 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Librarian
Date: 2007-07-31 14:23
The topic of Kohlert dates and markings seems to have sparked some heated discussion a couple of years ago, but I don't sense that there was ever a settlement as to the history of Kohlert clarinets.
In 1971 I bought a clarinet for $15 because I heard a recording of Benny Goodman. I never learned to play it. On a whim in 1983 I had it re-padded and re-corked. I have done nothing with the clarinet since, and it has sat in its (cheap plastic) case gathering mildew and/or whatever. Now I am seriously considering annoying the neighbors by trying to learn to play it.
It is wood, and has the following markings:
V.KOHLERT
SOHNE
GRASLITZ
CZECHO-SLOVAKIA
[interlocking medals marked Paris, Chicago, London]
Bb
216463
The barrel seems to be part of the original, but has no markings.
The mouthpiece is marked:
Steel Ebonite
The Woodwind Co.
New York
So, when was this puppy made?
And is it worth repairing in order to play it, or would I be better off getting something else and dumping this in a consignment shop?
What's another word for thesaurus?
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-07-31 18:43
Hi Libr.- I suggest you make a Search of our BBoard archives, as the Kohlert history has been discussed quite a few times. I have a couple of K's which I ?date? one as from the 1910's and other as 1945+. I believe you will find that yours is from the C-Z [country] era of 1920 -1938?, between the WW's. Dave S is knowledgable re: the K's. Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Tony Beck
Date: 2007-07-31 19:51
As to the second part of your question, the answer is yes, it most likely is worth getting overhauled.
In the '30s and '40s Kohlert was making a student line and a pro line. The easiest way to tell what you have is to look at the throat G# key (in the G#/A combination). If the lever sweeps from the touchpiece to the key cup in one piece, it's a student horn. If the key is three pieces soldered together (touch piece, shaft and cup arm seperate) like most other clarinets, it's a high intermediate to low end professional horn.
Unfortunately, Kohlerts don't bring a lot of money these days, even though most are very good clarinets. You won't get back the price of an overhaul should you decide to sell it. However, once put in playing condition, it would be a great instrument to learn on and would do nicely in a community band or orchestra.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2007-08-01 03:30
I second Tony's remarks. I have two 1930-ish Kohlert clarinets (only differing in serial number by about 40 from each other), one is a standard Boehm and the other a full-Boehm. After good overhauls they both play as well as any other clarinet I've tried. I keep them together in a double case and they are the stars of my 'working collection' of clarinets -- even though I realize they have little market value. (To tie this in with another thread on the BB, they play every bit as well as my other 'stars', a pair of Couesnon Monopoles.)
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