 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Evelynmarie
Date: 2002-11-29 03:47
I have been looking online for information on my clarinet, and have had no luck. It was given to me when I was younger and it belonged to my Grandfather, and I believe it also belonged to his dad or an older relative. The clarinet is of silver color, but I am not sure if it is real silver. It is tarnished, and I used silver cleaner on it once, and it cleaned up nice. On the bell, It says: BEACON and under that : BOSTON,MASS There is a little design above and below the words. On the lower end of the clarinet are the numbers: 8015H. The case is wooden, with blue velvet lining. The interesting thing to me about the clarinet, is that it does not come apart. The mouthpiece is the only detachable piece to it. I would love to know how old the clarinet is, and any information on the company that made it.
Thank you in advance for any help.
Evelynmarie
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-11-29 18:20
Welcome EM, I have been hoping that Jin Lande, one of our most knowledgable metal clar experts, might respond. To me, the name Beacon is only a "tradename" [we call these "stencils"] but Boston strongly suggests Bettoney [perhaps with Cundy also] as the maker. If it is a "regular Boehm" system of keys, it prob. dates between 1910-40 [1925?]. Jim Lande has a current E-Mail post on the Yahoogroups/EarlyClarinet site re: names which is very informative. Good luck, Don
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Author: jim lande
Date: 2003-02-27 04:00
Thanks for saying the nice things.
There is little evidence for student model metal clarinets before 1925. A few were made into the 1950s, But I guess Don is correct that this horn was made closer to 1930.
As Don says, there were not many companies that made metal clarinets in Boston other than Cundy Bettoney. According to the New Langwell index, other possibilities include the Oliver Ditson Company and two of the Haynes companies, (Both W.S.Haynes and Haynes-Schwelm made double walled metal clarinets. I don't think that either made single walled models.)
I have seen one reference on eBay to a Beacon made by the Boston Music Company. There was a Boston Musical Instrument Manufactory operating in Boston up until 1919. That company was then sold to Cundy Bettoney. Bettoney kept using the 3 Star name which also had been associated with Boston Musical and other musical instrument companies seemed to operate with many names including companies that they had absorbed. So, best guess is that it was made by Cundy Bettoney.
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Author: stjenkins
Date: 2004-01-02 19:06
I have a couple of questions about my clarinet, which I bought in a second-hand shop in Maine about 8 years ago. It seems to be similar to the one described previously in this thread.
It is silver-plated, over brass I think, with "Beacon Boston, Mass" over a lotus flower and the words "Made in U.S.A." The case has a metal plate inside the lid which says "Beacon Musical Instrument Co. 22 Stuart St, Boston MA." The case is cloth-covered wood with red velvet lining. The clarinet has a post for an included music holder which is also silver, and has stamped in the top "Bettoney Boston." The ligature is also silver plate, mouthpiece is black plastic, with silverplated barrel fitting (which has some wear on the plate, revealing brass colored metal beneath). The mouthpiece cap is plastic. The pads are cork or white felt with a thin membrane cover.
Q1: What level instrument is this--I would guess a student or intermediate
Q2: Any guidance as to its vintage?
Q3: Without a tuning fork/piano, how can I tell if it's Bb, Eb, or A?
I played it for about a year (badly--my flute is better) but never got the hang of it and decided at some point that I'd rather listen to Sidney Bechet than try to be him. Any selling advice would be appreciated.
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Author: jim lande
Date: 2004-01-04 04:01
It probably dates from 1925 to 1950. The address does not match any addresses shown for the Cundy Bettoney company. However, the address could be for a music store rather than the H.Q.
If the length with mouthpiece is a little over 26 inches, then it is in Bb.
27 1/2 inches and it is in A. If the length is anything else post it and we'll figure it out.
However, likely it is a Bb horn. It will fetch between $40 and $70 on eBay. Chances are it would play a whole lot better with new pads & such.
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Author: stjenkins
Date: 2004-01-06 03:11
Thanks very much for the advice. It's about what I figured, but thought there was a chance it might be something special.
It measures only 25-3/4" with the mouthpiece pushed in to the hilt. Is that still Bb?
Susan
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2004-01-06 06:16
Seems to me that length is somewhat unusual. The shortest Bb Clarinet I ever measured is 25 15/16" in length, 25 3/4" certainly could be a Bb, but it would have a bore that's smaller than usual -- unless it is a Bb HP (High Pitch) instrument, one which is tuned considerably above A=440. HP rather went out of fashion around the end of The Great War, thus few of these were made later than 1920 or so.
It might be a C-pitch Clarinet, but 25 3/4" seems a bit long for a C. Suggestion: play the instrument and find if a C on the Clarinet (cover the thumb hole and the three left-hand finger holes only) equals a Bb on a well-tuned piano. If it does, it's a Bb Clarinet of standard pitch. If it's equal to a C on the piano, it's a C clarinet. If the note produced is somewhere between Bb and C, then you have a Bb HP Clarinet. If it's none of those, do come back with the news.
Regards,
John
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Author: stjenkins
Date: 2004-01-10 02:17
Thanks for the reply John.
I re-measured the instrument, this time with the cap off--it's 25-1/2" without the mouthpiece cap.
Against my next-door-neighbor's piano, which is played every day by her kids, it sounds a clear Bb when playing a C on the instrument. So it would seem that it's a Bb but shorter than normal.
The bore always looked a little skinny to me, nearly as narrow as a flute. But I've never seen any other metal clarinets, so perhaps this is normal.
Post Edited (2004-01-17 23:01)
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