 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: apo
Date: 2009-08-27 01:53
Attachment: DSCF4171.JPG (703k)
Hello All. I have just purchased a Kohlert Winnenden clarinet which was sold as an alto clarinet. As far as I can tell, from the limited info available, it was produced in 1954. The confusion for me stems from a couple of things: 1) the neck is curved in the same style as a bass clarinet. I have seen pictures of other older Kohlert alto clarinets, and they all have a slightly curved neck. This one is full-on Bass clarinet style. 2) this instrument seems to have a very deep range for an alto. I am new to anything deeper than a Bb soprano clarinet, so I could be wrong, though. If I stand up straight, with the clarinet in playing position, it extends to slightly below my groin area, which seems larger than the other alto clarinets I have seen. I guess my question is, does anyone know if it was common for Kohlert to produce alto clarinets with a radically curved neck? I have the serial #, and would love it if anyone can direct me to a place where that could get me all of the info on my instrument.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2009-08-27 02:10
All Kohlert alto clarinets that I've ever seen had a slightly-curved (NOT S-shaped) neck. If your instrument plays on octave below your Bb clarinet, then it is a bass clarinet. Also, measure the total length of the instrument including neck and mouthpiece, if it's a bass clarinet it will be very close to twice the total length of your Bb soprano clarinet. Can you post some photos?
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Author: apo
Date: 2009-08-27 02:29
Attachment: DSCF4171.JPG (703k)
Thanks for the reply. I am trying to post a photo. It keeps on coming up as a link, rather than on the page. The clarinet does play down to a full octave below the lowest note on my Bb soprano. The strange thing is that it is not as long as most other bass clarinets I have seen. When all is told it's length is equal to one and a half soprano clarinets. That is what is causing me so much confusion. Is it unheard of for a Bass clarinet to be that short? The rumble of the low key is definitely a full octave below. If the pic doesn't upload, check the link. Thank you so much for your input.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2009-08-27 03:50
>> The clarinet does play down to a full octave
>> below the lowest note on my Bb soprano
Then it is a bass clarinet.
>> The strange thing is that it is not as long
>> as most other bass clarinets I have seen.
Yours is a low E. Most bass clarinets now are either low Eb or low C, both are longer than yours.
>> When all is told it's length is equal
>> to one and a half soprano clarinets.
Did you compare as if the bass clarinet neck and bell were straight, and part of the length? That's how to comapre them.
>> Is it unheard of for a Bass clarinet to be that short?
The bore can make a bass clarinet shorter than another bass clarinet with a different bore. In addition, because yours is only low E it is shorter. Also it's not the most clear in the photo, but it looks like the lowest key is on the bell, which would also make it a little shorter than a model where the lowest key is on the body.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-08-27 15:45
From the picture it sure looks like a bass clarinet. Use your tuner and play a concert A, your B on a bass clarinet. If it comes out as an A it's a bass clarinet because you would have to play a F# on an alto to get a concert A. ESP
http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2009-08-27 18:42
From my "pursuit" of a variety of bass cls, there is no ? but that this is a bass, my congrats on price/value of a nice looking horn! It is a single register vent model [like my Getzen-Malerne] has what appears to be the same configuration, however it has only one low F/C tone hole, mine has 2 like my good Selmer 33, Am not sure if it has the alternate Ab/Eb lever or tha artic. C#/G# for the Bass's approach to a Full Boehm, tho . Help. D S ! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2009-08-27 18:44
From the picture it's clearly a "shorty" low-E Kohlert bass clarinet, but the neck doesn't look right. I've messed around with plenty of Kohlert bass clarinets from the turn of the century up to the most recent models (late 1960s) and I've never seen one with a metal sleeve neck, nor any with a long neck with no register hole on it (the latest "Winnenden" models had an extended upper joint with the upper vent on the body, and a very short and tightly-curved corked-tenon neck without a register hole). Your bass clarinet looks like some sort of hodge-podge cobbled together from a quite old Kohlert (1920s or older) and possibly a Vito neck with its metal sleeve tenon grafted onto the Kohlert body. I don't see how that can work with the double register vent system. I wish you luck!
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Author: apo
Date: 2009-08-28 14:27
Thank everyone so much for the input. In regards to the most recent post, I think that could be correct. The question I have is: How hard will it be to run down the correct neck system and graft it back onto the clarinet? The instrument seems to play decently through the scales, although somewhere around G#-A in the middle register the tone gets somewhat muddy and unclear. I wasn't sure if that was because the horn has had no work done to it, and I'm learning as I go how to properly get it together and playing well. It was owned by a gentleman who manufactures double reeds, and he played it in Linda Rondstadt's backup band in the 80's for a few songs here and there. Wouldn't be surprised to find out that it was a gift to him for his trouble. Anyway, it was a steal at $200 no matter what sort of work I have to do to restore it. Beautiful tone in the lower register. Anyway, David, if you have any info on where I may be able to chase down the proper neck, or if you have any pics of one with the proper neck, I would appreciate it. I am also wondering if a specialist may be able to do something with what's there in an overhaul situation?
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