Klarinet Archive - Posting 000854.txt from 1998/12

From: ROBERT HOWE <arehow@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] McIntyre Clarinet systeme
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1998 07:58:10 -0500

Can anyone help me to find information on the McIntyre Clarinet? This
was a systeme invented in the 1950s that suppressed the throat G# and A
keys, replacing them with a mechanism worked by the fingers of the left
hand in a very logical fashion (see below). It provided for a perfect
throat Bb and great throat register facility but alas, never caught on.
These were common where I grew up, as the McIntyre brothers did their
work in Naugatuck Ct and I lived in Thomaston, 20 miles North. I worked
a bit as a kid with Mr Tom McIntyre, who had a music shop in our town.

Mr McIntyre had several model clarinets in his systeme on the wall of
the shop, including alto, bass and Eb soprano. Any insight into the
location of these specimens will be especially appreciated.

Many thanks,

Robert Howe

G = open
G# = --3
A = -23 or -2-
Bb = 123, 12- (these two are best) or Register key -23; or Register key
-2- (less good, as they use the register key to vent Bb as on a standard
clarinet).

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