 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: emmielou
Date: 2003-11-18 21:08
hi i am new to this but need some advice on clarinet that i have been given for my daughter. it is a boosey hawkes regent that has not been played for some years,so needs some tlc! that is fine but i do not know where to start....can anyone help please.she is up to grade 2 standard so is this a suitable instrument for a beginner????HELP......lol
thanks for reading.
harrassed mum
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-11-18 21:10
I would, personally, take it to my nearest repairer (in my case this is the wonderful Mark Pinner) to have it looked at. It might not need any adjustment, but considering it's been unplayed for a while I would think it's screws and pads would need some adjustment.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-11-18 21:15
Welcome E L, this is a fine place to obtain good advice, since we have a number of U K'ns who are acquainted with B&H cls and your repair services. Lets hope they respond to your request. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Clare
Date: 2003-11-18 21:27
The Regent is definitely a good starter instrument (I have fond memories of mine), but you're wise to get a proper technician to look it over. Where are you based, and do you know of a good local tech? A number of places will accept instruments by post for fixing. I always used to send mine away when I was living miles from a city and that worked well, but it's much easier if you live handy to someone who'll do a good job.
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Author: David
Date: 2003-11-18 23:58
Dead basic, but pretty sound machine. It'll probably be fine after a bit of a fettle. When I was at school, and first learning, Regents and the Edgware series were the standard issue, and pretty bombproof.
The teacher is probably the best first port of call to get the basics sorted (suitable reed strength, check over to see what state the mouthpiece is in and give you some idea of what needs fixing if it does need a service). He or she will probably also be able to recommend a repairman who will be local to you.
Good luck, and if the sprog gets hooked on the sound, they can work their way up to higher level models, and keep the Union Flag waving.
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Author: CJB
Date: 2003-11-19 07:51
As with many others my 1st clarinet was a Regent - nicknamed squeek 'cos it did, though that was probably mostly due to the player.
It is a fine 1st instrument which took me through to just before I did my grade 8.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-11-19 23:57
Thanks for the vote of confidence Diz but my sphere of influence does not stretch to the UK. Regents are one of Boosey and Hawkes lower end models along with the Edgeware and Oxford. The Imperial was the standard higher grade and they also made premium models such as the 1010 and Barrett Actions. There can be problems with some of the lower level Boosey's from the repair perspective. Some were made with pot metal keys that are un-solderable if broken, they require current welding. The intonation is ocassionally suspect and often unfixable by voicing. They are all getting to be a fair age so age related problems, such as joint shrinkage, will occur. Some are wood, some are rubber and others are some type of plastic so quality levels are inconsistent. On the upside, most are restorable to reasonable condition and would be comparable to most modern student grade instruments although you have to weigh up the cost issue. If you can get a good repair done for less than the cost of a modern student horn then you may as well go foor it. Your best bet is to contact Howarth in London and get them to quote on a restoration, it may then have some re-sale value.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-11-20 14:20
I've renovated a fairly large number of B&H clarinets, including nearly all the models (I've done Edgwares, a Stratford, three Series 2-20s, an 8-10, two Imperial 926s and two Symphony 1010s). My observations generally mirror Mark Pinners:
-- The wood models, even the lower-end Edgwares, almost always have nice-quality, attractive wood --- I've seen very few cracks in these clarinets.
-- Mark is spot-on about the metal used in the keys -- most are quite brittle.
-- Their intonation from the factory is not too good, BUT these clarinets have straight-sided toneholes, and I've found that if the toneholes are undercut (and the usual voicing via pad height adjustments, etc. is performed in conjunction) then the intonation and response are significantly improved, to the point of acceptability or better.
-- Some of the key shapes/sizes/spacings are awkward but can be improved with relatively little effort; specifically the register key, the throat A, and the sliver keys. With some thinning (sliver and throat A keys), shortening (register key), and bending to the right (of the throat A key) the clarinets change character from 'clumsy' to 'comfortable'.
-- I played a hard-rubber Edgware model in community orchestra for one season and it was not a bad little horn at all.
-- I currently play a modified 8-10 wood model (with the aforementioned undercutting and keywork modifications) and I consider it one of the best-playing clarinets I've tried, comparable to the better R-13s I've played but with a bit of the more open, flexible "English" sound I prefer to the compact "small-bore" sound.
My feeling is that the entire B&H clarinet line was basically very good but only 90% finished at the factory. Had they taken the few extra steps I've outlined, they would have had a superb line of products that might still be in production and giving Buffet and Selmer a run for their money (just speculation, of course!).
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