 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2008-09-15 11:51
I'm looking for some information about a Boosey & Hawkes Emperor model. I searched and read all threads I could find here. According to the serial number list I found (which I think is accurate) it was made in the late 1950s (167xxx). I understand Emperors before around 1975 are generally better. Is it right that these models had variations in them? I don't notice anything unique about it, and seems like a regular clarinet as far as keys, etc. It has tenon caps (which don't enter into the bore), the bell doesn't have a metal ring and has sort of a decoration, and the wood looks very good.
I'm interested to know what should be the quality of this instrument for playing (tone and intonation), and what would be an equivilent model (playing-wise) today.
Do these need the original mouthpiece? It has the mouthpiece, and it looks in decent condition, but it would be good to know if it can play with any "regular" (i.e. French) mouthpiece.
Thanks!
Post Edited (2008-09-15 13:32)
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Author: graham
Date: 2008-09-15 13:02
It's a cheap 926 and probably plays best with a 926 mouthpiece, but I believe it works with a modern French mouthpiece.
It's quality did seem to go down around the time you mention, (though to be pedantic I think it is 1974 or perhaps a year earlier). I bought one of the later worse ones. The key work was sloppy and went out of adjustment very easily. The instrument had deliberately been tuned generally sharp to counteract bad plyers going flat (earlier models should have better intonation). Tone was very forthright and generally pleasing. The tone was the best thing about it.
926 bore clarinets don't seem to come up these days. Perhaps Noblet is close. Hanson make a 14.9 mm bore clarinet and would probably be able to tell you how close in character it is to the old 926/Emperor.
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Author: Nessie1
Date: 2008-09-15 13:14
I used to play on a pair of Emperors. These were bought new in 1979 (ie rather later than the period to which you refer). I don't have any particular information about any changes in the model over the period throughout which it was manufactured so I don't know whether 1950's is better in any way than 1970's but the general feeling about the model was always that the intonation was not great - generally, as with most B & H models, they got sharp pretty quickly when you started playing (or even before you even started in hot weather) and were also quite "wild" intonation-wise (ie did not have consistent intervals within the instrument in some cases).
The actual tone was not bad. I got through school on my instruments.
I hope that this does not sound too discouraging - may be, as you say, earlier ones were better in some respects and there is always the exception that proves the rule.
The Emperors were an intermediate model in the B & H range - somewhere between the Regent, which was a student instrument, and the 1010, which was a professional model. If you looked at the current Buffet range, it would be something like the E11 coming between the B12 and the R13.
Concerning choice of mouthpiece, whilst you do not necessarily need the original mouthpiece (but give it a go as you say that it looks reasonable) but bear in mind that they have a wider bore than most french instruments and, therefore, most french mouthpieces would be unlikely to suit and would certainly not help any intonation problems. There are various wide-bore mouthpieces available - you would need something with a bore of about 926.
Hope this helps
Vanessa.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-09-15 14:19
"The Emperors were an intermediate model in the B & H range - somewhere between the Regent, which was a student instrument, and the 1010, which was a professional model. If you looked at the current Buffet range, it would be something like the E11 coming between the B12 and the R13."
That's pretty much it summed up (being that it's current equivalent is an E11).
The Emperor was the model in between the Edgware and the Imperial 926, and was in essence an Edgware with silver plated keys and fittings. It has the same 14.9mm bore as the Regent, Edgware and Imperial 926. The throat notes are fairly sharp on these clarinets, though they will play in tune with the 67mm barrel pulled out by 2mm. They did supply short barrels of around 62mm (marked 'SHORT' on the back), but these only make the intonation problems around the throat notes even worse.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2008-09-21 21:11
The early Emperor's were really a semi-pro instrument built identically to the 926 but with nickel plate and probably minimal "hand tuning" (which the original pro instruments used to get).
I still have a 1953 Emperor Bb and Imperial A both ser no 83xxx and build quality is identical and superb - every key fitted with rods - even my later Imperial Bb ser no 509xxx c 1979 doesn't have that.
As noted in post above they benefit from correct 926 mouthpiece for intonation especially in altissimo. It is possible to ream a "standard" french m/p to 926 bore but it may lower the pitch (the 926 m/p is 1-2mm shorter than some french).
All B&H pro clarinets were built to play marginally sharp when up to temperature, the early manuals actually said to pull out about 1-1.5 mm at 68F.
Sound-wise I think it fair to say they assist an "English" sound but nothing as pronounced as the 1010.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2008-09-22 04:41
Since you "bumped" the thread, I can say that after it's repaired this late 50s Emperor is not really a great clarinet. Mechanically the main problem was loose posts, the pilot type pivot screws, and for some keys the feel isn't as good as modern clarinets. The tone is ok but a little stuffy, especially two ro three notes that are especially stuffy. Intonation was reasonable with the original mouthpiece but also with my mouthpiece. If I had to choose between that and the student Yamaha (the new one) which I just tried, it wouldn't be an easy choice. Maybe this was just not one of the better Emperors. I think it would be fine for a student.
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