 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: gary232
Date: 2011-01-20 16:19
Thought the pros could help me. I am not looking to sell, price, or part with my clarinet. I'm just curious about the markings. My parents bought this wood clarinet for me around 1970 used. I played it through school and even used it to teach. I have always loved it and still play it.
Just trying to determine its age. All pieces marked with "N" in a circle.
Followed by Noblet Paris in a rounded off rectangle. FRANCE follows below.
All pieces marked on the back with 40265.
I know Noblet was sold to LeBlanc...something about records having been destroyed? Just wondering if anyone else out there owns one and has a clue of the age. I believe this to be just an intermediate student clarinet, but I do love it.
Thanks Much....from a musical mom whose children did not appreciate the clarinet 
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: susieray
Date: 2011-01-20 18:57
Also, in case you are wondering what model it might be,
it is a Noblet 40.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: gary232
Date: 2011-01-21 02:19
Thank you so very much. I suspected it was made in the 60's.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: stevesklar
Date: 2011-01-21 23:05
FYI,
The http://www.clarinetperfection.com/clsnLeblancNoblet.htm
is the Noblet specific page
as the Normandy, Noblet and Leblanc pages are being separated from the complete http://www.clarinetperfection.com/clsnLeblanc.htm page and at some point the clsnLeblanc.htm will only be Leblanc
clsnLeblancInfo.htm will be about the company, current, past info
clsnLeblancNoblet.htm will only be Noblet
clsnLeblancNormandy.htm will on be Normandy
Cheers
==========
Stephen Sklar
My YouTube Channel of Clarinet Information
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: susieray
Date: 2011-01-22 18:29
Attachment: Noblet clarinet catalog.jpg (428k)
Steve, on your Noblet page you indicate that the Noblet 40 later became the Noblet 27 which is incorrect. The Noblet 27 was an entirely separate model from the 40 and had a different bore design.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris J
Date: 2011-01-22 21:42
Attachment: lebBFcht.pdf (95k)
Attachment: leb-Bb.pdf (704k)
Susieray
What year was that catalogue? I was surprised the see a metal clarinet there. When did their production end?
Have added a couple of pdfs detailing the range in the 1990s
Chris
Post Edited (2011-01-22 21:43)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jasperbay
Date: 2011-01-23 00:17
Chris J.:
Could you also pdf. the Noblet-Normandy-etc pages of that catalogue?? Beautiful clarinet photography!
Clark G. Sherwood
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris J
Date: 2011-01-23 08:29
Attachment: leb-play.pdf (25k)
Attachment: Leblanc LL UK prices 1974.pdf (707k)
Attachment: Leblanc LL special.pdf (1216k)
Clark
I am sorry, that catalogue does not have any further Normandy pages. If memory serves me well, I think I got the pdfs from the Leblanc website years ago. The only other information in that series is attached to this post and talks about playing characteristics aspired to by the company.
To complete my store of catalogues, I also attach a 1974 price list. I do know I lifted this from somewhere on the web, but for the life of me I can't remember where from, so this goes with huge apologies if someone actually recognises it and thinks "But that is mine"!
And finally an LL special catalogue list.
In relation to clarinets I own, I have: an Opus, a Normandy plateau, LL 18 key/7 rings, a Noblet Artist, an L400 bass and a Noblet alto.
WRT the Noblet Artist, I renovated it from a pretty shocking state, and it came with a plastic (?HR, ? material) Noblet barrel. I assume from all the adverts that this barrel is likely to have been a replacement for an original wooden one?
Also on the Noblet catalogues, the 1966 American pricelist spells Artiste with an "e", but the 1974 UK typed price list spells it Artist without the "e".
My Noblet Artist has no "e". Did the spelling change over time, or dependent on the country it was exported to? My serial number makes it 1979
Steve, your web site mentions metal clarinets as 1920s and 1930s which is what I expect, but the catalogue fro Susieray suggests they were available much later. Also on your site I just noticed you pose a question about the latest Noblet 45 emblem as starting in 2008. My (I think 1999) catalogue has that emblem. And finally, if you want to reproduce any of the catalogues from me here, on your fine website, then please feel free.
What a great thread of information sharing this has turned into!
Chris
Post Edited (2011-01-23 08:33)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jasperbay
Date: 2011-01-23 15:25
Thanks to Chris and Suzieray for the info; Now I'll have to Google what a
pound was worth in 1974 $$ !!
Interesting to me was the mention of 'Nichrome' plating over german silver keywork in the 1966 price list. I usually buy only early unplated pro Leblancs, but aquired a 'Symphony' from the 60's that has what I believe are chrome-plated keys, very rarely used on clarinets. The keys are beautiful, with no tarnish whatsoever, but the inner edge of a couple open-rings had slightly pitted and"lifting" plating, sharp enough to remove skin while playing. The usual cure, of wrapping some fine sandpaper around a pencil and removing the sharp bits, had little effect, finally had to use a fine-grit diamond file, and polish up with fine silicone carbide (the black stuff) sandpaper, which is a little harder than the usual aluminum oxide sandpaper.
That clarinet is now one of my sweetest playing clarinets! Of course, the "Nichrome" in a sales flyer could mean 'shiny nickle plate', or some kind of chrome. I doubt if it referred the "Nichrome" alloy with the high melt point commonly used for the wire in heating elements!
Clark G. Sherwood
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris J
Date: 2011-01-23 15:38
jasperbay wrote:
>Now I'll have to
> Google what a
> pound was worth in 1974 $$ !!
Try this:
http://www.measuringworth.com/exchange/
When using the CPI/RPI (retail price index), the (average) value in 2008 of £1 from 1974 is $12.10. The range of values is from $8.92 to $15.60
Chris
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: susieray
Date: 2011-01-23 16:26
Chris, I have never seen a Noblet 45 with "Artiste" stamped on it, or a Noblet 40 with "Superieur" or a Normandy with "Ovation" or "Encore."
I think these were just the catalog names.
Later of course, there was a Noblet "Artist," and that was stamped
on the instrument. But I don't think that model had come out yet in 1966.
Sue
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris J
Date: 2011-01-23 21:42
Sue
Thanks for that clarification. That makes sense now.
Chris
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: SteveP
Date: 2011-01-24 18:27
SusieRay, I own a Noblet Artist, Model 45 or 145 which was made in 1965 and has the word "Artist" stamped immediately above the Diamond Emblem. My father purchased this for me as my first instrument in a store in Nancy, France, in 1966. Serial number is 54123.
This clarinet came with a non-wood barrel. I don't know its material, but I understand some were sold this way. I have tried wood barrels with this horn, but the original still seems to work the best.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2011-01-24 19:11
I have had quite a few Noblet Artist models pass through my hands over the years and whilst most had wood barrels a few were supplied with composite (not ebonite but a very dense hard plastic? material).
I currently have in a pair of them and the Bb has plastic and the A wood barrels (the instruments date from a few years apart).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: susieray
Date: 2011-01-24 19:24
I have also come across a few Noblet 45's with the composite barrels.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-01-24 19:24
The Artists (Noblets, that is) I've gone through all had composite barrels but wooden bells. Some had aux Eb levers, some didn't. All had silver-plated keywork. And all were indeed very decent players.
AFAIK the barrel material is the equivalent of earlier "Resonite" clarinets - something like bakelite, definitely more brittle than ABS or whatever today's "plastic" instruments are made from - Resonite? Resotone? Resinote? Whatever.
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris J
Date: 2011-01-24 21:09
SteveP
That is interesting - as I mentioned above, my Noblet Artist has a Noblet non-wood barrel. Perhaps it is the original barrel after all.
Chris
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
