 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: GoyoPollo1
Date: 2010-08-20 03:46
Hi everyone,
I picked up a Malerne clarinet a while ago, and I was interested in more information about it. I was reading a bunch of posts on here as well as looking at other information on the internet and I'm at a loss. My understanding was that STANDARD or PROFESSIONAL was imprinted on them. Mine has neither. There is a small star symbol followed by H25974 below the first joint and E6312 below the second joint. It's wood, and both body sections say MADE IN FRANCE in the same fashion. That first number looks like it was imprinted later, as it is much more legible and less warn than the "MADE IN FRANCE"s or serial on the second joint.
Can anybody help me out and give me more info?
Thanks,
Greg
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Author: jasperbay
Date: 2010-08-20 05:22
I've aquired quite a few Malerne's, because the design is post-1950 modern ( medium diameter bores), and their overall quality is very high, in both the 'Standard' and 'Professional' clarinets. These two models appear to be virtually identical, with the 'Standard' usually having slightly lower grade grenadilla. Also, you'll run into an occasional 'Standard' without the C/G# adjustment screw.
Hard to find useful serial # info on Malerne's but the earlier ones (?)were apparently not divided up into Standards or Professionals, they just say R.M. Malerne. They're all basically the same clarinet, the one I have that's neither Standard nor Professional seems to have the heavy,dense, figured grenadilla seen on the Professionals. Actually, the grenadilla used by Malerne was uniformly good: of the dozen or so that I have, none have ever developed any cracks, and most have not been pampered by their student owners!
Clark G. Sherwood
Post Edited (2010-08-20 05:25)
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Author: Chris J
Date: 2010-08-20 06:45
There is lots of information in the archive here. A good post is below:
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=81391&t=81191
Ir seems there were three grades. Pro had 4 stars, Intermediate had 3, and then there was the Standard model with no stars.
Doesn't really help you with the one star though!
You will read about the small differences between the grades in the post
Chris
Post Edited (2010-08-21 16:30)
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Author: GoyoPollo1
Date: 2010-08-21 00:23
Thank you. This was definitely informative. So what I can at least gather is that this clarinet is pre-1950? It does have the adjustment screw, and the wood seems quite dense, and there are no cracks either. Mine does say "Paris" below the name, as well.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2010-08-21 18:20
For Christmas, 1956, my parents gave me a new Malerne Professional. I think they bought it through the Sears catalog. If so, it was probably made in 1955 or 1956. The serial number, marked on the back at the top of each of the two joints (sections with keys), was D3xxx. Assuming Malerne used an ascending serial numbering system, that would suggest that E6312 was probably made within a few years later. On my clarinet, the barrel, upper joint and bell are all marked "R.M./Robert Malerne/Paris/Professional /****." The lower joint, however, is only marked "R.M./Robert Malerne/Paris," presumably because there was only room for 3 lines of text. So, the lack of model identification on the lower joint of your clarinet does not rule out the manufacturing date I infer.
Without further information, I can only guess that your lower joint (at least) was made sometime after 1956 and that the rest of your clarinet may or may not have been made at the same time. You note that the "serial" number on the upper joint seems newer. This could mean the joint is newer or it could mean that someone added the number later. I can't rule out the possibility that the lower joint is not original to the clarinet. It could have been substituted, e.g., for a damaged lower joint.
If you look at the number closely, can you see the remnants of another number beneath it? Is the number the same size and typeface as the serial number on the lower joint? The * could, I suppose, mean it was a replacement joint, itself, but I think that is low probability with a Malerne. I've never heard of a Malerne with an H prefix or a 5-digit serial number, though both might exist (but, in another thread, Vytas Krass, also notes that Malerne only used 4-digit numbers when there was a letter prefix) . Malerne continued making clarinets until around 1972-74, if memory serves. If the upper joint is marked "R.M./Robert Malerne/Paris," that would rule out the possibility that the upper joint is from another manufacturer altogether. (But if it isn't marked ...) Whether the "serial" number is original or an (unusual) identification number added by an owner, is harder to say. On which sections of the clarinet is there a Malerne logo?
I'm a little confused by some of the information I'm reading here. Can you be more precise about the location of the serial numbers? I assume they are on the back of the instrument but I don't understand what you mean by "below the first/second joint." Do you mean that the numbers are at the bottom of each of the two sections with keys? Or are you perhaps referring to the barrel as a "joint" so that the numbers are at the top of the two sections with keys?
Also, Clark, what is the C/G# adjustment screw? Do you mean the screw on the throat G# (Ab/G#) key or something else?
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: jasperbay
Date: 2010-08-21 22:14
Sorry, my bad. Yes, the screw on the G# key where it crosses over the A key. My **** professional , # D2414, also does not have the 4 stars on the lower joint, but matching #s on both joints. I've never known its' manufacture date, but the 4 posts on the G#/A keys would place it after 1950. Good to see you've nailed down at least one serial # to within a year or two, guess that makes mine a 1954 or therabouts. Too bad its not a Corvette!!
Clark G. Sherwood
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