08/22/2026
Just finished a PROJECT. This is a “Peddler” open-hole alto clarinet that a student who lives about 30 minutes away brought into me. Initially I thought it would be CEV (Cost of repair Exceeds Value of instrument). And… it did end up being that but only because I chose to fully overhaul it to practice some techniques I don’t do on a regular basis, and because of the perfectionist in me🙂. Here’s a list of what it needed:
-New case, I got this one from Allied Supply Corp.
-Complete disassembly, removal of pads and corks
-Cleaning and polishing all key work
-Cleaning and lightly oiling wood
-New tenon corks
-Reassembly with new key oil/pivot grease
-All new pads (including needing to make my own makeshift pad for a very, very shallow pad cup).
-All new key corks
-Replacing 5 broken needle springs
-Hard soldering broken bridge to RH ring keys
-Soft soldering key extension to LH F #/C # and LH E/B levers for tighter mechanism
-Minor dent removal from bell
-Sealing LJ body (some leaks where ebonite chimneys were glued in)
-Leveling multiple key cups
-Swedging multiple keys for tighter mechanism
-Countersinking multiple keys for tighter mechanism
-Straightening multiple keys
-Some tone hole facing work
-Final play testing and adjustments
-Putting glue in LH thumb hole to lower first-finger F # pitch
-Significantly opening/reaming side F # vent hole to RAISE side F # pitch
The final result doesn’t sound half bad, although there are definitely some notes that are stuffier than others. I’ve never played an instrument with a double register mechanism, but simply experimenting with this one, the left register key seems to be for throat B flat (and it’s overblown high F pitch) and RH clarion notes. The right register key is for the left hand clarion notes.
