 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2000-12-15 10:55
The so called 'G-clarinet' (in the key of G) is very crudely made from metal in turkey and a common instrument there. Fingering and keywork, from memory, is similar to what we are used to. Price is very cheap by our standards, perhaps US$100.
Does anybody know where they can be bought?
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-12-15 13:55
I tried to play one at "Lark in the Morning" in San Francisco, yes, very poor. Don
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Author: ron b
Date: 2000-12-15 16:26
Hi, Gordon -
I've seen them twice on eBay too. The seller posted a picture of himself with the instrument. I haven't seen one up close and in person yet but from the comments I've read they're of so-so quality (relatively inexpensive) and fun to mess around with if you're into that sort of thing.
I'd take Don's word. He personally played one at Lark In The Morning.
I'm curious, Don, about tone quality, did you use your own mouthpiece - etc. ?
What's the workmanship/material like, compared to the (oh,boy...) 'regular, standard, average pawn shop variety' ones?
:)
ron b
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-12-15 17:34
Thanx, Ron, Its been quite a while, I also saw one at the Mendocino-Ft Bragg [N CA] L in the M shop-Hdq?. No better than poor-mediocre workmanship, and it played very poorly, not player friendly for the full-finger clarion/chal. I believe it was a sop cl mp, I wondered if it would be better with an alto [or basset horn {if there is one??} mp]. No help at all from sales people [I educated him!!} . Will try to recall more, believe their price was only $100-150, made in eastern Europe- Turkey, maybe. May have a catalog, will look! Caveat Emptor, Don
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Author: jim lande
Date: 2000-12-16 03:29
My recollect is that Lark wants significantly more than $150 for it. I corresponded with
a fellow/rival eBay bidder from Japan who mentioned that he had purchased one. He
said it had pot metal keys that broke after relatively little use. Pot metal resists repair.(I have heard.)
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Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2000-12-16 04:22
Jim wrote:
>My recollect is that Lark wants significantly more than $150 for it.
Try three times that. Mighty expensive lamp kit if you ask me. -- Nate Zeien
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Author: gRAHAM gOLDEN
Date: 2000-12-16 05:18
Hi,
Amati does make a wood G clarinet. it isn't a strange poorly made instrument. it is a real instrument made to be played by a real classically trained musicians.
Amait is not in Italy, far from. it is in the Czech Republic . Ripamonti, Patricola and Oris are the clarinet manufacturers that I know of in Italy.
Amati was an Italian violin maker. the flagship amati German system clarinet, belcanta also sounds Italian
The amati G clarinet is actually pretty inexpensive compared to their other horns but I cant remember what I think it was.
Graham
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2000-12-16 12:22
I did see one once. It was VERY poorly made. Pad diameter precariously small for covering the tone holes, soldering of tone holes leaking, tone hole edges sharp, very sloppy pivots, etc. I had forgotten about the 'pot metal' which would break and be impossible to repair if one tried to improve the alignment of keys with the tone holes.
That, I remember now, was the final straw why I refused to work on it for the visiting musician.
Perhaps I won't get one after all.
They would probably play quite well if the leaks were fixed, but that would be a major job (AND risk!)
I found on web search that a tourist recently bought one in new in Turkey for 30 pounds, presumably of the British variety. So perhaps Lark is profiteering.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2000-12-16 12:28
Thanks for all your help'
Lark in the Morning has them for $450. That's an ENORMOUS rip off! After all it is about the worst made clarinet mechanism in the world!
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-12-16 21:11
Pot metal is another name for Zamack. Its alloy of junk that was introduced during WWll to save good metal. It was used in the automotive industry during this period and for almost 20 years for hood ornaments, grill pieces, dash nobs and such. It still can be found in the boating industry in the form of fittings such as cheapo cleats, pad eyes and such. The structural integrety of a ginger snap.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2000-12-17 07:19
.... and perhaps more familiar in the keys of a Boosey & Hawkes Regent (and some other models). The mechanical integrity seems to come mainly fom the plating!
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