 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Jeff Forman
Date: 2001-01-31 00:59
I have a Langenus Clarinet (Serial Number H 13837 B) and was wondering if anyone has any information about these horns. I got it at a used music shop. I tried out all of her clarinets and this was the most free blowing, richest sounding clarinet. It was easy to play and the tone is great. I had to have some work done on it (a couple of pads and cork) and I asked the repairman what he could find out about the clarinet. He said he checked a stencil catalogue and couldn't find it. For those who don't know, apparently, just like Green Giant produces and then private labels green beans for supermarket chains, some clarinet makers private labled clarinets and a variety of names went on them. But the name on the horn might not be the company/person who actually made it. I guess that's where the use of the word stencil comes from, since they stencil their name on someone else's clarinet. And stencil catalogues will identify the private labels and who made them. I've never seen one, but this is what I'm told. So if anyone has better stencil catalogues or has any info on this clarinet, I'd sure like to hear about it. An extensive web search yielded nothing.
And while on the subject of private label clarinets, were the Buffets and Selmers of the world participants in this practice? Meaning - if you have some brand nobody ever heard of, might it be an actual Selmer, Buffet or maybe a Leblanc?
The interesting thing is that if this Langenus is any example, I bet you can get a real gem at a bargain price on a place like e-bay if it's a brand nobody ever heard of, but it turns out to be a great horn. Of course, you could also get a dog. And you usually don't get to try them out first. So it is a gamble. But you never know. Especially with the older clarinets.
Anyway, I hope someone can provide some info.
Thanks.
Jeff
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 2001-01-31 01:27
Jeff Forman wrote:
>
>
> And while on the subject of private label clarinets, were the
> Buffets and Selmers of the world participants in this
> practice? Meaning - if you have some brand nobody ever heard
> of, might it be an actual Selmer, Buffet or maybe a Leblanc?
>
That is indeed possible. For example, for many years, Carl Fischer stenciled Buffet horns. However they also stenciled other horns too so it can be very difficult to determine who made the instrument. I happen to have a Carl Fischer stenciled horn made by Pruefer, one on the better US manufacturers that is now unfortunately defunct. One unusual feature though of the Carl Fischer stencils was that sometimes the name of the actual manufacturer was included depending on the details of the contract with the manufacturer. And sometimes the contract changed over the course of the years. Buffet is a case in point as sometimes the Buffet name was included and sometimes it wasn't.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jbutler
Date: 2001-01-31 02:43
I have an older Langenus clarinet in the "bone pile". According to the former owner it played with a good sound, but always quite sharp. I figure it to be a HP or high pitched clarinet. The keys are quite soft on it...perhaps "pot metal" as I recall. I remember that it came in because of a broken key and I couldn't silver solder (braze) it. The metal would melt before the solder would! So now it is minus the G# key I believe. I'm not sure who made it. I would check yours out with a tuner to make sure the "H" in the serial number doesn't stand for "high pitch".
John
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-01-31 19:12
Jeff -
The quickest way to tell which manufacturer made a stencil horn is by minor details of the keywork.
Pedler instruments had a U-shaped key guide that went around only the top trill key. Sometimes there was a second guide that went on only one side of the top two trill keys.
Buffets have always had a guide that went around both of the top two trill keys. On the older instruments, the guide sides were flat and triangle shaped. In the 1960s (or perhaps with the advent of the R-13 in the 50s), they became like a cylinder with a slot cut down the middle.
If you like how the instrument plays, enjoy it and don't worry about who made it. A slightly longer barrel will bring the Bb in tune without lowering the overall pitch too much. Or you could get tuning rings for the existing barrel, which is what I did for my spare "Lyric by Pedler."
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
