 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: johnsonfromwisconsin
Date: 2005-08-21 22:48
Attachment: Henri_Frenier3.jpg (313k)
Attachment: Henri_Frenier5.jpg (308k)
Attachment: Henri_Frenier4.jpg (309k)
Attachment: Henri_Frenier6.jpg (311k)
Well,
I found this old clarinet at a garage sale. This clarinet was lying next to another, a plastic Bundy that they wanted $275 for and was marked with a sticker that said "For Parts, $10" on the bell.
From what I gather it's a 4-ring Albert. It's make says "Henri Frenier Paris France" and it's logo consists of a dotted elipse around those words (my camera is nowhere near good enough to detail this). Also, the instrument is marked:
HP
B
I'm certain that means a high-pitched instrument, but does that 'B' mean it's keyed in B-natural? It's about 2cm shorter than my Bb and looks to be larger bored.
It's definately Grenadilla wood. The body is in tact, but the barrel is cracked cleanly enough that it would probably fall in half if you unreamed the ends. The keywork looks to be composed of 'nickle-silver'. There's no mouthpiece and it needs an overhaul.
So, has anyone else ever seen markings such as that, or has anyone else found anything rather peculiar (or spectacular) cheaply at a garage sale?
-JfW
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Author: ron b
Date: 2005-08-21 23:25
Parts is about what it's good for, JfromWis, unless you'd like to make a nice display piece of it. Or, you might persuade some string players to tune up to you. The piano will never be compatible though. B in Europe is equivalent to Bb in Wisconsin. However, as you already know, HP means you'll get only frowns and disapproving stares if you try to tune down to A=440. A high pitched instrument just cannot maintain proper intonation that far from its own tonal center. Personally, I'd keep it for a "conversation piece" just because I hate to see 'em got into the dumpster.
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2005-08-22 02:12
Ah, the possibility of the elusive clarinet in B natural rises again.
As mentioned, the "German" designation for the Bb horn is often the "B" that you have found.
There was a bit of excitement back in the mid-1990's, when Jerry Pierce of the ICS found what he (and several others with quite a bit of technical knowledge) believed was a clarinet in B natural. The measurements were right, the period was right (before catalogs became common, but after the Denner era of "the clarinet as new instrument".
There are some parts for these beasts written in early works. However, other than the one horn that Pierce et al found, there have been no other confirmed sightings.
Generally speaking, if the horn is one of the modern era (with Boehm-style axles and "spectacle" rings), it's going to be in Bb at either high or low pitch.
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2005-08-23 12:18
That looks to me like an early 20th century instrument. If you're interested in old clarinets, you may have picked up a bargain for $10. If you don't want it, I'll bet somebody else will buy it from you for more than you paid.
(Don't rely on the seller's evaluation. Anybody who's asking $275 for a used plastic Bundy, if it's in typical garage sale condition, is ignorant, because re-padding that Bundy on top of the purchase price would make it cost more than the re-sale value. My local repair guy, to whom I sometimes bring instruments to sell on consignment, warned me never to bring him used plastic Bundies, because he can get them "for next to nothing," from the schools. Flea market / yard sale value on plastic Bundies that need pads and corks is typically below $100 and often below $50 here in the Washington, D. C. area.)
It looks to me as if you've got all of the original keys, so it's probably better than a "parts" clarinet, though I can't tell on my computer whether all the parts are there, whether the bore has sprung out of round from a crack left unrepaired for decades, etc.. Yes, it's probably high pitch, but that's what you need if you play with other people who like antique instruments. Some of those old, French clarinets are clunkers and some are good instruments. Since I do my own re-padding and re-corking, if I'd happened to go to that garage sale and if I'd seen that clarinet before you got there, you never would have seen it and my cat would be making snarky noises at me again.... ;-)
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
Post Edited (2005-08-23 12:19)
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Author: BelgianClarinet
Date: 2005-08-23 16:46
Hidden somewhere far away in my memory I seem to remember that when I was much younger, about 30 years to be precise, and studied 'solfege' (the french for music theory) we used originally B for Bflat (as you call it) and the character H for B natural.
I think this was a french way of thinking (but could have been german for all I know), we use a bit over everything here, including english :-)
Don't know more details, but it could explain things here
Peter
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Author: Wayne Thompson
Date: 2005-08-23 16:52
Johnson fW,
Off topic, I'll give you some advice that you didn't ask for and may not need. I don't think your camera is that bad. All your pictures are 95 to 100% out of focus. Read the manual and maybe you'll find tricks to override the auto focus and focus on what you want, or whatever... Look at your picture #5; the pad cup in the upper right is pretty clear.
Thanks for listening. I write this selfishly; I like clear pictures of clarinets. I appreciate you putting these photos here in the first place.
Good luck,
WT
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