Klarinet Archive - Posting 001054.txt from 1998/10

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Carl Fischer hard rubber clarinet
Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 23:33:28 -0400

According to the little I could find about Carl Fischer clarinets in the
archives, it seems a number of manufacturers made these instruments, but I
wonder if someone can help me ID and date this old horn. (Can't find Fischer
SNs on www.musictrader.com.) It's a rubber Bb clarinet with nickel keys. The
rubber is a very convincing wood grain and the weight is about right for wood.
It fooled me at the flea market. I thought it was wood until I looked inside
the bell in good light under a magnifying glass. When I rub the "wood" and
sniff it, it has the unmistakable rubber smell, although it's in good
condition, not discolored. No idea what it sounds like because corks and pads
are really most sincerely dead. It's marked, "Carl Fischer, Boston, Mass."
The oval logo appears on the bell and the upper stack. Below "Carl" (which is
in small letters) is a bit of musical notation to the left of the larger
"Fischer." The serial number 41 308 appears on both upper and lower stacks.
(The blank space is not a typo.) The inside of the upper stack is fully lined
with a metal sleeve. The mouthpiece looks low-end. It's a plastic no-name,
with a very open tip, with commonplace 2-screw nickel-plated ligature and
nickel-plated cap.

The case is oblong, sturdily made of wood, with brass hardware, and is lined
with dark wine red velvet, with an open parts well on the left that runs the
width of the case. The outside of the case (which has no logo) is covered in
black and dark blue plastic imitation leather in a muted large alligator hide
pattern, with white piping and stitching, for that discreetly tacky look.

I bought the Fischer for $30 at a flea market this morning because I'm
learning to do some basic repairs (pads, corks, etc.) out of Erick Brand's
repair manual from Ferree's Tools (thanks to information from sneezy.org, BTW)
and needed something I could practice on. I'd just as soon not inflict
incompetent amateur repairs on my "good" horns. I have the impression that
this is a student instrument and not valuable, collectible, etc. etc. but
thought I'd better ask before I take it apart. Thanks for any information--

Lelia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ignorance is the mother of devotion."
--Burton, _Anatomy of Melancholy_
(among others)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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