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Re: Overprinting on B&H Imperial 926

Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2019-04-04 00:24

I have just checked a 1946 B&H Imperial A clarinet I own but that used to belong to the Royal Marines.
At that time the name 926 did not appear on the instruments.
Both upper and lower joints had a hand stamped "A ^ P" and below it a 4 digit number.
The Bell has a neatly stamped "R M B" and below that "L.P. 186"
All the original B&H serial numbers 37xxx remain intact.

Although officially the military adopted LP before the war, many line bands, especially those located overseas, did not convert from HP until after the war, hence the LP marking.

Back in those days the RMB solo clarinetists were issued with a pair of Imperials.
Some years later the solo player would get a pair of 1010s and the rest of the clarinet section were issued 926s.
Note - these were the days when B&H had a virtual monopoly of UK band instruments.

in the first decades after WW II most army line bands issued 926s to the solo clarinet players and Emperors to the rest. I think the staff bands were probably all issued 926s though many players used their own personal instruments for non-marching jobs.

When I was serving I part exchanged my (personal) pair of Imperials for a pair of Leblancs. In a section of 10 clarinetists I was the only one using French instruments (which did not go un-noticed during a Kneller Hall inspection).

In more modern times just about anything goes. During a cold winter marching gig some years ago the whole clarinet section of a Foot Guards band were playing on plastic Buffet B12s (quite sensible)

..and especially for Bill - it really is "Mrs"