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help identifying an old clarinet

Author: allison b
Date: 2004-04-21 04:20

A trombone player friend asked me to look at an old clarinet he got from his mother-in-law. He's wondering if it's worth anything, or what to do with it.

It is, I think, an E-flat. Looks the right size, but it's nowhere near playable, so hard to check. Marked "LeFevre, Paris" on most joints; top joint also has another word below, as near as we could make out it starts with "bel." Mouthpiece is wood and says "Chapelain." The barrel also has a mark that may be "HI." All the markings are worn and hard to read.

The clarinet has 13 keys and 4 rings and a wrap-around register key. I think it's an old Albert system.

I doubt it's got playing potential...bell is cracked through, keys are bent, wood (looks like grenadilla) is in bad condition. My guess is that its greatest potential is as a lamp, but I don't know that much about old instruments.

Any insight as to age, value, etc. appreciated!

Allison

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Re: help identifying an old clarinet

Author: ron b
Date: 2004-04-21 06:22

Your initial impression is probably correct, Allison. Any horn can be resusitated (he says, with some reservation). Give particular attention to that "HI" mark. It sounds suspiciously like a High Pitch (HP or H.P.) instrument, in which case it's probably not worth restoring. Low Pitch, LP or L.P. would be worth considering - still, it sound like it's in pretty bad shape.

- r [cool]

n b -

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