 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-01-18 15:03
A professional clarinetist is putting me in touch with someone with a used bass clarinet for sale. The pro has played this instrument (used to own it) and says it's in good condition. I don't know the asking price yet, but would like to try to find out more about this type of clarinet before I make contact with the seller. The instrument is a Conn made about 20 years ago. Evidently it has keywork not to Eb and not to C, but to D! Has anyone out there played such an instrument? What's it like? Any idea what a reasonable price would be?
I'm aware that Conns made 20 years ago are student level instruments, not in the same class with vintage Conns. How does the Conn bass from that period compare with the Conn Bb sopranos made after the family sold the company (I know those soprano clarinets and don't like them) or with modern student quality bass clarinets?
TIA--
Lelia
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-01-18 19:39
Lelia - I have a post, near the bottom of pg 1 in "List Older Messages" re: my Conn basses, inquiring about the extensions [one of them would give me a low D] shown in the patent, no responses. I have EM'd Tim Burdick in Cleveland, because an earlier respondent said he had made such, no response so far. So essentially we are looking for the same, later developments by Conn. Offhand, could your "pro" be calling [my] low E by "concert D" terminology?I gave a copy of the pat to my favorite repairman who said it would take a real-pro tech to make such, might cost some $1200 +. Will be interested in what you find out, Don
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2000-01-19 17:19
Lelia -
I played a Conn low D bass clarinet many years ago and liked it. It won't play like a new Buffet, Selmer or Yamaha, but it won't cost as much either. Offhand, and without any research on the subject, I'd say that the low D was added because concert C seemed like a useful note to have. Also, it lets a BC play a cello part down to the bottom of the range. Who knows how many clarinetists can read bass clef and transpose at the same time, but it's at least conceivable.
Let us know how it works out.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-01-20 12:54
That's a very good point about the low D making the cello C available. I do read bass clef. Hmmm.... I think the correspondent did mean clarinet D rather than orchestra D. We seemed to be talking about the same things. I haven't had a chance to talk with the owner yet. We're in different states, so the more I know before I decide whether or not to get involved with shipping (yipes) this instrument, the better. Don and Ken, thanks very much for these helpful responses.
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