Klarinet Archive - Posting 000363.txt from 2004/12

From: "Lelia Loban" <lelialoban@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Re: metal clarinets
Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2004 13:54:21 -0500

Ed Stuart wrote,
>What other manufactures produced double
>walled metal clarinets?

I own a C. G. Conn Bb clarinet, double-walled, silver plated with gold wash
on the keys. The serial number in the low thousands indicates a
manufacturing date of 1895-6. The clarinet is modified Albert system, with
2 keys for pinkie fingers on each hand, a wrap-around register key and an
articulated low E/B key. It appears to me that this model was made without
a lower stack B ring or an upper stack F-ring set. I can't find any HP or
LP pitch designation.

The mouthpiece cap and Conn-type ligature are probably original to the
clarinet, but the mouthpiece that came with it looks more modern to me, and
doesn't even fit the neck socket. The dealer probably threw in some
miscellaneous mouthpiece he had lying around. It's black hard rubber,
marked "Lyle" in large script, with "MO" in block letters in one corner
next to the lay. I haven't been able to find out anything about it.

This interesting clarinet is in bad condition, with the left-hand F key and
its key touch missing, and the Ab crossover key missing. No case. Corks
and pads are totally rotted. The wrap-around octave key is bent but
repairable. However, because of the two missing keys, it's probably not
worth the attempt to overhaul this instrument. Normally I wouldn't bother
with such a mess, but because of its age, I bought it as a curiosity, for
$25 at a flea market.

Lelia Loban

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