 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: grenadilla428
Date: 2008-11-07 16:08
Greetings!
I currently have what I believe to be a first generation LeBlanc Symphonie (late '40's, early '50's). There are many things that I like about the instrument, but it does have its problems. I'm now faced with the decision to have it overhauled or look for a new instrument. I decided to start with the latter, beginning with Ridenour's Lyrique A. I was looking forward to trying it, but during the trial period, I didn't really like the way it felt. I tested it with a tuner, and the two instruments were actually rather close. I let a colleague try it during a rehearsal, and he didn't like it, either. I did a blind listening test (a friend turned around, I played my LeBlanc, then the Ridenour) and his assessment was that they were very close but the Ridenour was a little better. Not willing to spend the money on something I wasn't sure I liked and seemed "very close" to my current instrument, I went ahead and sent it back before the trial period was over.
My budget precludes the purchase of a brand new instrument, so I'm looking at a 1960's LeBlanc LL. I have heard that the LL in the '60's was a great instrument, perhaps the best that Leon LeBlanc made, and this one escaped the practice of reboring. Or, I can keep my current instrument and have it repaired. Any thoughts?
Post Edited (2008-11-07 19:10)
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2008-11-07 17:34
By all means, have it overhauled. You'd be amazed how much life there's left in your instrument, once all those minor and major obstacles have been removed.
(Edit: Fixed typo. Bloody keyboard...)
--
Ben
Post Edited (2008-11-07 20:21)
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Author: Tony Beck
Date: 2008-11-07 20:10
Unless you’re playing in a stage band where you have to really blast, I’d second the opinion to overhaul your Symphonie before getting another clarinet. My Symphonie 3 in A is the best clarinet I own, better than its ¾ Boehm Symphonie 3 Bb case mate (which is also a great horn, but not quite up to the A). I just wish I had more opportunities to play it in public.
The general complaint about Symphonies is that they have a limited FF and sometimes a thin tone. This can be helped a lot with the right mouthpiece. A Grabner K-13 and refaced Pomarico #1 both work well for me. On the plus side, they tune well, are even across the registers and have an easy, secure altissimo. When I was playing in the local community orchestra, there was no problem getting out beside the first stand’s Selmer.
Recently, one of our community band first section players sent his horn in for work and borrowed a mid-50s vintage Symphonie 2. After a week he had nothing but good things to say about it.
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