Klarinet Archive - Posting 000436.txt from 2005/08

From: "Lelia Loban" <lelialoban@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Metal Alto clarinet
Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2005 09:43:02 -0400


Bobby McClellan wrote,
>I noticed a metal Alto clarinet on Ebay
>tonight. does anyone know anything
>about these horns? I that it was interesting
>to say the least because I do not see them
>that often. I haven'r much talk about them
>like you do about the Bb soprano models.

Metal alto clarinets were never very common. Who made it? Selmer, H.
Bettoney and other good manufacturers made some good metal altos, back in
the day. No-name companies made no-name junkers.

I can tell you from personal experience that there's at least one metal
alto out there somewhere that's (A) rare and collectible or (B) good for
pretty much nothing, except maybe hanging on the wall of a T. G. I.
Friday's (choose A or B depending on whether you're buying it or selling
it). It's the one I had to play for my first few weeks in seventh grade,
as lone alto clarinetist of my junior high school band, in 1960. The
school had ordered the large instruments, such as the tubas, that the kids
weren't expected to buy for ourselves, but the shipment didn't arrive on
time for the opening of our newly-built school. Our intrepid band teacher
went around to other schools in the district and begged and borrowed
loaners. Naturally those teachers assumed that anything loaned was lost,
so they had a little list, yes, they had a little list, of musical
offenders that never would be missed, no they never would be missed (with
apologies to W. S. Gilbert).

I don't remember the brand name of that decrepit old double-walled metal
alto clarinet. For all I know, it might have been a decent instrument,
when it first arrived from Mars. Probably it was in horrible condition
from the flying saucer crash, followed by years of misuse and then disuse.
I'm sure my band director didn't want to waste any time or money on
cleaning up these old wrecks, since we'd only be playing on them until the
new instruments arrived, "any day now," but that alto was such a horror
show that I nearly quit band. I'd never played an alto clarinet before and
I was afraid maybe they were all like that.

Fortunately, the teacher encouraged me not to go out to the wharf, tie the
monstrosity to my ankle and jump, because within the month, the delayed
shipment of band instruments arrived, with a shiny new black plastic Bundy
alto. Now I play a pro-quality Selmer full-Boehm alto that's orders of
magnitude better than the 1960 Bundy was (Bundies improved a lot in later
years), but in 1960, believe me, I *appreciated* that Bundy, after playing
on "the Erector Set." Today, I'd be curious to try out a metal alto in
playable condition, made by a good manufacturer.

Well, maybe Jim Lande can supply some *useful* information.... And, hey,
Rebecca (welcome back!) -- have you ever played a good metal alto?

Lelia Loban

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