 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: becks
Date: 2006-12-02 18:32
Dear All:
Need help with an old wooden Alto clarinet -- it is a Leblanc, serial number 6630. It was donated to a church that can't use it and it has been offered to me for what I think a fair price would be. (The case marking is "CCHS Band".)
It is smaller than other Altos I've seen, and while it's comfortable for my small hands, it plays at about A443 (haven't decided to buy it yet because of this). Also, the two joints are held permanently together with a metal plate screwing the 2 together, and it's not for any kind of cracking, because the original case was built to take the 2 sections together. Very worn plating, otherwise in good playing condition, give or take a few cork repairs. It has a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece in the case.
Two questions: 1) Can anyone help me with a possible vintage? and 2) Are there any mouthpieces that might bring the pitch down somewhat? Thanks
bsteltz
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-12-02 19:21
Hi Becks - My knowledge of Leblanc alto cls is quite a bit from the past. Mine was a wood, with full "plateau keying" [does yours have any "open holes" like our Bb's ?] and had the angled [not the "swan-neck] neck-barrel. These features would help date it for some owners, since some Leb insts cannot be serial # dated easily. Mine played [too?] easily-loudly, none too well in tune. The tying together of your 2 wood joints makes me wonder if that tenon had been broken up- off, repaired?. I could never get "good tonal quality" on mine, sold it cheaply,and bought a very good Selmer B-series A C, a bit expensive, but worth it to me for concert band use. An "overly-long mp" MIGHT? help lower pitch. Others please help. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: LeeB
Date: 2006-12-02 21:31
Sounds like it might be close to being useful only as a wall decoration in the den.
Hope you're not paying too much for it. If you wait until the right time of year (right after school lets out), you can get some extraordinary deals on very nice alto clarinets on a well known auction site.
A year or two ago, I picked up a Selmer Series 22 alto clarinet in very nice condition for around 400 bucks (the new, street priced for this instrument is about $6,700). I'd say you're more likely to find a good deal on an alto clarinet than any other harmony clarinets. Lots of institutions buy them, but not all that many private individuals want them (unlike, say, a bass clarinet which is more useful in many more contexts like orchestras, musical pit bands, big bands, etc.). Just bide your time, and a worthy instrument will come along.
If you buy the instrument you're looking at, you're probably going to sink money into it to attempt to get it straightened out. Spending the money it would probably take to do a first class refurb on such an instrument wouldn't be a sound financial move. Might as well take the money you'd spend to buy it, add the repair money, and buy a better horn.
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Author: larryb
Date: 2006-12-03 00:05
Not sure if this helps with vintage (Leblanc harmony clarinet records are sketchy at best), but my Leblanc LL Basset Horn serial #72xx was made around 1961, according to the guy at Leblanc who is the expert on these things (I'm not sure if he's still out there in Kenosha, given all the turnover in the business).
With that in mind, I'd guess that your alto clar dates from the late 1950s to 1960. Just a guess.
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2006-12-04 15:57
Leblanc shipped their school top end harmony clarinets with the joints plated together back in the 1960's and 1970's, and shipped a "long" case to suit this arrangement. So, it's most likely not anything to do with a repair.
Having said that, it is an alto clarinet...
I always worry about ex-school instruments, for they are already far too easy to steal. When my son took up bassoon, I answered a few classifieds in the Houston area, and each of them was clearly a school horn, one even with the school's property number plates still in place. When questioned, the "owner" professed ignorance, even though their residence was located in the confines of the district in question.
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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