The Clarinet BBoard

RE: albert systems

Author: ron b  Date:   2002-06-19 02:45 I've played Albert horns for a very long time, Jean, 'cause I'm an old guy There are still a few of us out here in the U.S. many more, maybe a majority in many European countries - notably Germany. There are usually some Alberts listed on the classifieds here at Sneezy and you'll find them fairly often on eBay. 'Some' eBay horns I've noticed are pretty decent, though, as often as not, way over priced and most of them need a lot of attention to put them in playing condition. Since you're looking for one you can play, be sure whatever you buy is a Low Pitch instrument. They're marked LP, L.P. or Low Pitch although the Low Pitch (spelled out) mark is usually found on saxophones. Avoid High Pitch (HP or H.P.) instruments, they're unsuitable for playing with modern groups. I don't find Alberts in pawn shops anymore. The ones I've seen recently were total junk. I wouldn't accept money to take it home : Most of their stuff is overpriced too, in my experience anyway. But you could try 'em - your experience may be different and you won't know unless you try. I used to find them for five to fifteen/twenty dollars - now they want up to a hundred or two. No way. Being realistic, and allowing for inflation, I consider $75 to $150 for a Nice instrument about right. In my estimation, the Alberts I own play and sound just like clarinets. I count myself among those who believe it's the player, not the instrument, that makes the music. I also believe a suitable mouthpiece and long tone practice are the primary ingredients to a nice sound. Bumblebee fingering mechanics will follow naturally. I own a Prueffer Oehler system that is pretty nice. I like the articulated G# and four side trill keys and a couple of other features of the Oehler system. My Moennig Bros. plain ol' Albert is about as reliable as a clarinet gets. Buffet made some really nice Albert horns but the ones I've seen are out of my reach price-wise... very nice to excellent instruments though. Conn made some decent horns but there are still a lot of (useless) HP ones floating around. Carl Fischer and Henry Gunkel imported boatloads of Alberts but no one seems to know for sure who made them. Most of 'em are pretty fair to good. LaCroix made (or imported?) Alberts for the military - lots them around. LaFayette, Pedler, and Wurlitzer were pretty good. Kohlert produced some very nice to excellent Albert instruments. This scratches the surface. Yamaha makes, or made (I'm not sure whether they still do) some very nice Albert (Oehler?) instruments. Brand new at brand new prices :| but very nice looking. I don't know how they play. I'll try to get a look at Trocadero later tonight and come back if I feel compelled to comment. In the meantime, keep looking, there are still a lot of Alberts in circulation and many more that have gone dormant. Just remember -- LP, L.P., LOW PITCH

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RE: albert systems

Author: ron b  Date:   2002-06-19 04:42 I'm sure there's more info to come, Jean. My knowledge of instrument history is miniscule at best... and many of us are slow readers too I went over to the Toscacero site. To me it seems there isn't a lot to choose from. The horns pictured look 'okay' but I'd shop around some more if I were seriously looking for a keeper. To some degree it depends on how much you're willing to spend when you find a desirable one. Many people think Alberts are valuable antiques just because the horn is older than they are. Most of them (the horns are just old (and worn out). Be choosey :]

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RE: albert systems

Author: ron b  Date:   2002-06-19 15:54 Thank you, Dee A wealth of information, correction, instruction and fun... is why most of us come here. If 'class' ever ceases Sneezy will fade. Hope that never happens. I have a nice Mueller (C. Fischer LP) that I play. I recently got a method book for it (off eBay, just for the sake of having one I guess. My repair tech/mentor refers to it as a Simple System. I'm still not sure but have been calling it a simple system too. It has two rings (lower joint) two side 'trill' keys and the F/C (R pinky) is a lever 'button' key. I'm so used to the Albert that it's fun to play its cousin, the simple one. I restored it over a year ago and started seriously playing it a couple of months ago. It, too, sounds just like a clarinet :]

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RE: albert systems

Author: ron b  Date:   2002-06-20 16:20 My personal experience is: I've played Albert systems for about as long as I can remember - a very long time. These days I'm playing a Bundy alto clarinet (Boehm, of course) for the fun of it. I have played regular Boehms off and on over the years. Gimme a good ol' Vito or Bundy any day and I'm content I guess I'm like a baby duck who identifies the first living creature it sees as its mom. I keep returning to the Albert types. As you can tell, I spend some of my spare time learning totally useless stuff too Anyway... Eons ago I doubled on sax. The similarities and differences between Boehm and Albert clarinet fingerings and sax fingerings, in my estimation, are about the same. I don't find any advantage in one over the other. There are differences and similarities. Saxes and clarinets are different instruments - period. You need to develop your technique for each one. There are no shortcuts that I know of. Some say the pinky keys of the Albert are more like a sax. Okay. I don't find any advantage to that. Whichever clarinet you pick, you still have to practice. It's your choice

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RE: albert systems

Author: ron b  Date:   2002-06-21 15:55 Hi, Steve I prefer the Albert, I suppose, because I grew up playing one. There are no 'missing' keys, just a different arrangement of fewer of them. I played an old second-hand (or third, or...?) horn through high school (two yrs. band, two yrs. orch.), then four yrs. as military bandsman (U.S.A.F.) and several yrs. after that just kickin' around as sorta semi-pro... meaning, I hadn't yet come to my senses and discovered I needed a steadier income :| During that time I acquired a couple of better instruments. I don't find any difference in tone, why would there be? It's mostly (96.2% the player, the mouthpiece and practicing/playing that determines that - in my opinion. Hi, Roger Yeah, by the pix I've seen, the Albert clarinet seems to suit Woody Allen too

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