 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2009-10-07 15:24
A while back I bought a B flat Boehm system clarinet from a junk shop. It's made by "The British Band Instrument Co. Ltd" and the model name is "Cambridge". It appears to be a Boosey and Hawkes stencil, the keywork is pure B & H and is made to a very high standard. I also play a B & H Emperor, and the relationship is clear. It's a plastic clarinet and again the standard of workmanship is very high. When I bought it the pads and corks were history, but I've repadded and recorked it and it is a fantastic performer. It suffered from the usual B & H fat keys, but a bit of work with a dremel fixed that. The mouthpiece on it was marked UMI and is a good match to the instrument. Also in the case was a Selmer HS*, which also works well. Intonation is excellent throughout the range, with no trace of stuffyness around the break. Bore is 14.6mm and serial number is 225322. Can anybody tell me anything about this instrument?
Tony F.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-10-07 20:05
I'd suspect it's either a rebranded Regent, or it could even be a plastic Edgware if it has nickel plated keys, or a plastic Emperor if it has silver plated keywork, and the serial number dates it to 1965 (my 2-20 was 234701 which was 1965, so yours wasn't built all that long before).
It'll be a perfect 'all-weather' version of your Emperor, so have it set up as near as your Emperor as is possible so you have a near identical clarinet to play on outdoor concerts.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2009-10-07 20:54
Are you sure ther bore is 14.6mm?
If it is then it won't be a Regent/Edgeware/Emperor variant as these all have "926" bores of 15.0mm
B&H did make some smaller bore models specifically for the N American market so it will probobly be a stencil of one of those.
The B&H keywork was pretty ubiquitous to all their models so that doesn't give much clue to the specific model.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-10-07 20:59
I thought the bore was 14.9mm on B&Hs (apart from the 1010).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2009-10-07 23:08
B&H own specifications in the late 1950's describe the 926 as a "standard bore clarinet" of 0.593" which translates as 15.06mm, this coincides closely with every 926 based instrument I have ever owned or handled.
The same spec gives the 1010 as 0.600" equal to 15.24mm.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-10-07 23:19
I wonder if this Cambridge has the 'Reginald Kell' side Eb/Bb key (downward pointing like German clarinets instead of the usual golf club-shaped)?
It's of the era when they were fitted, so I wouldn't be surprised.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2009-10-09 02:22
Thanks for your replies. Using a more accurate measuring instrument and my reading glasses, I remeasured the bore, and it comes out to 15mm exactly. My Emperor has a fractionally larger bore, but only by three hundredths of a millimeter. This is probably within manufacturing tolerance. The Eflat/Bflat key looks to be the modified one described, and is identical with the same key on my Emperor. The keywork on the Emperor is more highly polished than on the Cambridge, and the soldering on the keywork is better finished, but they are mechanically interchangeable, with perfect fit. It looks like I scored a winner for $A28.
Tony F.
Tony F.
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