 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Tankie1rtr
Date: 2022-09-16 13:53
Hi Guys.
I already have a nice pair of B&H Emperor Clarinets, 1952 and 1970, and I have just purchased (I feel very luckily) a B&H 926 Imperial for £300 from The Music Company, they are going to service it and re cork it, and I also got 6 months warranty, I have heard or read that the 926 is the equivalent to the Buffet R13, Can anybody please confirm this ? and are the 926 although older, still a good clarinet. Thanks
Post Edited (2022-09-16 16:38)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2022-09-16 18:50
Imperial 926 clarinets are indeed in the same price/quality bracket as an R13 (which is what they were replaced with in UK military bands) and acoustically they're the same basic instrument as the Regent, Edgware and Emperor as they have the same diameter joints, bore and tonehole layout but do sport a wide diameter (thicker wood) barrel.
Like all B&H clarinets, build and finishing quality suffered and was slap-dash on instruments from the late '60s onwards, so having them fully overhauled to a high standard will address all the shortcuts that were done at the factory when they were originally finished and leave you with a much better playing instrument.
Imperial 926 clarinets were also available with additional keywork and even full Boehm variants, as well as being made in A, Eb (soprano) and bass.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Tankie1rtr
Date: 2022-09-16 21:20
Thank you Chris.
Much appreciated. I am looking forward to receiving it. and the bonus is that it comes in a double case, so i can put my Emperor in with it as well.
John.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2022-09-16 23:29
Your Emperor won't be a perfect fit as the extra slots in the case are for an A clarinet, so make sure none of the keywork gets squashed by the sides of the slots. Pack the ends out with polystyrene or foam to prevent the one in the A side from shifting around.
All B&H clarinets from the Edgware up to the 1010 were available as A clarinets, so you could also find A counterparts to make up Bb/A sets of both Emperor and Imperial 926. The good thing with B&H clarinets is they can be bought for relatively little compared to Buffet - good if you're buying, but not if you're selling.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: JohnP
Date: 2022-09-17 12:10
When I was a student at the RCM in 70’s we used to be able to visit the B&H factory at Edgware to try mouthpieces and instruments. Dave James once told me that there was a whole batch of 926’s which were faulty. My memory is vague as to the details but I think it involved somebody on the production line taking a shortcut and boring the holes inaccurately. I got the impression that several were sold before the problem was identified.
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Author: Tankie1rtr
Date: 2022-09-17 13:46
Thank you Chris.
I will look for a B&H A clarinet to compliment the set. I dont know how it happened, but last month, I had 1 Clarinet, Now I have 5, a Selmer Signet Special, a B&H Regent, 2 B&H Emperor's and 1 B&H 926 Imperial. lol, Thanks for all your help Chris. Much appreciated.
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Author: Tankie1rtr
Date: 2022-09-17 13:47
Hi John.
Interesting story, I hope I havent just bought one of them. lol.
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Author: Hunter_100
Date: 2022-09-17 17:30
Since you bought yours from a shop that is going to overhaul and warranty the instrument, I think its unlikely to have significant issues. If it does, I would hope they could address them or at least give you store credit to apply to another instrument.
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Author: Tankie1rtr
Date: 2022-09-17 21:27
Hi Hunter.
I would like to think so as well. I bought it from "The Wind Section" Musical instrument store in Edinburgh, they have 5 star reviews so they seem to be a good store.
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