 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2016-05-29 06:22
A while back I bought a well-used low pitch Albert system clarinet from EBay. It looked to be in good shape and only cost pocket change and I couldn't resist a bargain. I put it in my "Gunna' box", where it sat until last week.
I found it during a cleanup and decided to have a closer look. The wood is of a quality and density rarely seen today, the keywork is sound and very well fitted and finished unplated nickel silver and I cannot find a makers mark or serial number anywhere on it. Marking on the case indicate that it was originally from a W. Hampe from Amsterdam, presumably a music retailer. It cleaned up very well and somewhat to my surprise plays and tunes quite well with a Vd B45. The bell notes are a little sharp. As for tone, it is probably one of the best-sounding instruments in my small collection.
I had not played an Albert system for probably 50 years, but the muscle memory was still there and it came back after half an hour of playing. I still find the tone hole spacing a bit odd, but it's getting easier with time.
I have attached some photos, would anyone like to hazard a guess as to the possible origins of this instrument.
Tony F.
Post Edited (2016-05-29 06:30)
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2016-05-31 00:28
Appears almost identical to my c.1897 Jerome Thibouville Lamy HP clarinet, except that mine has separate throat A and G# keys rather than the crossed ones like your instrument. I don't know if the little black dots on some of the spatulas are peculiar to J.T.L., but my instrument shares that feature.
Got to get my Albert chops together, playing a Vintage Band Festival in Minnesota two months hence!
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Author: MichaelW
Date: 2016-05-31 01:38
Attachment: Rivets.jpg (260k)
I have seen these "little black dots" on some 19th or early 20th century German or Albert clarinets (Photo: E.J. Albert Bb clarinet). They are caused by through- riveting (as opposed to screw fastening) of the flat springs.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-05-31 01:53
They're more likely to be the tips of screws if they're made from steel (which turns brown/black) as they'd have used non-ferrous metals (brass or nickel silver) to rivet spring in due to them being much softer than steel and easier to flatten out. Older Boosey&Co. clarinets have steel flat spring screws that go all the way through the touchpieces and are then filed down, papered up and polished smooth along with the top side of the touchpiece. Touchpieces with rivets through them will have the holes through the touchpieces countersunk for the rivets to flare out into to prevent them being pulled through once they're filed smooth.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: MichaelW
Date: 2016-05-31 18:22
Attachment: Touchpiece.jpg (508k)
@Chris P: At a closer look (Foto!) you can indeed see a faint groove- it looks as if the screw head on the underside might have been filed flat. I fear replacing flat springs wouldn't be easy.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-05-31 19:32
The slots can be cleaned out and deepened just enough using a piercing or jeweller's saw to gain purchase with a screwdriver blade. If need be, apply a drop of oil and heat the touchpiece so the oil will penetrate the screw thread. Turning the flat spring anticlockwise may also loosen the screw as well.
Worst case scenario is having to drill out the screw which is always a very last resort should all else fail. Replacing the screw isn't difficult so long as you have a replacement of the same thread - if not, then retap the screw hole and fit a new screw, then file off the excess on the touchpiece side and paper and polish it smooth.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2016-06-02 02:57
I've done a bit more research on the possible origins of this mystery instrument. I haven't come up with an identical match, but by far the closest are the instruments made by Kohlert in the late 1800's and early 1900's. I checked it against a couple of Jerome Thibouville Lamy Alberts and there are significant differences in key shape and absence of rollers, but the Kohlert is pretty much identical with the exception of the long left pinky key. Mine is straight while the Kohlert key has a curve at the bottom to accommodate a slightly offset tone hole. Apart from that the key patterns and touchpiece shapes are pretty well spot on.
Tony F.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2016-06-07 10:15
Those 100 year old Albert clarinets often have the very hardest black wood. Perhaps that is why they sound so good. If you try to enlarge a tone hole to raise a too flat note, you may find that round files barely work on that wood. Even a dowel covered with rough silicon carbide abrasive paper will hardly remove any wood. Hand work on that hard wood is difficult! Is this wood a different species than what is used today?
Buffet R13 Prestige clarinets are said to be made of the best wood, but it doesn't look as black or as hard as those old Albert system clarinets.
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Author: chris moffatt
Date: 2016-06-10 22:34
Tony: not to say it can't be a Kohlert but I'm inclined to think it's Kohlert's Soehne if its german. The keywork looks typically french except for the standoff on the left pinky which I've seen on Keilwerths and the elongated touch piece on the Bflat/Eflat key which looks typically german.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2016-06-11 02:54
"Tony: not to say it can't be a Kohlert but I'm inclined to think it's Kohlert's Soehne if its german. The keywork looks typically french except for the standoff on the left pinky which I've seen on Keilwerths and the elongated touch piece on the Bflat/Eflat key which looks typically german.?
Could well be, Chris. I'm not completely convinced that it's a Kohlert, but their keywork is the closest I've seen to it. Kohlert's Soehne might be the answer. The more I play it the better I like it.
Tony F.
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Author: derf5585
Date: 2016-06-12 01:01
Eugène Albert (April 26, 1816 – May 11, 1890)[1]was a Belgian woodwind instrument maker, primarily known for his clarinets
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Albert
fsbsde@yahoo.com
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