 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: ritasbling4you
Date: 2014-05-03 00:32
Would anyone be so kind as to tell me how I can find out who originally owned my clarinet with the serial number 6960? Is there anyone in France I can contact?
I've been told by the man who reconditioned it that it was a professional model made of Grenadilla (sp?) wood. He says a professional clarinetist would buy it just for the bore since this type of wood for clarinets is not as dense as it was years ago. I do not have the original case, but I've been told it was from the 1950s. The clarinet has a lovely design on the bell. He said it is from the Artist Series. It has a student mouthpiece, unfortunately, but he said that wouldn't matter to a professional since they would simply use their own.
I no longer play the clarinet. I was never very good mainly because I didn't practice. If it was not appropriate for me to post on this bulletin board, I apologize, but someone referred it to me. Please forgive me if I wasted your time.
Thank you,
Rita
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-05-03 02:17
Rita, I would agree that date is probably the 1950s.
The Artists series are not "professional" level clarinets but are extremely good intermediate instruments.
I think it is impossible to know the original owner as these instruments were imported into the USA from the factory in bulk and then sold via distributor to retail shops and from there sold on to the customer.
Only very highest grade handmade instruments (e.g. Heckel bassoons) were made to order of, and sold direct from the maker to, a specific customer. Heckel do know virtually every purchaser going back 100 years.
Probably a few German handmakers of clarinets do know most of their initial buyers and for instance most Peter Eaton clarinets are sold by Peter direct to the player but I don't think any mass maker has ever done this.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Roxann
Date: 2014-05-03 02:28
A Leblanc Noblet Artist series Eb was recently sold by Clarinets Direct and it was referred to as a "professional" level clarinet.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-05-03 03:59
Roxann, Noblet clarinets became part of Leblanc Paris organisation a very long time ago.
All the professional range of instruments are marketed as LEBLANC ***
The intermediate range are marketed as NOBLET
The lower-intermediate/student range later joined as NORMANDY
The Noblet Artist models were the top of the Noblet intermediate range and are indeed good. There is no reason why a professional shouldn't play one if they wish (some I know did in fact play Noblet C clarinets because they were considerably cheaper than the Leblanc C clarinets and Cs aren't often needed) but they are not classified as professional models.
My main instruments (Bb A Eb) are Leblancs but my C is a Noblet and perfectly fine for my standard.
I also have several Noblet Bbs in my collection and good as they are they are not up to the Leblanc standard.
*** note - this applied all the time Leblanc was in French ownership.
A few years ago Leblanc was bought out by the american organisation and the Noblet range dropped and some intermedate models marked as Leblanc e.g. Sonata, Esprit but then the whole thing crashed and now only the Bliss models remain.
Post Edited (2014-05-03 04:36)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: wanabe
Date: 2014-05-04 21:51
I amvery rapidly becoming a Leblanc afficionado. I am a ''flipper''. I buy clarinets from thrift shops, Craig's List, pawn shops, etc. I fix them up or have then fixed up and resell them for a modest profit. I have used this system to pay for my personal collection and music lessons. The models 40 and 45 "N" Noblets are two of my favorites. They sound fantastic and are very sturdily built with bullet proof keywork and fittings. They can be found in repairable condition for around $100. It will cost you another $100 - $150 to have it repadded and spruced up. You then will have a very nice, top of the line intermediate level clarinet for 1/2 the price of a plastic student model. The tone and intonation of these clarinets are easily comparable to the Buffet E-11 or E- 12 or "International" at several times that price. There is an "unless" in the equation however. There are in fact two "unlesses". In buying that old Noblet you have to make absolutely certain that there are no cracks or repaired cracks or pins or breaks in the wood. Cracks either new or old are a deal breaker for me. Small chips in the tenons are repairable, but cracks are a no no. The second is not easily detected, but can be just as troublesome and expensive. the hidden danger is in frozen screws. There are some screws that just can not be removed. The screws that hold clarinets together are teeeny, tiny, little bitty and if you don't use the right size screwdriver on them the slots on the heads will strip out of them in a heartbeat. Then it's drill and cut and replace keys and posts and costs through the roof and ..........aw hell, just forget it.
So, good luck. I must say that it is a lot of fun, but it it can be frustrating.
Post Edited (2014-05-04 21:59)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ritasbling4you
Date: 2014-05-05 20:34
Thank you all for the great information! You are all so kind to give of your time to help someone who knows so little about clarinets!
Take care!
Rita
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
