Klarinet Archive - Posting 000187.txt from 2003/02

From: "Dee D. Flint" <deehays@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Mystery clarinets
Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 17:47:23 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Hausmann" <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subject: Re: [kl] Mystery clarinets

> At 01:59 PM 2/7/2003 -0800, Clark Fobes wrote:
> > The "Wurlitzer" instrument appears to be from the family of
American
> >Wurlitzers who emigrated form Saxony. This is probably from the period
when
> >the factories were owned by Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer. He emigrated to
> >Cincinnati in 1853 and became a major supplier of wind instruments for
the
> >military during the civil war. My interpretation is that he was an
> >importer. He opened a branch in Chicago in 1865. The business in
Cincinnati
> >closed in 1914. Does the instrument have a mark that says "R. Wurlitzer"
> >anywhere"
> >
> > Rampone was a famous maker in Italy and through Marriage became
> > "Rampone-
> >Cazzini" in 1912. So this instrument is probably made prior to that.
> >
> > If you can take another picture with the rings towards the
camera
> > I can
> >probably identify the system. For the side it appears to be what is
called
> >a "modified Oehler system".
> >
> > It is interesting that despite different manufacturers these
seem
> > to be
> >similar key systems. I suspect the smaller is in Eb? Were these
instruments
> >owned previously by the same person?
> >
> > It would be very interesting know if these have the original
> > mouthpieces.
> >Being German systems (and bores) a conventional French/American
mouthpiece
> >would not play very well.
>
> The Wurlitzer looks to me to be a standard Albert system, or at least it
is
> just like the H. N. White Albert system clarinet I just fixed up. The
> probable Eb just looks like an earlier "simple" system. Is there some way
> you are able to identify them as German vs. French bore clarinets from the
> pictures? As I understand it, the Oehler sytem grew out of the Albert
system.

If the Wurlitzer was made in the US then it should take a "French" style
mouthpiece designed for the era in which it was made. The fact that it is
actually marked LP narrows the time frame to between the late 1890s and the
early 1930s. So while you may need to experiment with mouthpieces to find a
compatible one, the true "German" style won't work.

Dee Flint, MI

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