 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Oski
Date: 2019-10-11 20:20
Hello!
I came across, supposedly rare and valuable, LeBlanc clarinet with a special Bb key on it. I is grenadilla wood and has regular general LeBlanc logo ( Like Esprit or L and LL) without any thing identifying a model. That's what an owner says about it:
"This a Leblanc clarinet from the 1950s or 1960s. A special design for the throat Bb includes a nonstandard mechanism that does NOT require special fingerings that controls an extra hole. The design was one of four "invented" at that time to deal with throat Bb problems. The competitors by Mazzeo (Selmer), the McIntyre Brothers, Leblanc, and Stubbins. Nasty and expensive ego-driven lawsuits were filed by most of these "inventors" and resulted in the demise of the all of the clarinets except the Mazzeo-Selmer ones. "
Any info or comments on this?
Thank you very much in advance.
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Author: m1964
Date: 2019-10-11 22:26
I tried a Leblank A clarinet with the mechanism/keys you described. The private seller wanted about $900-$1000 for it
I did not like the mechanism because it was slow to respond when both pressing and releasing the register and A throat keys.
In addition, that instrument sounded like a student model, at least to my ears.
When I looked up the price on "that" auction site, there was a Bb model with the same mechanism that sold for about $800, I think.
I eventually bought a Buffet RC that definitely sounded better then LeBlanc. Paid about $1700 too.
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Author: Oski
Date: 2019-10-11 22:45
Thank you very much For your insight m1964. I am sure you still enjoying your RC . )))
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2019-10-12 02:06
I would not say "rare" as I have seen quite a few of these over the years. Uncommon might be more correct.
As for valuable - well sadly Leblanc clarinets are not "fashionable" and generally under-rated, and I say this as the original purchaser of a pair of 1960 LLs which I still play - so the value is just what a willing buyer might pay for it, and of course condition is all important.
Rather under $1000 I would think.
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