 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Doug
Date: 2002-01-08 15:08
If I had 2 nickels to rub together, I'd be actively collecting clarinets. (I already have a short mental wish-list, in fact.) Does anyone know if there's a newsgroup, website, or e-mailing list for people with this particular affliction? I don't necessarily mean museum pieces, just outstanding examples of clarinets from over the years, including 20th century.
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2002-01-08 15:25
I don't know of any such group, but I have a small collection of distinctive but unplayable clarinets and would be interested if you find something. I need to do some checking here to find out a little more regarding my instruments, but my collection basically includes a metal b-flat, a metal eefer, a red wood clarinet, an old Albert-system instrument and one with fewer keys than the Albert.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-01-08 17:19
I, too, might consider reducing the size of my 'collection' for someone like Doug. I know my wife would be overjoyed if the size of what she calls the 'clarinet forest' in our basement were to shrink!
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-01-08 20:42
Try EarlyClarinet at e-groups, Doug. It's a good site for collectors and repair techs interested in older woodwind instruments. You can easily get on their mailing list, as I recall. I haven't been there for some time, since we replaced our computer a couple of months ago. I'm not sure how to get back to it right now. I'm hoping someone here will be able to direct you to it better than I can at the moment. If not, I'll try to get back to this before too much time passes.
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Author: Dimitrios
Date: 2002-01-09 11:35
There must be quite a few clarinet "buffs" around the world. I am one, I know. Have been collecting Alberts for some 30 yrs now. I bought most of them from clarinetists mostly because I heard them played and liked the sound. Have Buffets, a LeBlanc, a Selmer, 3 Hawkes, 2 Booseys, etc. etc. etc. I keep them in playing condition and, though not a player myself, I have friends who like to play and/or hear them played. Instead of playing cards, every first Thursday of the month, we get together for clarinet playing/listening and reciting the stories of almost every one.
I have a Cohlert, that I bought from a Roma(gypsy) woman player/singer from Bulgaria, that I bought some 20 yrs ago. I often take the clarinet in my hands and relive the evening I heard her play it and sing!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-01-09 13:23
Yes, the "Early Clarinet" group is rather infrequently-active, but is THE place to contact serious collector-restorer persons. I have learned much from it and enjoy sharing comments re: my small but somewhat unusual cl etc collection with real experts. I suggest posting questions/comments and see what the response is, I really dont want it to be quite as great as on the "bass-clarinet" group site. Don
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-01-09 16:38
Looking into "Early Clarinet" , I found that I needed to re-register [a lengthy, but secure process] , prob. due to password change., so believe I'm in again , also into the bass-clarinet@yahoogroups. Luck, Don
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-01-09 20:00
Hi, Don
Haven't been in touch with the Early bunch for quite a while. Enjoyed your occasional posts there Personally speaking, during the past year or two we've done lots of things. We moved, got a new computer, made new acquaintances, changed thinking patterns several times along the way. EarlyClarinet sorta lagged behind the daily activities. Glad it came up here as a reminder that it's worthwhile to keep in touch. I, too, have learned much just from reading the contributions there. I'll probably need to re-register too... I don't remember my password :
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Author: Doug
Date: 2002-01-11 14:05
Thanks to you all for your responses; I'm now hooked up with the early clarinet group & we'll see where that leads...special to David Spiegenthal: you'll notice I started by saying "IF I had 2 nickels", the IF being a (there's a word for it, but I'll be damned if I can think of it) condition that does not now apply!!!! but thanks, I'll keep you in mind for when I get, oh, a lottery windfall or something.
Cheers all,
Doug
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-01-11 14:48
Doug,
It's OK ----- my clarinets aren't really vintage/antique anyway (at least according to my perception of the definition) as they are all modern Boehm-system instruments, even if they date back to 1920 or so. But at the rate I'm selling them (hah) I'll probably end up giving them away, just to clear out the basement to ensure domestic tranquility ---- if that happens, I'll keep you in mind!
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-01-11 16:31
Hi, Doug. Ron here again
If buying something is contingent on your winning the world lottery, what would you buy first?
I was in a situation similar to yours three or so years ago, except I had a few bucks to spare. I had recently retired and decided to toot the old horn again for kicks. After I sorta got my chops back I began seeking an Albert system metal horn. No particular reason, except that I play Albert system and didn't have a horn for outdoor occasions. I'd always been interested, at a distance, in older instruments and started a quest for said metal horn. Armed with a promt and a nudge from Dee, I began to search in earnest and discovered that metal Alberts, in any condition, are hard to come by. That search piqued my interest in other 'vintage' instruments. I've since acquired several old horns, including a couple of metal Alberts. They're not 'collector items' by a long shot but they'er interesting and fun to play.
I hope you get your windfall soon and find what you're looking for, Doug. We all started somewhere. EarlyClarinet is a pretty good place to go for that sort of thing and many folks here are very knowledgeable (I don't include myself, I come here for advice) about old instruments and collecting.
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Author: Doug Ramsdell
Date: 2002-01-11 23:59
Gee, Ron, thanks for asking--
first would be a good Selmer low C bass, either a new 37 or something similar to "that horn" a friend had for sale a few years ago, a silver-keyed low-C Selmer with a beautiful patina to the wood for which I was outbid by (and you can believe this or not) Bill Cosby...
second, that full-Boehm Buffet C clarinet I saw at a local music store--my serial number research put it at 1910 manufacture, but with my Bb mouthpiece it seemed to be tuned to some sort of oriental scale--nothing remotely close to in-tune...so I'd score an old Albert C mouthpiece and revisit that puppy...
third and fourth, Selmer BT and CT, fifth and beyond some older Buffets with wraparound register keys, several Selmer &/or Buffet full-Boehm Bbs, a basset horn or two (why not!!??), something in the contra range, and then they'd probably cart me off to Happydale, because I live in a studio apartment.
Gee, thanks for asking. I feel better now.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-01-12 04:16
The wonderful thing about dreams is, they're free :]
But, who knows? Your ship may come in unscheduled and surprise you.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-01-12 15:21
Hi Ron and all - I just now have received 2 E M's from "Early Clarinet" , so it is still perking for me. I did attempt to re-subscribe to it , and maybe y'all might pose a question and/or have a discussion as above [I enjoy such] to get it going strong. Don
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