Klarinet Archive - Posting 000357.txt from 2004/12

From: "Jim & Joyce (lande@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Re: metal clarinets
Date: Sun, 26 Dec 2004 16:30:04 -0500

From my notes, the following trade names have been used on metal
clarinets that also were marked made in Italy

Calvert

Rene Lorein

Otello

Belvox

Supreme

Rene Duval

Champlain

Casal

Rampone

Star (6 stars on bell)

Revelle

Robert Martel

Sherman

Regal

Paul Renne Paris

V. Barcone & Son

Argonaut

LaMonte

Warner

Archie Rosate

Orsi

Velvetone

U.S. Bandmaster

Artisan Delux

Rampone and Orsi are real companies and Rampone made a high quality, double
walled metal clarinet. However, I don't believe that either made many, at
least not under their own names. After 6 years of watching metal clarinet
auctions on eBay -- perhaps 2000 a year -- I don't think I have seen but two
or three metal Rampone clarinets and I don't recall seing an Orsi.

The name Rene Duval appears in the New Langwell index as a firm located in
Paris. No other information is available. I suspect that there is no
connection between the French firm and many metal clarinet made in Italy and
marked with the Rene Duval name. (I took apart a Rene Duval once and
thought it was one of the cheapest made metal clarinets I had seen.)

The rest of the names on the list are trade names. Importers used the
names. There are no records about which makers were associated with which
names and I suspect that several different makers may have supplied batches
that carried the same trade name.

Aside from the Rampone, I do not know of any Italian metal clarinets that
were better than student grade. Many of the above trade names appear very
commonly on eBay.

Jim Lande

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