Klarinet Archive - Posting 000230.txt from 2002/08

From: Eric Mumpower <nocturne@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] strange 1887 Buffet alto
Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2002 02:17:50 -0400

A friend inherited a strange clarinet. If were more naive, I'd name it a Db
alto. Read on:

It's an Albert-system Buffet, serial number B3xx. (Yes, that dates it to
1887.) It's shaped like an undersized bass clarinet: roughly the size
of an alto clarinet, but with the double-bent neck of a bass clarinet.

After leaving their house, it occurred to me that perhaps someone attached a
bass neck to an alto clarinet, which would also explain the key shift (from
the expected Eb). Can anyone report on the feasibility of this? Or can
anyone suggest a measurement which would allow comparison with "normal" alto
measurements?

More details for the curious: it has a manual split register key, no
rollers, and has keywork down to E. It possesses no identifying marks aside
from the usual Buffet Crampon logo at the top of the top joint, and the
serial number on the back of the bottom joint.

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