 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kenton
Date: 2015-09-01 20:01
Hi, I'm trying to figure out the pedigree of a clarinet. It is a LeBlanc Pete Fountain clarinet. It has a LeBlanc logo on it but no other marking except for SN E13641 and 7217 which I take to be a model#. I tried measuring the bore, and I get .589. It appears to be plastic. It is a pretty horn with gold keys.
(I'm a lower brass player, so you may have to speak slowly to make me understand!)
So, I'm trying to determine whether there were several models of clarinets that were labeled Pete Fountain. And, if so, how this one ranks in quality.
Thanks
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Author: KenJarczyk
Date: 2015-09-01 20:36
Pete Fountain originally migrated to Leblanc, and the wonderful Dynamic H Clarinet. Leblanc then made some adjustments to the Dynamic H and marketed it as the Pete Fountain Clarinet. Through the years, and to sell horns, this digressed to the horn you're looking at. It is a student-quality Vito instrument. A great and wonderful marching-band horn.
Ken Jarczyk
Woodwinds Specialist
Eb, C, Bb, A & Bass Clarinets
Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo
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Author: Kenton
Date: 2015-09-01 21:08
Thank you. That is what I expected. It is such a pretty horn at a distance, and impresses most who view it, but as I looked closer, I suspected it was not the renown Pete Fountain horn.
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2015-09-03 20:00
I am familiar with the Leblanc Dynamique > Dynamic > Dynamic 2 (I owned one for a while) > Dynamic H / Pete Fountain > Big Easy series, all variants of the same basic "big bore" acoustic design. (Any disagreement with that characterization?)
But I was not aware of plastic/composite/rubber Vito horns bearing Pete's name. Though I have to say Leblanc is/was certainly capable of doing that, if the contract arrangements permitted it- perhaps even if they didn't, LOL. Selmer put Benny Goodman's name on cheap clarinets that (I'm pretty sure) were nothing like the Centered Tone and other models that he actually played. (I had one and quickly resold it- played OK but nothing special about it that I could tell.)
I would be very interested in a less expensive Vito "Pete Fountain" model if indeed it shared the acoustic design of the Dynamic series. Any chance of that? Anybody know the whole story? I'd appreciate a few photos from the OP.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2015-09-03 21:17
Thanks for the photos.
That is lovely. And it is definitely plastic. Looks fairly new, too. I would really like to know if it is a generic Vito/cheap-Leblanc design, or in fact has some non-sales-related reason for carrying the Pete Fountain inscription.
I'm no grenadilla snob. I think it is actually possible, though very unlikely, that Leblanc could have made this instrument live up to its appearance, in acoustics and playing characteristics. Just as Selmer could have done with cheap Benny Goodman models, but I'm pretty sure they did not.
Has anyone here actually played and evaluated one of these?
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: MarlboroughMan
Date: 2015-09-03 21:38
Very cool--thanks for posting pics!
I use an old Vito V40 for outdoor cold weather gigs, because of the similarity to the Pete Fountain bore--but I didn't know these had ever been out there. Count me surprised and interested.
Eric
******************************
The Jazz Clarinet
http://thejazzclarinet.blogspot.com/
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2015-09-04 00:29
I vividly recall seeing these advertised in The Instrumentalist magazine back in the 1980s. The ad showed a seven-ring configuration along with the gold-tone keys. I really, really wanted one!
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2015-09-04 01:50
So Eric- are some (surely not all) Vito's really wolves in sheep's clothing? Dynamics in disguise? How's the keywork on your V40? What if you had to play it in a "nice" setting (other horns unavailable)... would that be OK or a bummer?
Even if a "Pete Fountain Vito" is the same as a Reso-tone 3 or a V40, I imagine it would (then and now) carry a premium price, if you could even find one for sale. It does look nice.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
Post Edited (2015-09-04 01:52)
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Author: MarlboroughMan
Date: 2015-09-04 04:50
Yeah...I wouldn't necessarily say all V40s are great. From what I understand the changed the spec on them, and at least one of my friends bought a later one that turned out very weak indeed (at least by his review).
I own a couple of really nice ones, though. The keywork is okay...not great...but serviceable, and I did a little adjusting to them.
As far as the sound, I would definitely feel comfortable playing them on indoor/warmer weather gigs if I had to. The biggest difference is depth of sound--my regular horns have more depth, in other words. But these are pretty good. To be honest, I wouldn't play them even on cold weather gigs if they didn't give what I considered to be a representative sound--I'd still be looking!
Eric
******************************
The Jazz Clarinet
http://thejazzclarinet.blogspot.com/
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2015-09-04 05:25
I agree with Eric: Not all of the V-40s were great. The one I owned had a somewhat nasal sound and was a little on the stuffy side. But, in the hands of my lessons student, it sounds wonderful and he continues to have great success with it. So perhaps, it just wasn't great for ME...
My favourite Vito continues to be the 7214. A good technician can make a good example of one of these really sing, as mine does. But, since buying my Alpha, the Vito doesn't get any play time anymore.
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Author: KenJarczyk
Date: 2015-09-04 14:47
Although it is marked as "Pete Fountain" and has golden-tinted keywork, it is still marked a VITO 7217. So, it is a Resotone. A Resotone is a Resotone. Most all are nice clarinets, but not wonderful clarinets. This particular clarinet just has a special finish to the looks.
Ken Jarczyk
Woodwinds Specialist
Eb, C, Bb, A & Bass Clarinets
Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2015-09-04 21:57
Reminds me of the Cadillac Cimarron (really just a Chevy Cavalier). Or the Lincoln Versailles (really just a Ford Granada, which was really just a Maverick).
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: Pastor Rob
Date: 2015-09-06 17:07
I have one with nickel keys. It is the most resistant clarinet I have ever played. It's probably going to be lamp soon.
Pastor Rob Oetman
Leblanc LL (today)
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Author: Johan H Nilsson
Date: 2017-09-07 01:51
Bump! Happened to come across this thread.
I think the lower joint has gotten the wrong model number (7217). The "arrow" logo on the lower joint belongs to a 7216 Pete Fountain.
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