 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-06-02 06:51
Anyone ever heard of the Vito Clari-tone? I just bought a white one on ebay. I was wondering if it is a slightly better quality than the good old Dazzler. Obviously, I didn't buy it to be a great horn, more of a novelty and an amusement. You know... something I can play when I'm going down the aisle in my white dress (some day).
I wonder, if it's the same model as the white Vito bass and alto clarinets I have seen on ebay.
Any info is good.
-Contragirl
(looking for a good guy to march down the aisle next to me with a black clarinet *wink wink*)
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Author: jbutler ★2017
Date: 2005-06-02 16:42
Vito (LeBlanc) made the Clari-Tone and Reso-Tone. I'm not sure, but I think the Reso-Tone came first. I've never seen either in a color other than black before.
jbutler
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-06-02 22:14
I have this feeling that Clari-Tone came first......
Bob Draznik
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Author: sugarhigh
Date: 2005-06-05 02:35
i have a reso-tone, it's at least as old as i am...serial no. B56847 below that it says 7212 any clue to how old this might be? anybody... ?
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-06-05 15:18
I've seen a number of each, school-kids inexpensive cls, and believe Leb's model 7212 etc series goes way back and the Resotone came first, later ?cheapened? to Clari-tone and Kenosha and no-name models, still reasonably playable/repairable horns, all black as JB said. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-06-07 22:25
So would you think the Clari-tone clarinet is higher quality than the Dazzler?
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-06-11 10:02
Well, the Dazzler is a "Reso-tone," wheras this one is a "Clari-tone". Does that mean same material?
Tonight I spent about 2 hrs cleaning the thing, and it does have gold plated keys. (Fake gold anyway) I'm not sure if the keys can be buffed back to the original shine, but it still looks pretty cool.
I think I have decided to just resell it, though. I was gonna go ahead with an overhaul until I noticed a few unpleasurable defects in this particular horn.
Oh well. Maybe I will trip upon another one in the future?
--Contragirl
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Author: Ken Mills
Date: 2005-06-11 23:47
Dear Contragirl: ABS plastic stands for all black stuff. They have a note of thanks to us once in a while posted in the Clarinet magazine. It has to be black. It is more dense, would not you say? Just weigh it. OK, Ken
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Author: Scott
Date: 2005-06-14 03:25
I have a Clari-Tone - made by Leblanc (Vito) back in the 70's. I received mine in 5th grade (1973) - my Mom tells me she paid around $300 for it new. I'm having it serviced right now. I'm told it's now a collector's item. They actually drilled the marterial like a wood clarinet - it wasn't molded. Great sound for a student clarinet. I can't wait to get it back from the shop.
----------------------------
Scott Beard
Celebration Orchestra
Post Edited (2005-06-14 03:49)
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-06-14 04:06
Yeah, but is it white? Or black. The black ones are quite common. The white clari-tones don't seem as common.
--CG
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Author: marzi
Date: 2005-06-14 04:19
sugar high, my vito reso tone dates as new from 1968/69, (i'm the one and only owner its ever had)but the serial on this one ends with an A,
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Author: bbrandha
Date: 2016-03-16 05:46
Whew! Riving an old thread here. I have a white Clari-tone with gold keys. It is much heavier than my red Dazzler. They are not the same. I believe the Clari-tone is older., too.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2016-03-16 07:11
The USA-built Normandy 14 was available in a white version that had been introduced by 1958. According to Conn-Selmer, the Vito brand was launched in 1960. It's quite likely that an old white Clari-Tone is the same or a very similar instrument, and could date back to the beginning of the Vito marque.
How do the playing characteristics of your white Clari-Tone compare to that of the red Dazzler?
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Author: bbrandha
Date: 2016-03-16 07:51
Wish I could tell you. My son-in-law has the white one for now and the red one doesn't have pads yet. Well, it's got new pads. Leaky ones. I have never (in my meager experience) had a clarinet that has resisted being playable like this one.
I am all in favor of never repadding another colored clarinet. While a leak light in a black clarinet only shows at the tone holes, the colored clarinets plain old glow. I bought some cigarette papers at the local head shop, much to their amusement, but haven't tried that method of testing for leaks yet.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-03-16 17:02
That's why I don't use leak lights on clarinets - not only are the toneholes too deep compared to saxes for the light to be effective in showing up leaks, but with skin pads the light will glow through the pads and give a false reading.
And why I prefer not to use skin pads at all as cork and leather are much better when it comes to pad life as they're far more durable. I use cigarette papers as feeler gauges - get the thinnest ones you can find and make sure your toneholes are level as well, then prep the cork pads so they have completely flat faces and no defects anywhere near the tonehole crowns/impressions.
There are also excellent quality synthetic pads on the market now (Valentino Masters) that are a far cry from the old rubber pads some older Vitos were fitted with, so with these you will end up with a clarinet that seals bottle tight with the combination of well seated and non-porous pads as well as the plastic body that shouldn't have any defects in it that will cause leaks.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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