 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2001-03-31 02:22
I just bought a metal clarinet off of ebay. Im trying to find info on the make but cant seem to find any. Maybe somebody out there can help!?!? It is a make called BARONET. On the bell it has written
BARONET
made in USA
the serial # is 99054. If anybody can help me with this, I would really like your imput. Feel free to mail me with anything.
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Author: Frank
Date: 2001-03-31 04:06
Sorry I've never heard of that brand but I am curious since I just bought a metal clarinet off EBay recently too. What do you plan on doing with your metal clarinet? Are you going to get it into playable condition? I bought mine more as a novelty than anything but I plan on getting it restored so I can plan it once in a while. I found a website called rocketfly.com where you can post a picture of your clarinet so I'll put it there once the work is finished so everyone can check it out. I'm not sure how it will sound versus my E-11 but like I said I bought it more as a novelty than anything. Good luck finding out who makes yours. BTW, mine is an Ambassador.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-03-31 12:22
I believe that both these brands were strictly student grade marching band instruments. While the sound may be good, the intonation accuracy may be questionable. But they are fun.
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Author: Frank
Date: 2001-03-31 18:15
Thanks for the information, do you know of any intermediate or even professional grade metal clarinet brand names? I'd love to get my hands on one of those (if they exists)! Thanks again...
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Author: Bob Curtis
Date: 2001-03-31 18:57
Frank:
I am not aware of any pro grade metal clarinets made in the USA any more although I have heard and read about some pretty good quality metal instruments which are still made in Europe. You might inquire from some of our BB readers there for information or bring up the subject on the next Chat session this Sunday. Check us out on the Title or Home page.
Bob Curtis
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Author: John Dean
Date: 2001-03-31 20:47
I have a Silver King metal clarinet which I played on a gig the other day and got some favourable comments. Lester Young used to play on one- check out Bob Ackerman's website. Silver Kings do appear on Ebay at reasonable prices. I can vouch for their quality, big sound and ease of playing.
John Dean
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Author: Licorice Stick
Date: 2001-03-31 23:44
I recently found a metal clarinet and was told they are not accepted as professional quality instruments. It was further explained that the tone was "tinny" But wouldn't there be some sort of application that it would fit in. I found it for $140 and it needs to be repadded. Do you think it would be worth it? Reply from anyone appreciated. Thanks
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-03-31 23:55
Licorice Stick wrote:
>
> I recently found a metal clarinet and was told they are
> not accepted as professional quality instruments. It was
> further explained that the tone was "tinny" But wouldn't there
> be some sort of application that it would fit in. I found it
> for $140 and it needs to be repadded. Do you think it would be
> worth it? Reply from anyone appreciated. Thanks
Depends on brand and model and what you intend to do with it. There were good ones and bad ones. However even bad ones could be worth if it you just want to have it for fun.
The tone does not sound "tinny." That's a comment by some one who has never actually heard one and is making assumptions based on appearance. They sound like normal clarinets. Some sound good and some sound poor. Some had good intonation and some had bad. It is true that the vast majority were student grade and some were outright junk. But there were some good intermediate and professional models made. They just aren't very common. There were also some decent student models just as there are decent student model plastic horns today.
Just as with today's plastic student horns, metal instruments gained a bad reputation due to the fact that there were a lot of cheap junk ones made with very poor intonation, similar to the junk that comes out of China today in the form of student plastic clarinets.
So between the huge number of junk horns produced, it's unmistakeable appearance, and overall consumer resistance, the metal clarinet died out.
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Author: Fred
Date: 2001-04-01 01:46
Licorice Stick - I think $140 for a Noblet that needs repadding is too much. Prices for these things go crazy now and then, but you should be able to get a Noblet for under $100 if you are patient. The Noblet is a decent intermediate horn. Like another poster, I own a Silver King which I can recommend highly. The most commonly sought after pro horn is the Selmer 5-piece (w/mp) running $500-$1200 depending on condition. A Silver King needing new pads will usually go on ebay for $200-$250. The Selmer is closer to an orchestral instrument; the Silver King more often used for jazz. The Silva Bets are also highly prized and priced usually between the other two mentioned above.
I have seen horns which I believe are nothing but beginner marching instruments sell for high ebay prices (> $150) and I don't know why.
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Author: Willie
Date: 2001-04-01 04:48
After you get it fixed up, try different mouthpieces on it. My Elkhart seems to sound best with VD 2RV on it. The other two I have sound lousy with just about every mouthpiece in my collection, but then I don't have any of the more modern models to try yet. Most metal clarinets were student grade outfitted with really crappy mouthpieces and then were played by students with el cheapo school reeds. thats a good combination to give ANY horn a bad reputation. So don't give up on it till you experiment a bit. Even an R-13 can sound bad if not outfitted right.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2001-04-01 10:19
Woody Allen briefly plays a metal clarinet in Wild Man Blues. It is part of a collection at the Buffet factory (?) in Paris. He is impressed with it enough to try to purchase it, but it is not for sale.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-04-01 12:57
Licorice Stick wrote:
>
> By the way the name on it was Noblet.
Noblet was one of the better ones (probably classified as an intermediate grade instrument) and they continued to make metal clarinets up into the 1960s.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-04-05 01:23
About a month ago, Jim Lande posted a survey of metal clarinet sales on eBay at http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=37222&t=37222. It's essential reading for anyone interested in metal clarinets.
Good quality metal clarinets included those formerly made by White and Bettony with the word "silver" engraved on it.
At least some of the metal clarinets labelled "H. Bettony" were artist quality, built from a Buffet model. My teacher, Alexander Williams, played an H. Bettony silver Eb in the New York Philharmonic. I also recently got an Eb H. Bettony that plays very well.
Silver Selmers come up on eBay once a month or so and go for high prices (over $1000). I've never played one, but they're probably good.
The flute maker Haynes made about a thousand double-walled silver clarinets, which go for *very* high prices. They were based on a Selmer model, and the one I played several years ago was not my style. Also, the little finger keys were too short for comfort.
The good instruments always have an adjustable joint at the neck for tuning. The H. Bettony instruments have a long cork on the neck that lets you slide the "barrel" up and down. The Silva-Bet and, I think, the White instruments have a screw mechanism at the very top.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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