even both. It serves two purposes. The first is that acts as a silencer for when the valve travels up, being a soft cushion for the two surfaces to impact. Without it, the metal of the valve and the metal of the cap would hit, causing a clacking noise every time the valve moves up or down.
The second purpose, and possibly more important, is one of alignment. This bumper helps to ensure that the ports in the valves line up as perfectly as possible with the holes in the valve casing, meaning no air restriction from the valves to the slides. Air restrictions mean working harder, and with less of a good tone. I will say that this comes with a small disclaimer. There can be a small fudge factor in how well the alignment is before it starts to affect anything. Over time, they will compress, meaning that depending on how long it will be before I see the instrument again for maintenance (yes, I do ask new clients) I sometimes install slightly thicker bumpers than I need. That way, in a few months, the spacers will compress to where they need to be so they can stay there for years.
With bumpers, there are a few materials out there. From felt, to cork, to soft rubber, and probably a few others I don't know about yet. The firmer the material, the less it will move over time, but the more noise they may make. Bach has, for many years now, used a rubber ring in the valve caps for their bumpers, and the valves are known to be a little noisier than other horns for this reason. Most repair tech will carry a supply of any of them, and can accommodate you on anything you ask.
With any of these materials, however, the important thing is to leave them alone as much as possible. The more they are moved around, messed with, or affected in any way, the quicker they will deteriorate. Replacing these, regardless of how easy it seems, is better left to a professional. It saves you a trip to the repair tech to figure out why it doesn't play as well as it used to.
Along with the valve, there is a spring. It's a coiled spring, either inside or outside of the first smaller section of the valve. This is what makes the valve go back up when you take your finger off of the top. This part is pretty self explanatory, but there are a few things younger players need to keep in mind. First, the spring should be left alone. Second, THE SPRING SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE. Not fussing with it whatsoever will mean this spring will be the longest lasting part of the instrument, as far as things that would need replacing. Stretching it, pulling on it, even squishing it down apart from normal use will decrease it's lifespan. Removing it for cleaning should involve as little force as possible, and reinstall it as soon as things are clean. Period
Next, the valve guide. This is a a little piece of hard material used to keep the valve from spinning in the valve cylinder. Without it, the ports in the valve (the holes) won't line up with the slides anymore, and air won't go through the horn. When removing the springs, the valve guides will usually come out at the same time. The only hard part about that is making sure they go back in the same direction, so that the valve faces the right way, and the problem with the valve spinning doesn't show up.
There is a choice that some instruments can make here, and it pertains to what the guide is made of. There are really 2 choices at this point: Metal or Plastic. To some degree, it is a personal preference. The metal ones will last a lot longer, and the plastic tends to be quieter. Any other difference anyone tells you is subjective and a bit of placebo on their part.
Next, and very importantly, are the bumpers. The first set of these is on the skinny part of the valve stem, right under the top cap. The second set is either on a ring on top of the valve cap, or on the underside of the finger button, sometimes even both. It serves two purposes. The first is that acts as a silencer for when the valve travels up, being a soft cushion for the two surfaces to impact. Without it, the metal of the valve and the metal of the cap would hit, causing a clacking noise every time the valve moves up or down.
The second purpose, and possibly more important, is one of alignment. This bumper helps to ensure that the ports in the valves line up as perfectly as possible with the holes in the valve casing, meaning no air restriction from the valves to the slides. Air restrictions mean working harder, and with less of a good tone. I will say that this comes with a small disclaimer. There can be a small fudge factor in how well the alignment is before it starts to affect anything. Over time, they will compress, meaning that depending on how long it will be before I see the instrument again for maintenance (yes, I do ask new clients) I sometimes install slightly thicker bumpers than I need. That way, in a few months, the spacers will compress to where they need to be so they can stay there for years.
With bumpers, there are a few materials out there. From felt, to cork, to soft rubber, and probably a few others I don't know about yet. The firmer the material, the less it will move over time, but the more noise they may make. Bach has, for many years now, used a rubber ring in the valve caps for their bumpers, and the valves are known to be a little noisier than other horns for this reason. Most repair tech will carry a supply of any of them, and can accommodate you on anything you ask.
With any of these materials, however, the important thing is to leave them alone as much as possible. The more they are moved around, messed with, or affected in any way, the quicker they will deteriorate. Replacing these, regardless of how easy it seems, is better left to a professional. It saves you a trip to the repair tech to figure out why it doesn't play as well as it used to.
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