Caring After Your New Wooden Clarinet

Backun Musical Services has put together a guide for how best to break in your new wooden clarinet.

This will work with all wooden clarinets, not just Backun clarinets.Your new Backun Clarinet or accessory is made from aged exotic hardwood and requires careful attention during the first few months of use to ensure a long life and optimum performance. This specific break-in procedure should be followed to allow your new Backun Clarinet to acclimatize to your particular region and playing regimen.

Break-In Period

This playing schedule will help allow your new Backun to help it acclimatize in a slow, controlled manner:

• Play your new clarinet ten (10) to fifteen (15) minutes at a time for the first two weeks, swabbing it thoroughly and allowing it to rest for at least four hours between sessions

• In week three, play your new Backun Clarinet for up to thirty (30) minutes per session

• In week four, play your new Backun Clarinet for up to sixty (60) minutes per session

• After the first month, play your new Backun Clarinet as much as you like. Always remember to swab the inside and the joints of the clarinet after each session.

General Care Advice

Avoid playing the instrument until it has warmed to room temperature. You may open the case to allow air circulation, or place it inside a jacket.

Avoid playing your instrument if the temperature or humidity are not in a moderate range.

Swab the instrument regularly during playing sessions, making sure to dry the tenon sockets, too. Always make sure your swab is clean and washed on a regular basis!

It is advisable to humidify your instrument, especially if you live in a very dry area, or an area with sudden humidity changes. We suggest talking to your local technician and other clarinet players for advice on what's best to do in your particular climate.

Oiling the Bore

You may want to oil the bore of your clarinet on occasion. We recommend the use of pure sweet almond oil and NOT synthetic bore oils. Although you can do this yourself, we do recommend asking your favourite technician to do it for you, as incorrectly applied oil can cause unintended problems with your Backun Clarinet such as damage to the pads.

Following these steps will help ensure that your clarinet stays in top playing condition! If you have any questions or require further information, please contact us.