 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: MKlein
Date: 2012-02-26 01:07
I have a Penzel-Mueller Bflat clarinet that I bought for $300 in about 1952. It is the Super Brilliante top of the line model make in New Yoerk I think out of grenidilla wood. Used to have a beautiful rond sound. It needs rebuilding (about $800). I find that the metal is soft (metal fatigue?) and I wonder if it is worth it. I have just resumed playing after 40 years and was frustrated with the P-M so I rented a new student clarinet (composition plastic) and am delighted with the sound.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jim lande
Date: 2012-02-28 04:32
My PM is the much older Clari-met model. The keys are plenty strong and it is a great player -- far better than modern student models. Dunno why a rebuild would cost $800. If you are anywhere near DC I can suggest someone would would do top to bottom rebuild for under $300 -- absolutely top quality work.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarnibass
Date: 2012-02-28 05:13
>> I find that the metal is soft <<
>> The keys are plenty strong and it is a great player -- far better than modern student models <<
I don't have experience with the Super Brilliante or the Cari-met models, but I've had a couple of the PM Artist model clarinets, and the keys were significantly softer than most other clarinets. Actually I consider them very soft. This issue and others make them not as good as any decent student model made recently or even some older student model clarinets.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-02-28 07:04
With P-M clarinets there are a lot of variables depending on how old the instrument is. I have several P-M clarinets and can attest that the early P-M Artist models with "Artist" written in small script and a serial number consisting of only numbers are far superior to the later ones with serial numbers starting with "M".
The "Super Brilliante" model was essentially an upscale version of P-M's professional model (the regular Brilliante) that received additional hand tuning and tonehole undercutting. If it has good intonation it is worth the price of an overhaul (and you should be able to get it overhauled for $250-$300 unless it needs major repairs outside of pads and corks).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2012-02-28 15:35
I have a full-Boehm P-M "Artist", and it is a great-playing instrument, one of my very favorites. The keywork is neither especially soft nor especially stiff, in my opinion.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
