 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2014-09-21 23:17
Okay, so I've been on a mission to upgrade to a higher quality, more professional bass clarinet. I have had my heart set on a vintage Selmer Paris, but have had a couple of disappointments along the way.
Anyway, so there's an opportunity to try out a Low C Professional Leblanc Bass Clarinet. It isn't my first choice, and I'm nervous about the lack of a vent on the neck (and tunable neck). 9XXX serial number.
Anyone have experience with these horns and willing to share? Thanks for your help...
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Author: LCL
Date: 2014-09-22 00:30
I have owned a Leblanc Model 430 since 1997, bought new from the WW&BW. I had resonators, gold plating of the neck and some acoustical work done by Morrie Bakun. Then I had his wooden bell installed. It has a tuning slide in the neck. It plays beautifully, but it is no match for the new Selmer 67 that I bought from L&F with some of their customization.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-22 01:26
The low Db and C keys aren't linked to the rest of the mechanism on the lower joint as they are on Buffets, Selmers and Yamahas so you have to hold the low D key down for these low notes.
My clarinet teacher at college had a nice Leblanc bass with the forked Ab/Eb mechanism for the right hand which did away completely with the LH Ab/Eb lever and has several advantages over it too - mainly freeing up the LH pinky when slurring low Eb-Ab-Db as Shostakovich has written in one of his bass clarinet parts. Another couple of local players both have the low C Leblanc basses which they both enjoy playing.
The crook tenon acts as a tuning slide in the socket (locked in place with the socket screw like a sax) provided it's a good fit in the socket and also make sure the entire socket is a good fit on the top joint. There's a tenon at the top end of the top joint onto which the metal socket fits onto and is held in place with three small wood screws, so check it neither wobbles nor leaks as that will cause response problems. The tenon cork there will compress over time due to it being a permanently (within reason) attached joint.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2014-09-22 14:13)
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2014-09-22 07:42
I played a low-c Leblanc for 38 of my 40 years in the National Symphony -- and I'm still playing it. Low D key IS linked to the the rest of the mechanism for notes above it, but you must keep it depressed when playing C or C# -- not a problem. I've tried newer Leblancs -- 1980's-on -- that I didn't like nearly as well as my model 517. If you get one, have a technician add extra screws to the metal socket; also replace the original beeswax with silicone caulk. You'll never have wobble problems. I like the sound of my old Leblanc -- you can hear it on NSO recordings of Shostakovitch, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. Schonberg Kammersinfonie has a progression that is virtually unplayable on any other marque!
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2014-09-22 11:12
>> Low D key IS linked to the the rest of the mechanism for notes above it, but you must keep it depressed when playing C or C# -- not a problem. <<
It's not a problem, but it can be far less comfortable in some situations than not having to do that. That depends on the person who is going to play one and what they are going to play.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-22 14:17
Corrected - I was thinking of the Amati low C bass where the low D, Db and C aren't linked. The Leblanc has the two thumb keys for low Db and C and a low D key for both LH and RH pinkies so that makes things easy.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2014-09-23 15:16
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Very helpful.
Now I just need to decide whether to go after the Leblanc, or wait longer for a vintage Selmer Paris to appear.
Any thoughts?
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2014-09-23 15:39
I would wait, or go for a Ridenour bass clarinet.
The leblanc appears to not have a double register vent, a feature which even mid-line bass clarinets have. To be honest it looks like a wooden vito! Unless you can get it for an excellent price, I would stay away from it and just save up.
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Author: dibble
Date: 2014-09-23 18:43
If you want a bass with a big sound, get a selmer early 80's 33 model. i have a ridenour bass but I struggle to get a sound that is nearly as big and whole as the 33 I played in college. Plus, the right thumb keys for the lower notes have a marshmallow feel to them (a prestigious repairman in San fran and I were talking about this the other day). The left hand low d key?...I just removed it. It is terrible.
For the price, the ridenour is ample in my opinion.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-23 19:15
The problem with '80s Selmer low C basses around the C-D series is the layout of the low note touchpieces which is different to other low C basses - including later Selmers which fortunately conform to other makes even though the balance of some of the pinky keys is heavy.
Series 9 basses are nice, so look out for one of them.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: davyd
Date: 2014-09-23 21:50
Some years ago, I had a low C Leblanc bass (don't recall the model number) on extended loan. Good tone and intonation, but pads kept falling out.
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2014-09-24 02:33
"Some years ago, I had a low C Leblanc bass (don't recall the model number) on extended loan. Good tone and intonation, but pads kept falling out."
That was a problem at one time -- seems that the nickel plating inside the pad cups was too slippery to engage the shellac cement. If it happens to you, just use a screwdriver to scratch away some of the shiny plating (where the sun don't shine anyway) and pads will no longer keep falling out. Usually not even necessary to add more shellac, as it was all adhering to the back of the pad. Incidentally my experience is that these vintage Leblancs do not like brown leather pads -- work better with skin pads as originally equipped.
Is a Tosca nothing but a wooden B12?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-24 17:59
They're pretty much alike in build quality.
You'd put up with that kind of workmanship on an entry level clarinet but would be appalled by it on a prestige (or is this higher than prestige level now called boutique?) level clarinet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Johan H Nilsson
Date: 2014-09-24 21:36
Attachment: L430S111313a22x15.jpg (214k)
jdbassplayer wrote:
> The leblanc appears to not have a double register vent,
> a feature which even mid-line bass clarinets have.
The Leblanc 430 seems to have a double register vent.
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Author: Johan H Nilsson
Date: 2014-09-24 21:48
LCL wrote:
> It plays beautifully, but it is no match for the new Selmer 67
> that I bought from L&F with some of their customization.
Can you elaborate? Is it an overall impression or are there differences in specific areas?
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Author: LCL
Date: 2014-09-25 01:04
Besides an overall impression, the clarion on the Selmer is clearer and more sonorous. Also my community band mates seems to like thenSelmer sound more!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-25 03:36
Leblanc offered both types of speaker mechanism to their pro level basses.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2014-09-25 04:30
It seems to me that unless the 2nd vent is on the neck it won't help much. In fact the upper vent appears lower than it would be on a single vent bass. It may help with playing middle B, but I don't usually have a problem with this note.
I suppose that the neck could be shorter which would compensate for this however.
Post Edited (2014-09-25 04:35)
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