Klarinet Archive - Posting 000698.txt from 1996/03

From: Donald Yungkurth <DYungkurth@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: First Appearance of Plastic Clarinets
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 19:09:16 -0500

A number of people have been dating plastic clarinets from the '50s or
earlier. I have a Boehm Bb clarinet, presented by a friend, who bought it at
a local repair shop as "junk" for $3.00 a few years ago. It is clearly
plastic, but I don't know what variety.

Both sections of the clarinet are stamped, "C. G. Conn, Elkhart, Indiana",
with the serial number B49570L. The bell does not have the Conn logo, but
has an eagle with spread wings and the words "trade" and "mark" or either
side of the eagle. In addition, the bell has the following inscription:

"Property of the School of Music, University of Rochester, Given by George
Eastman". Eastman died in 1932.

Clearly, I don't know if the bell and the two sections of the clarinet
originally belonged together. Whether or not the bell originally came with
the two sections, it certainly is plastic and dates from the '30s or earlier,
based on the inscription.

Does anyone know if Conn ever used an eagle as a trade mark? Are there
sources relating Conn serial numbers to manufacturing dates?

As for the instrument being junk - One of the upper joint side keys for the
right hand was broken. I repaired
that and found the instrument playable and with quite good response and
intonation.

Don Yungkurth (DYungkurth@-----.com)