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Re: Is this clarinet worth to buy?

Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-11-27 19:22

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/msg/d/boosey-and-hawkes-of-london/6376941349.html

The B&H 2-20 is an entry level wooden clarinet from the 1960s which is the same basic instrument as the B&H Edgware. They have a much larger bore than most clarinets on the market and are pretty decent instruments.

If you do buy the 2-20, then expect to have it fully overhauled (complete strip down and rebuild) as it has seen better days, but will be worth it once the work is done.

My first clarinet was one of these which I bought in a junk sale for $7.75, although the insurance value of such a clarinet was £550 at the time (in 1986). I used it to practice repair techniques on from the basic stuff to sleeving tenons, bushing toneholes.

One thing you'll definitely need to have done on this clarinet to make it reliable is have the upper ring on the middle tenon built up to make it a good fit in the socket as these clarinets (and most B&H clarinets from this time) had no upper tenon ring on account of B&H using the same width cutter to cut the tenon slot for the cork, so the middle joint ends up very unstable and you'll lose your long Bb.

I do think it's a good upgrade from your plastic Vito, but only if you can justify the repair costs or do your own repairs on it.

This design of clarinet (bore size and tonehole layout) was used extensively by B&H on all their clarinets apart from the much larger bore 1010. The Peter Eaton International is also based on this design (and the Elite being based on the 1010 design). You can use any mouthpiece with these clarinets instead of having to find one specific to it as you would with 1010s.

The barrel looks too short, so you will have to pull it out as the throat notes on B&H clarinets do play on the sharp side inless the standard length barrel is used and also pulled out by around 1mm, although a flatter playing mouthpiece (Vandoren "13" Series) can help bring things down to pitch.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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