 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: iknat1
Date: 2008-01-03 00:09
Alright.. im relieved to know there is no yamaha regent.
instead the mouthpeice is yamaha the rest is B&H
serial number 411216..
any info?
Post Edited (2008-01-03 03:11)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-01-03 13:42
It's a 1970s B&H Regent, the current clarinets on the market in this bracket are the Buffet B12, Yamaha 250 and Vito.
It was one of the standard beginner clarinets in the UK until B&H stopped their UK production of clarinets in the mid-'80s when they replaced it with the Schreiber-built B&H Regent II (which was known as the 'Evette' before this), later to be rebranded as the Buffet B12 as it is to this day.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2008-01-04 13:18
Many (if not all) of the B&H Regents had "pot metal" keys, which break easily, like after 2 bends - so the technician breaks it when he straightens it! - and cannot be satisfactorily re-soldered. Replacements are now pretty well impossible to get., and it is expensive modifying another brand to fit.
So for those in the know, this takes down their value. When properly set up, they play well. Setting up properly (without breaking keys) can be a challenge, because the standard of manufacture is not too great.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-01-04 22:47
You will know if your Regent has mazak keys (which were die cast as a single piece, key barrel included) - there's a long number in relief under the LH levers (E/B and F#C#) and the LH F/C key, all the numbers are in a single line and seperated in places with hyphens. Though as it's a '70s one it's unlikely to have mazak keys, and the same keywork pieces as the Edgware, Emperor and Imperial 926 (the last two having silver plated keys, the Regent and Edgware have nickel plated keys).
All the B&H clarinets with nickel silver keys (which is stronger than mazak and repairable if they break) have four numbers sunken into the undersides (not in relief), forming a 2x2 square.
B&H numbered their keys like this so replacements could be ordered from them.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2008-01-05 12:40
As I've said before here, I don't think that test for Mazak (= "pot metal" = "muck metal") keys is totally reliable. I have definitely worked on examples of Edgware clarinets with "Mazak" keys, and I have never to my knowledge worked on a Regent that does not have them. Perhaps there were differences in how they were presented around the globe.
"Author: iknat1 (---.jetstream.xtra.co.nz - ISP in Auckland, 00 New Zealand)"
Wow! Another person from my neck of the woods?
BTW, I still have a few B&H replacement keys. For the A/D bridge key, which was the most common to break, I eventually had a mould made, and got replacements cast in sterling silver, for about half what I was paying for the genuine, crappy replacements.
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Author: iknat1
Date: 2008-01-09 21:35
..south island now.. but closer than the US :-)
so guys..
I could go either way on this now.
Is it more likely than not, going to need these bits replaced?
Would you buy it for $100NZ?
I don't have the option of playing it first to decide.
they say it plays "ok" (.. they obviously took it up for a bit and then got bored.. don't know too much about it)
hmmm.. oh decisions :-)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-01-09 23:04
I'll say it's highly unlikely to need any keywork replaced as it's of the era when B&H had stopped using mazak keys (for some time) in favour of nickel silver keys.
Yeah this arguement may go on for some time, but I'm willing to put my neck on the line here. The only B&H clarinets that had mazak keys in the UK were the B&H "77" (wooden body with an ebonite bell) and the all wooden Regents bearing serial numbers below the 200000s which had the earlier style keywork (with all smooth touchpieces, and no cross-hatched LH F/C touch). The plastic Regents from the '60s right through to the '80s had nickel silver keys from what I have seen and worked on.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2008-01-10 12:56)
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Author: b.roke
Date: 2008-01-09 23:51
hi from chch.
buying a clarinet that you cannot play (or even see?) is tough if you want to play it successfully. this is a beginner clarinet - although beginners should have better equipment to start on though i started on a regent, but only for a month or 2.
if you have played, or are really wanting to learn then my advice is to go for something a lot better. the downside is that better is also more expensive to buy. but it may then be cheaper to run. $100 to buy and then $200 to make playable makes it a very expensive regent.
.
steadfastness stands higher than any success
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2008-01-10 03:45
Hmm. It so happens that the writer is in New Zealand, and the only Regents - dozens of them - that I have seen here had the "Mazak" keys. I've replaced a couple of dozen of these keys on plastic Regents in NZ.
Perhaps B&H saved the Mazak keyed ones especially for NZ.
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Author: iknat1
Date: 2008-01-10 06:31
alright, we'll stop the loop before it goes around again :-0
my thoughts have swayed someway towards b.roke's..
doing up a cheap regent is probably not worth the hassle.
& it's likely to be needed.
I played for years on my sisters' horn ..
then stopped aged 15 when i was threatened with school band (it couldve been good for me, but teenagers are terrible)
12years down the line I want to get playing again.
There was an old wooden one sitting around..
which is very very hard to play.. it's off putting.
On the other hand.. picking up my sister's kenosha again was wonderful!
but I can't take it off her..
Looking around,.. it seems to be mostly B&H & yamaha's out&about..
with Yamaha's winning the vote on general reliability & ease of resale (when I feel a bit richer & get to upgrade!)
I had read that the lower keys on the B&H models often needed work..
which sounds fair.
I think I'll go back to plan A ..
:-)
now to get playing!
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