Klarinet Archive - Posting 001095.txt from 1999/07

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Conn Clarinet
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 11:29:41 -0400

Lora Carlin of Gaithersburg, MD writes,
>I just recently was given a Conn clarinet that was made in 1926. It is in
really bad condition, and I want to have it fixed up. I am really new to the
area I am living in (the DC area) and don't know much about places I could
take it to that would do a good job. If anyone could help me w/ info
regarding that, I would appreciate it. >

I'm not familiar with the Maryland places, but if you're willing to cross the
Potomac, I took my 1958 wooden Conn Bb clarinet to Peter Ferrante at Presto
Brass and Woodwinds, 22198B - N. Columbus St. Suite 303, Arlington, VA
22207-2522. Phone: (703) 841-8335. He's sole proprietor and repair tech
there, so you don't have to deal with middlemen. The clarinet needed very
little work (I was the original owner), but he's done major overhauls on
saxophones for me, including a full overhaul on a 1926 Conn "Chu" tenor sax
that had been neglected for several decades and had a kinked neck (which he
restored splendidly) and another full overhaul on a 1926 Conn bass sax.
(Funny coincidence about the date of your clarinet!) The bass needed major
restoration because the previous owner had dropped it. Peter Ferrante farmed
out part of the work on the bass to Tony Valenti in Alexandria. Between the
two of them, they took 10 months on that job, and would have taken longer if
I hadn't started whining; but I've found Ferrante does small jobs in
reasonable amounts of time. He only took a few days on my Conn clarinet.
He's a nice guy and IMHO does first-rate work. He respects an old instrument
and is willing to keep it in as close to original condition as possible, if
that's what you prefer. Don't let his shop scare you, BTW. It's a hole in
the wall. His "showroom" downstairs is basically a closet. But up in the
workroom, take a good look at the array of tools on his walls and workbench
-- the arsenal of someone who knows what he's doing!

Best--
Lelia

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