I just got my Buffet E11 3 days ago and it played very well.Ive been very good with it, Swabbing,cork grease,and polishing it.All of a sudden I wake up this morning to play with it and the low C# is stuffy!The high G# is fine but its just the low C#. I tried to check for cracks but dont exactly know how to find them. Please help, I have to decide whether to return it in 4 days and wait for a new one, or figure out what is wrong with it now.Help Please!

also, the clarinet was a little hard to put together in the begining cuz of dry cork, I cork greased for a long time and still no avail.Then while I was on the comp my dad came in and ust shoved it together instead of twisting it in. I read some where this could harm the tendons or sumthing. his intentions were good but did this harm my clarinet, I need to know quick so I could send it back and get a replacement, or is the C# usually a little stuffy and thin. Cant really tell because I havent played for a month due to no acess to a clarinet.

My clarinet is a year old and I still have to put cork grease on everytime I play so don`t get worried over that. I`m also sure your clarinet is fine even though your dad just "pushed" it together, just don`t let him do that next time. Also, about the stuffy C# perhaps the pad isn`t opening enough. Just have it checked over by a repair shop (you should always do this with new clarinets anyways), or maybe it is stuffy because of your reed? Did you try a different reed and then find it to be stuffy? Have a talk with a repair tech, they should help you. Also you should go to http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/list.html?f=1 and sign up there. There are perfessionals, students, retirees and tones of other people that all play the clarinet there. They can help you with almost everything.

Tanks alot melissa.Im going to get my clarinet checked out tommorow.

weird... my C# is stuffy too... haha, it`s an old clarinet though...

1) You need to apply "heavy grease" to the new clarinet first time, and than, use cork grease. You may have "heavy grease" from hardware store.
2) C# is difficult for the begineer player. due to pinky finger is weak. You need to press your pinky fingle hard enough, to ensure the pads was openned. It needs practice.