Author: Dave Spiegelthal
Date: 1999-08-31 15:04
This summer I've bought and completely restored (among others) three older Boosey & Hawkes "The Edgware" model clarinets. I've read some disparaging remarks about these instruments a few times, and I'd be interested in hearing peoples' opinions about these instruments. I've personally found them to be surprisingly good after restoration, and I can't figure out why some players are down on them. I've restored two wooden ones (1945 and 1957 models) and a hard rubber 1954 model (which plays so well that I'm keeping it as my primary clarinet; I've sold the other two, which played very similar to, and about as well as the hard rubber one). I've found these B&H's to be rather easy-blowing and very uniform through the registers, with especially clear and in-tune throat tones and a nice, woody chalumeau. The altissimo is maybe a little flat in pitch and very slightly unstable compared to most of the French instruments I've tried, but other than that, they seem to have remarkably good intonation. The keys are nickel-plated rather than solid nickel silver (German silver), which I do find to be a drawback (plated keys are a bit too slippery for my tastes). Also, the keys generally seem to be a bit larger and more spread out than on the typical French instruments, which may be an advantage for some and a disadvantage for others. Finally, they do have a characteristic "English" sound, which is hard to describe (but I know it when I hear it!). It's a tone quality I happen to like very much (assuming that vibrato is NOT added), but I suspect that this may be what turns some players off. Anyway, I'm just curious, and I'd love to hear what others have to say.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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