 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: jim lande (lande @ erols.com)
Date: 1999-04-02 03:09
I have two restored metal noblet soprano clarinets and think that both play pretty well. Better than my plastic bundy. As good, anyway.
There has been lots of discussion on the board about when companies stopped offering metal clarinets. I wrote to Leblanc to ask about my two horns and got back some very
surprising information. They sold metal soprano clarinets up until 1972. Yes, you read right. Their 1968 catalog lists the Model 18 for $159.50. At that time wooden Noblet models ran from $225 to $285 (up to $325 with some extras.)
The catalog states:
"Model 18 -- this famous instrument is the only French-Made metal clarinet with over 40 years' continuous production. It is finer than any other metal clarinet made -- stays in better regulation, permits greater ease of playing, and is an excellent clarinet for both the hobbyist and beginner. A great low-priced, high quality value from Noblet"
Now you know. Just wondering if anyone else has one of these working. If so, how do you like it?
They estimate that my two were made in the 1940s and 1950s. Will sent a
copy of the letter and pages.
regards
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 1999-04-02 14:12
I'm going to save this information. I hadn't seen anything that indicated that any maker had continued so long with the metal instruments. Thanks for letting us all know.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: John
Date: 1999-04-03 01:41
When I began playing clarinet in the early 1950s, metal clarinets were still quite popular as student instruments. The low priced alternative had been ebonite, which had several problems, such as that it rapidly wore out the production cutting tools of that time. What killed off the metal clarinets was the introduction of the Bundy "Resonite" clarinet in the early 1950s. It looked like a wood clarinet and did not cost much more than a metal one. Soon all of the makers had thermoplastic clarinets in their lines.
I seem to remember the Noblet or Normandy metal clarinets as gold or brass plated bodies with silver or nickel plated keys. They were better quality, and cost somewhat more than the other makes, although not quite as much as a Bundy Resonite.
As you may know, for a short time in the 1930s Selmer made a high quality metal clarinet. It had a separate upper and lower joint but when assembled looked just like any other metal clarinet. It was soon discontinued because of low demand. One of my teachers claimed that it was just as high quality as the Selmer wood clarinets. I never played one, but did see and feel one in a repair shop a few years ago.
Sherman's Corner on sneezy has some nice material on metal clarinets, including the Selmer. Bob Ackerman's saxophone website also has a great article on metal clarinets.
Congratulations on your restoration of those fine old Noblets.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jim lande (lande @ erols.com)
Date: 1999-04-03 20:17
One of the Noblets I have is silver plated over brass with a matte finish and burnished keys and burnished inside the bell. The newer one looks similar but may have a nickel plated body. I have also seen a few Noblets on eBay with brass bodies that were lacquered. I am guessing that LeBlanc offered more options early on.
As you point out, there were many makers who thought there was a high end market for metal clarinets. As I have mentioned before on this list, I have a buffet (separate bell, bottom stack and top stack, but integral barrel; soft soldered, rather than silver soldered, some keys on plates that in turn are soldered onto the body; articulated C#/G# with the hole through the joint) that plays very very nicely. It is not in tune as consistently as a modern instrument, but this was true of professional wood instruments of the period. (Anyone have a comparable metal A clarinet that they want to part with or swap?)
Folks on the Vintage clarinet list have pointed to a few instances of metal clarinets from the 1800s. Around 1900, several makers including Penzel Mueller, Conn, Couesnon and Haynes introduced double walled models and today these fetch hefty prices from collectors. A low pitch Conn currently is listed on eBay and is going for over $600 and a high pitch Couesnon recently sold for $450.
It appears that the single walled metal clarinets were introduced in the 1920s and were widely available by 1930. Based on 500 offered on eBay over the last year, more than 95% of the metal clarinets made were student models. Some of these were sold directly to schools in bulk. As many folks have observed, they literally were produced by the ton. Based on serial number lists, Holton was still making student clarinets into the early 1950s.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
