Klarinet Archive - Posting 000488.txt from 2004/10

From: "Lacy, Edwin" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: [kl] It seems I can't get away from clarinets
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 20:30:47 -0400

From Dan Leeson:

<<<question 1: what is a GOUESNOT clarinet made in France, goodness
knows when. The difficult to read serial number may read 35ADB but I
can't be sure.>>>

That would probably be a "Couesnon," which was a well-known instrument
maker in Paris. At first, it seems that they produced all wind
instruments. However, in their later years, they concentrated on brass
instruments only. =20

Here, I'm quoting from a website, but I'm afraid I can't attribute the
quote, as I have lost the reference: Couesnon was "estabished" in 1882
when Amedee Auguste Couesnon, the son-in-law of P.L. Guatrot, took over
the directorship of Guatrot-Durand et Cie (read "Guatrot-Durand and
company"). Guatrot, you may recall, was previously the seller of the
Sarrusophone and was, thus, A. Sax's bitter rival.

Couesnon was "reformed" in 1931, as Couesnon S.A. (read: "Couesnon,
Incorporated") with the inclusion of L'Association Generale des
Ouvriers, Feuillet, Guichard, Lecomte, I. Lot, Massin & Thibouville,
Triebert, Marquet, and "several others". About this time, there seems to
be a gap of a few years in their saxophone manufacture, and when it was
started again, the design was completely different -- but not patented
(the last Couesnon saxophone patent is dated 1935, and a new one doesn't
appear until 1976). I believe it was at this point that Couesnon started
to concentrate on their brasswind manufacture.

Ed Lacy
University of Evansville

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