 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Merritt
Date: 2013-05-17 23:49
I have a Harvey Pedler piccolo (the name and serial number are on the piccolo). I believe it is solid silver. It is in the original box and has the cleaning brush. It seems to be in working condition. What would this instrument be worth?
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Author: modernicus
Date: 2013-05-18 00:51
I don't know about piccolos, but genuine "Harry Pedler" instruments, as I understand it, can be quite excellent- after the company was sold at one point they were mediocre and are not worth much- such as instruments branded "The Pedler"instruments or with "& Co." at the end.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2013-05-18 01:19
modernicus wrote:
> I don't know about piccolos, but genuine "Harry Pedler"
> instruments, as I understand it, can be quite excellent- after
> the company was sold at one point they were mediocre and are
> not worth much- such as instruments branded "The
> Pedler"instruments or with "& Co." at the end.
Some Harry Pedler instruments are quite desirable but only the top end models and only the ones made before the company was sold to Martin (circa 1930). I have a Harry Pedler professional model metal clarinet from the 1920's and it plays as well or better than any other clarinet I've played from the same time period.
After the Martin buyout there were very few professional level instruments made by the Pedler company although they typically had a pretty solid lineup of intermediate level instruments. Personally I'll never understand why Martin decided to market clarinets under the Pedler brand and not the Martin brand which was quite well known for the excellent saxophones made by the company.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2013-05-18 01:37
The Pedler works had a rather convoluted history of mergers and acquisitions; however, the 1928 merger with Buescher was the most significant. Prior to the Buescher merger, Pedler did make some instruments built to a high standard. Wooden Pedler flutes are extant that draw collector interest even today. After the Buescher merger, they were quickly repositioned as a maker of student- and intermediate-line instruments. Unfortunately, a lot of mediocre Pedler metal clarinets were made and are still in circulation. That fact tends to diminish the appeal of earlier Pedlers, of which some were professional grade.
A Pedler metal piccolo went for $40 last September on a leading Internet auction site. That sounds like fair value to me.
Post Edited (2013-05-18 01:59)
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-05-20 03:14
I think I came as close as possible to untangling the Pedler serial number problem at http://en.allexperts.com/q/Clarinet-2214/2012/5/pedler-alto-clarinet.htm.
Basically, if your piccolo is labelled "Henry Pedler Co.," it comes from before the merger, and there's at least a chance that it's a professional quality instrument, though I doubt that it's solid silver.
If it's labelled "The Pedler Co.," it was made after the merger and is a beginner or intermediate quality instrument. It's definitely not solid silver.
Instruments from makers that are out of business, or no-longer-current models from existing makers, bring low prices at auction (unless they are legendary models such as Selmer Mark VI saxes).
If your piccolo is marked "Henry Pedler Co.," it may have some value to the small number of collectors -- maybe $100 on eBay. If it's marked "The Pedler Co.," it will have only nominal value -- say $35.
Ken Shaw
Post Edited (2013-05-20 03:25)
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