 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Zia
Date: 2018-09-03 02:27
I recently got a Bb B&H Emperor clarinet with a serial number dating it to 1958. What type of wood with it its a very dark brown, with lighter streaks through it visible in bright light, i also have a wooden regent from about 1955 (not mazak keys) and i think its stained a solid black and wondered what type of wood that would be as well.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2018-09-03 13:00
They would both be grenadilla, although the wood used for the emperor may be of slightly better quality. The colour can range from a pale creamy colour to almost black. The Regent is stained to hide the quality of the wood. The Emperors were also usually stained but I have seen them unstained as well.
Tony F.
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Author: Zia
Date: 2018-09-03 18:10
Thank you, i thought they might be, the emperor appears unstained, i looked at other unstained and it looks the same, thanks for the help
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-09-03 19:13
Have you got any photos of your Regent?
I've never seen the wooden ones with dyed or stained wood to make them solid black (like Buffet or Schreiber do) and even the B&H "77" clarinets I've seen (the model below the wooden Regent) had unstained joints.
I've got a B&H Marlborough which has a visible grain pattern and natural variety of colour you'd expect from unstained polished grenadilla. Also a Selmer CT which is very red on the top side of the top joint, but jet black on the underside.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Zia
Date: 2018-09-03 19:49
Heres a picture of the bells of the regent and emperor, had to use the flash to make it easier to see
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Author: Zia
Date: 2018-09-03 19:50
Attachment: Webp.net-compress-image.jpg (1613k)
Heres a picture of the bells of the regent and emperor, had to use the flash to make it easier to see, regent on the left emperor on the right.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2018-09-03 21:13
I've seen Regents with a black finish in some sort of laquer or stain, although I've also seen them unstained. Immediately after WW2 the wood available was of very variable quality and the best of it was used on the upper range of models. The Regents were made of whatever was left, and I suspect they stained or lacquered them to cover the variable quality of the wood. As wood quality improved they may have discontinued this practice. This is all conjecture and I have no solid evidence to support it.
On my Regent, bought new in around 1953, the finish was a black stain and the coarse grain pattern was clearly visible on the bell and lower joint but the upper joint was of very dense wood and showed no grain pattern.
Tony F.
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Author: Zia
Date: 2018-09-03 22:10
there is a few knots in the wood, also the bottom of the lower joint the grain has a twisted look due to the direction it goes, i would think stain rather than varnish, before i got it a year ago it hadn't been looked after for a long time,1 tiny hairline crack above the register key and another on the inside of the bell very dry and everything needed taken apart, cleaned oiled and re padded and recorked in places, but it had been well loved by someone at some point quite worn keys and wood in places also had the thumb rest moved and filled in the holes properly, i would go with it was to cover up the wood too, and they stopped as wood quality improved or the step was unnecessary and extra cost in production. I must say i think i will keep playing the regent over the emperor, i remember taking it out the case when i got it and thinking how friendly it felt, i took the emperor out and it felt quite cold and i had a small go to see how it felt, sweet tone but slippy keys as there silver plated, hasn't seen that much playing i don't think, needs all the pads done, some of the cork too already oiled too and not a single trace of a crack which i was half expecting as i didn't pay much for it i seem to have been lucky with my ebay purchases so far, think it was the 6th online one i've bought so far, although i can't say i've never payed more than £40 for any clarinet i've bought, have to say never more than £50 now! Maybe the Emperor will grow on me with time but i'll keep my regent as i truly love it the most, back ups a plastic regent dated to 70/71, had another regent but only needed 1 back up in plastic.
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