Klarinet Archive - Posting 000165.txt from 1993/12

From: "Dr. Ronald P. Monsen" <RPMONS00@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: The wooden clarinet
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1993 12:04:48 -0500

For what is it worth: When visiting the workshop of Herbert Wurlitzer
20 years ago--he showed me some of his wood stockpile. He explained that
it all came from a merchant located in Hamburg, Germany. The wood that he
used for the bells of his clarinets--was of a different quality and type-
as he explained it the making of the bell produced a great deal of
"abfahle" (perhaps my German is wrong--WASTE) and he made the bells of
lesser stuff.

I have played upon an old set of Belgian ALBERT clarinets (BOEHM SYSTEM)
ALBERT was the make--they were made of cocus wood. They were indeed

good. But I doubt if they were "good" because they were made of cocus.

Just a few thoughts from the Bluegrass.

Anyone else out there with professional grade metal clarinets? Selmer or
the Haynes double wall? Kohlert made a metal oboe in the late 20's or
early 30's. It was a strange looking creature but it did exist--I had to
play on it for oboe class as an undergraduate music student at UW-Milwaukee.

Ron Monsen