 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Lynne
Date: 2004-01-12 20:11
Could anyone give me any info on this clarinet? A pupil of mine is selling one and I wondered if it was a good buy. I've checked it over and it blows well and freely and it's in tune too. Thanks in advance!
Lynne
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Author: Fred
Date: 2004-01-12 20:27
Lynne, there's a great search feature on the line right above your topic heading. Try typing in "Leblanc LL" and you'll get more information in a few seconds than responders could give you in a week.
Hope that helps.
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Author: Henry
Date: 2004-01-12 20:27
Lynne....Although I cannot really compare it to anything else (it's my first clarinet!), I love my 1964 LL (s/n 23xxx). Its intonation, keywork, tone and ease of blowing are all very good and it is still in great overall condition. I bought it on e-bay about a year and a half ago for just over $300 and invested another $150 on a complete overhaul, although I'm not sure it really needed it. Whether it is a good buy or not all depends on the price. But there is no question that the LL is an excellent clarinet, based on my own experience and what I have learned from many previous discussions on this board.
Good luck!
Henry
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-01-12 21:19
Fred and Henry say it very well. My son/grandson and I have several LeBlanc clarinets from this time period, 1950-80, and they all are very good, with slight differences in bore size, scarcely noticeable to most players. The LL's were Leon LeBlancs "swan song" as I understand it, and his "gift" to us. The best known large bore cls [15.0 mm] were/are the Pete Fountain models, still prized, just ask. One of my best horns is an L7, having a "medium-sized" [14.8 mm] bore. If the pricecondition is at all reasonable, buy it. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: snjshipley
Date: 2004-01-12 21:44
I bought a circ. 1967 Leblanc LL on ebay. It has excellent keywork, tone and is very SMOOTH. I love it for dixieland Jazz/pop/swing music (that is all I play).
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Author: Fred
Date: 2004-01-12 22:56
Lynne, one thing you didn't mention is price. As Henry and Don mentioned, LL's are well regarded, but they (like any other clarinet) have to be priced right before they would be considered a great buy. You can do a check on ebay's completed sales for LL's, but I'd follow Henry's lead and say $300-400 for an LL is about right; maybe less if it is trashed and more if it is freshly overhauled.
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Author: Henry
Date: 2004-01-14 19:33
FWIW....A Leblanc LL just sold for $561 on e-bay. Another one is still listed for $720 (no bids yet). Both are older than mine (see post above) but both were claimed to have been recently overhauled.
Still, it seems I got a pretty good deal.
Henry
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2004-01-14 23:39
Hi Henry,
The LL that just sold on eBay for $561 was a Full-Boehm model. Those are pretty scarce, especially in mint or freshly overhauled condition, as this one appeared to be. The occasional Full-Boehm that turns up on eBay usually commands a pretty good premium over a "regular" Boehm of the same make and vintage. The truth is that if it had been a Selmer or Buffet Full-Boehm, it would have probably have brought quite a bit more. I think $300 is pretty much mid-market for the clarinet you bought but, because market isn't particularly good for older Leblancs on eBay, I think you did get a decent deal.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: Henry
Date: 2004-01-14 23:59
Jack...Yes, I indeed overlooked the fact that this was a full-Boehm system, which obviously justified a premium. The other LL, still on e-bay, is a regular Boehm and the asking price of $720 is certainly on the high side, I would think. I don't expect that there will be any bids on that one.
Henry
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