Klarinet Archive - Posting 000567.txt from 2000/08

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Cleveland "American Standard"
Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2000 18:53:13 -0400

Late last month, I picked up a silver-plated Eb soprano clarinet at a
junktiques store. The upper and lower sections are in one piece. The bell
*may* detach; it is a separate piece but may be soldered on. I couldn't get
it off or twist it and wasn't willing to force it. The bell must be attached
for the clarinet to fit in the case. The neck (barrel) does detach.

Normally I stay away from student clarinets, but I'd never seen a metal eefer
for sale before and it was only $65, in excellent condition, with a
good-looking mouthpiece (hard rubber, marked only "France"). I have one
other eefer, but it's an 1889 Buffet Albert system. It's not yet in playable
condition, and has a broken and poorly repaired mpc. Hadn't bought anything
in a long time, so what the heck....

I couldn't find anything about the earliest American Standard in the
archives. I'm curious about this model. It's engraved, "American Standard
High Grade, Cleveland Music Co.." That was an H. N. White student brand.
The serial number dates it to between 1930-35 (probably early in that period,
with serial # P11,2xx). White started marking Clevelands with the H. N.
White logo somewhat later. Mine has only the Cleveland logo, and not the
White logo. I have a 1953 White catalogue, issued after White had died and
his widow was running the company. In 1953, the "American Standard" (by then
labelled as H. N. White) was no longer available in a "High Grade" option
(whatever that means...) and was the cheapest model, advertised specifically
for beginners. (White offered two better models in 1953, the King Master
Model and the Cleveland intermediate model, both metal.) I'm curious if
anyone knows how the old Depression-era "High Grade" differed from other
available models at the time; where it fit into the hierarchy of the student
line in the 1930s; and how it compares with the similarly-named model of the
1950s and with other metal eefers.

After re-gluing some pads and key corks that had come loose, replacing the
neck cork and doing a few other very minor things on the American Standard,
I've ended up with a playable Boehm system eefer. It's very resistant, with
a good tone and pretty good intonation. I think the pads will have to be
replaced soon because they feel to me like they've got "the curse of the
mummy's tomb," but this clarinet is better than I expected from a metal
student model from the 1930s. The White saxes from that era, including the
ones sold as student models, were very good indeed, but I know next to
nothing about the clarinets.

Lelia
~~~~~~~~~
Anything worth doing is worth doing to excess.
~~~~~~~~~

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