Klarinet Archive - Posting 000725.txt from 2004/10

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: genuine French Grenadier wood
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2004 22:39:51 -0400

At 10:34 AM 10/24/2004 -0400, Lelia Loban wrote:
>Interesting! My Bundy appears to be a conventional Boehm system clarinet
>in every way except for that thumb key. My husband brought up a
>possibility that hadn't occurred to me: Maybe the clarinet was made in the
>early 1920s, as the serial number indicates (only a range of dates, not
>exact dates, are known for Bundies), but the original owner's parents *did*
>buy it new for him in 1956 or 1957, as he thought. It might have been new
>old stock, sitting in a store for years, then sold with the (then)
>up-to-date mouthpiece and case.

Aside from some early ones (1920's) marked "G. M. Bundy" in sort of an Old
English typeface that were made in France (see that recent "Grenadier wood"
bass clarinet listing on eBay for the logo style), I don't think I have
ever seen another pre-1950's Bundy clarinet. I don't think the serial
number lists are accurate in that regard. The logo you described
definitely puts it in the 1950's timeframe. There were Bundy clarinets
made of wood, and Selmer (USA) clarinets made of plastic back then, but
eventually they simplified the line.

My SUSPICION is that wooden Bundys had the large .590 cylindrical bore, and
the Selmers the smaller .577, but I have not measured them. With the
plastic Bundys/Selmers it is easier to tell. If it has the smaller bore,
it is stamped "577" or later Selmers are stamped "1401." Large bore ones
either have no number or "1400."

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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