Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-02-23 20:25
"The bottom keys of clarinets have a vertical rod, a pad cup and a horizontal strut that connects the two. The strut should extend only to the middle of the pad cup. I've found that a strut that goes all the way across the cup is a sure sign that a clarinet's keys are made of pot-metal, which breaks easily and can't be repaired. (It's the opposite, though, for oboes.)"
The early B&H Regent and "77" clarinets had mazak keys which look very similar to the better B&H keywork - the key arm terminated at the point on the pad cup. Only on the underside of these keys there's a part number in relief as opposed to being stamped into the metal.
The early Howarth clarinets from the late '40s (but not the current S2/S3 models or any from 1993 onwards) had the cup arm that went all the way across the pad cup as it does on their oboes, but these were definitely made of nickel silver, and the clarinets were probably very similar to the earlier Louis 'Chas Draper' model in body, bore and keywork design, but with the exception of the pad cups and cup arms.
[ Chris P. is an employee of Howarth's and did not disclose such until much later. My apologies for missing this and letting Chris P. misuse this BBoard. Mark Charette ]
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The Clarinet BBoard
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