Klarinet Archive - Posting 000654.txt from 1996/02

From: CLARK FOBES <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: Metal Clarinets make excellent lamps
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 13:07:49 -0500

I'm always curious as to why Dan Leeson comes to such a bold defense
for metal clarinets. Most of them were and are inferior instruments.

This is not to say that metal as a MATERIAL for making clarinets is
unsuitable. One of my long time customers who has collected flutes over
the years brought me a beautiful pair of double walled Haynes clarinets
about a year ago. These instruments had the same serial# as I recall
and were most likely made in the 1930's. These were a magnificently
made pair of instruments. I was especially astounded by the beautiful
tonal qualities and resonance of these instruments. These instruments
were donated to the Library of Congress and I believe are part of the
huge (Dayton C. Miller?) collection.

However, the vast majority of metal clarinets were designed to be
student model instruments. Having started my apprenticeship in
instrument repair working on school instruments, I have probably worked
on hundreds of metal clarinets. JUNK, JUNK, JUNK!!!! Poor workmanship,
poor materials (lots of pot metal) and poor design. Did these
instruments play well? In adjustment they played relatively well, but
they come out of adjustment quite easily. Not a very good quality for
student model instruments.

But these instruments did serve a good purpose. They were inexpensive
to manufacture and put clarinets in the hands of a lot of kids that may
not have been able to afford better. I STARTED ON A METAL CLARINET. And
I must say I have no teary eyed memories. Thank God for the invention
of the injection mold process. Plastic clarinets can now be made
cheaply and, if made right, play quite well and reasonably well in
tune.

But, Metal Clarinets make much more distintive lamps ;-)

Clark W Fobes