 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2016-07-14 23:18
H. Pedler made solid silver clarinets based on the (pre-R13) Buffet design. There's a photo of Gaston Hamelin, the Boston principal, holding one and a (probably apocryphal) story that he was fired for playing it. Alexander Williams told me that he had played an Eb in the New York Philharmonic. I tried a full Boehm Bb/A pair that Charlie Ponte owned and liked them but couldn't make a fair evaluation because the pads were leaky. They were also quite heavy.
Haynes made double-walled silver clarinets with their trademark amazing fit and finish. There were a very small number of Bb/A pairs made. Hayneses go for at least $2,000, and every one that comes on the market is immediately snapped up by collectors. They used the Selmer design, which for me tended to blare. Also, the left-hand E/B and F#/C# keys were shorter than usual. With my short little fingers, I had trouble finding them.
Selmer made excellent solid silver clarinets that go for high prices (over $1,000). For me, they play like wood Selmers from that period.
Those are the 3 contenders.
Ken Shaw
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2016-07-15 03:00
Hands down Buffet. Plays like the best R13 money could buy but will never crack. The intonation is absolutely amazing even by modern standards. Seriously regret selling mine. They're very rare but do show up occasionally.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: Jim Harper ★2017
Date: 2016-07-18 18:51
I love my Haynes. EXCEPT for the low F and E. These notes are so flat as to be unusable. BTW, Ken, I got this instrument after you posted something about it being for sale maybe 12 years ago. Thanks again!
Post Edited (2016-07-18 18:58)
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2016-07-19 08:56
Jim,
Just curious - are the low F and E about a quarter tone flat?
Fuzzy
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2016-07-19 23:41
Thanks Jim! I have a few Albert clarinets from the late 1800s (two metal, one rubber - with the same keywork and tone hole placements as the metals) with the exact same problem you mention. Beautiful sound throughout until the F and E.
It seems that the issue gets even worse at warmer temperatures on my metal clarinets. They're about a quarter tone flat at 70 degrees on F and E, but go even FLATTER as the temperature rises. I didn't realize the Haynes had a similar issue with E and F though. Have you ever recorded the Haynes? I've never had the opportunity to hear one before.
Fuzzy
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