 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Roni
Date: 2001-09-19 03:07
I have a bass clarinet with the stamp R. Malerne
Paris
embossed in gold and old English lettering. It is a wood bass clarinet and the serial number is 1426. My high school band teacher told me that it was almost 100 years old and i would like to know exactly how old it is thanks and i appreciate your help!
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2001-09-19 13:37
I don't think it's 100 years old because I don't think Malerne started until the '30s. Perhaps Mark Charette can help with his Langwell's. I know the company was still operating in 1972 because they were making stencils for Linton then. Sometime between that date and 1984, when the factory was sold to SML (Strasser, Marigaux and Lemaire), the company went out of business.
I doubt there are any serial number lists around. Check the neck, bell and keywork carefully. I know of at least one instance where all the metal was sterling silver!
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: Stephen Froehlich
Date: 2001-09-19 14:05
I know that Dave Spiegethal has restored a Malerme that he really likes. (He likes a big sound, etc.) Perhaps he did some research along with his restoration. Anyhoo, he has a good working knowledge of these instruments.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-09-19 14:53
Roni,
If your Malerne is a modern-style instrument with a low Eb, then I'd venture a guess that it was made no earlier than around 1940, and most likely it's newer than that. Got any photos?
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-09-19 21:30
Bob A,
One of my Malerne bass clarinet restorations was indeed yours (the hard rubber Conn stencil version), but I also restored, maybe half a year ago, a wood Malerne bass clarinet which is now owned by a young lady who performs with the U.S. Coast Guard Band. I am fond of these Malerne-made basses (regardless of labelling), but remember that they need some fairly significant modifications before I would consider them acceptable.
By the way, there is an F.E. Olds bass clarinet on eBay right now, I am indeed bidding on it, because I'm 95% sure it's a Malerne stencil. It looks just like the other Malernes I've seen, and a posting (I believe by Jack Kissinger) a few years back stated that Malerne made stencil clarinets for Linton, Conn, Olds, and possibly others.
Roni,
If you could make some digital photos of your Malerne bass available on the Internet, it would help considerably in guessing the age of your instrument.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2001-09-20 03:24
Hi David,
Yes, I think I did post that message. My information was from the Wichita Band Instruments site which had Malerne Conn and Olds basses for sale at the same time. (They were asking about $650 each if memory serves and took quite awhile to sell.)
jnk
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