Klarinet Archive - Posting 000669.txt from 1996/03

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: First Plastic Clarinets: Can you top this?! ;-)
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 22:32:03 -0500

Ed, get out of town! That was hilarious! And no, I doubt anybody could
ever top your story. I think Ron Monsen still holds the record for a
factual claim, however! :-)

Neil

On Mon, 25 Mar 1996, Edwin V. Lacy wrote:

> Some have written to tell of plastic clarinets from the 60's or the
> mid-50's; my first one was in 1949. Now, Ron Monson has reported a
> plastic clarinet from the 1920's and another played by a Victorian-era
> clarinetist!
>
> Probably not many people know that Mozart actually composed the Concerto
> for a plastic basset clarinet! (Imitation rosewood finish, naturally.)
> It was manufactured by the famous Mannheim instrument makers, Heinrich
> Gottlieb Ronco and Karl Phillip Emanuel K-tel. It was not available in
> stores, but if you bought it they would throw in a folding pocket Ginsu
> reed knife for free. Whenever they advertised it, it always cost 49
> marks and 99 pfennigs until midnight the next day!
>
> Ed Lacy
> el2@-----.edu
>