 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Grandpa
Date: 2010-02-26 21:09
I bought the clarinet on ebay. There were no pictures, but was described as having good key pads. The plating is coming off where fingers make contact on the keys and the wood is a dark brown with a little red cast to it. The wood seems to have a rather coarse grain to it, although I could be mistaken as I know little about wood used in clarinets. I bought it for my granddaughter thinking it was a student clarinet, but better than a Sears Silvertone I got earlier. I am wondering if it is more than a student clarinet. Nearest the barrel is a lyre (a fat pair shape with three leaves sticking up on stalks) containing a D, then a little lower an oval containing NOBLET and then the next line says PARIS. Below the oval is an elongated D with a N on top of that. The next line says FRANCE. I will try to post some pictures and am wondering if there is a size limit on the pictures.
Post Edited (2010-02-26 21:33)
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Author: Jkelly32562
Date: 2010-02-26 23:26
I would guess it is a Noblet Model 40 by the pictures of the oval emblem with the lyre you posted, made between 1940 and 1960 ish. I think the emblem changed in the early 60s to a square logo, but I assure you more qualified people will chime in with better opinions.
Jonathan
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-02-27 00:05
If the second photo indeed shows all of the clarinet, you are missing a major part: the tuning barrel. That goes between the upper joint and the mouthpiece. Hard to play the clarinet without one. 
Noblet clarinets were student/intermediate models. Not a pro model, but of decent quality. Have a trusted repair tech look it over for obvious problems before sinking much money into repairs or restoring it.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
Post Edited (2010-02-27 00:06)
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Author: Grandpa
Date: 2010-02-27 01:30
Oops, forgot to photoghraph it, I do have a barrel and it says NOBLET then PARIS on it with the lyre and N on top of long D like the others parts.
Post Edited (2010-02-27 02:18)
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2010-02-27 01:50
Can you find a serial number onthe backs, top of UJ, bottom of LJ? With it you can date the cl, try Clarinet Perfection and /or Search our archives for Equipment/How Old Is My. I have a later model [1980] Nob, a VG player for my "Easy Listening" type of playing. Hope yours is that good ! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Grandpa
Date: 2010-02-27 02:12
Serial Number 17511
I did try searching, but did not have much luck except it appears to be a D Noblet because it has the long streatched out D with the N on top of it.
Post Edited (2010-02-27 04:14)
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Author: DougR
Date: 2010-02-27 03:44
Well, the horn is very familiar to ME because my folks bought me one exactly like it brand new, in 1958, for $189.50. I think if you search the threads here you'll find previous discussions about the range of Leblanc instruments from that era, but as I remember there was a base Normandy student model (plastic), an intermediate model (D Noblet), in wood, and then the artist-model clarinets. I still have mine around here somewhere, but as I remember the serial number was four digits and then a letter (mine was 876-something and then a "D"). It was a good horn to learn on, and I played it until I acquired my R13, which is frankly in an entirely different solar system from student horns.
And yeah, the plating wears off where your fingers touch the keys, over time. But you should have seen the plating when the horn was new! Deep, lustrous, brilliant. I was almost scared to play it, it was so pretty.
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Author: Grandpa
Date: 2010-02-27 04:22
There is this web site with serial numbers, but not sure where mine would fit because mine says Noblet on it, nothing about Leblanc. The really peculiar thing is the PARIS and the FRANCE on the clarinet because in my readings here the Noblet made in France came no later than 1940. To further confuse, though, just FRANCE by ratner than Cue France is odd. http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Equipment/HowOld/Leblanc.html
Post Edited (2010-02-27 11:29)
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Author: Grandpa
Date: 2010-02-27 15:55
I did a search with Noblet France Old and got a description of a clarinet with a logo that seems much like mine where a person who repairs clarinets thought the it was made in the 1930s because of its construction and design
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Author: Grandpa
Date: 2010-02-28 02:11
Thanks Chris, from your clarinetperfection web site reference, I determined that I have a Noblet 40 manufactured just before 1960 because a 18559 serial number was manufactured in 1960
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