Clarinet Overhaul Visual Inspection: The clarinet is looked over for serious problems (cracks, loose posts, dry rot inside the
bore, broken keys). Bent keys are realigned.
Clarinet Overhaul Strip-down: The horn is completely dis-assembled. Loose, sloppy keys are swedged (stretched) to
re-establish a nice, snug fit. Keys that bind on the steel rods are straightened so that they hinge smoothly.
All needle springs are removed and their condition noted (rusty or sound). All old pads are removed and key
cups are cleaned of all old glue or shellac. All corks, felts, plastic tubing, etc are removed from the keys, and
all glue or shellac is scraped away to the bare metal. All tenon corks are stripped off and their channels
cleaned. All rings are checked for tightness and, if loose, are shimmed with silk.
Body Work: If the instrument is cracked, it must be repaired. Small cracks can be filled with a special mixture
of glue and grenadilla wood dust. This seals the crack, but the glue is not strong enough to keep the crack
from opening up if it wants to. We’re dealing with the forces of mother nature here. For larger cracks that
are clearly open and causing leaks, the only solution is to pin the crack. This involves drilling a series of
holes through the wooden “shell”, at right angles to the crack. Threaded stainless steel rods are then
screwed into the holes, essentially screwing the two sides of the crack together. The crack, and the holes
where the pins were inserted, are then filled with the same glue/wood dust mixture, then sanded flush with the
contour of the body. When done correctly, the crack will never open again and the repair is almost invisible.
The posts are the little metal nubs that the keys hinge between. They are screwed into the body and they
come loose from time to time, causing the keys to bind and not work properly. They must be tightened into
the body so that they come to rest in the proper position for the key to hinge freely and smoothly.
Cleaning: The keys are dipped in a special chemical solution that removes the “green grunge”, or, if they
are silver plated, they are dipped in a tarnish remover. If the customer desires it, they are buffed to a high
polish. They are then washed with a gentle dish detergent, rinsed, and thoroughly dried. The insides of the
hinge tubes are scrubbed clean with a pipe cleaner dipped in solvent alcohol. All the steel rods and pivot
screws are degreased with a clean rag and solvent alcohol. The body is gently washed with mild dish
detergent to clean off any old oil, grease or grunge before oiling. It is quickly swabbed and dried thoroughly.
Oil the Bore: The inside bore of a wooden clarinet is subjected to a lot of water when played for any length
of time. Moisture from the player’s breath condenses on the inner walls and drips into the tone holes and
down to the bell of the clarinet. When water and wood come into contact, the wood generally suffers.
Fortunately, most professional clarinets are made of dense, hard, naturally oily wood (grenadilla, ebony,
rosewood) which resists absorbing the water. After a period of time, however, the wood begins to dry out,
losing the protection of its natural oils. Oiling the bore is a process that replaces these oils, allowing the
clarinet to once again shed the water without damage to the wood. We use a special penetrating oil
consisting of petroleum products and natural oils. It is swabbed quite liberally into the bore and tone-holes of
the instrument, so that it is literally “soaked” with oil. A much thinner coat is applied to the outer surfaces.
The clarinet body is then allowed to “set” for two or three days. During this time the oil is drawn up into the
pores and cells of the wood, replenishing the lost natural oils and protecting the bore for years to come.
After the oil is drawn up, we swab and wipe up any excess oil. This is a messy job, and should only be done
when all the keys have been removed from the instrument.
