 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: r small
Date: 2016-07-28 06:29
I've been out of circulation for a while but am considering getting back into playing with a local community band. I have a couple of nice Leblanc sticks (LX and LL) so I'm pretty well set equipment-wise. Still I've always wanted a top of the line model like the Opus and Concerto. And finally I can afford it. Are these even being made these days? I did some research and it looks like Leblanc is now part of Conn-Selmer. The website catalogue didn't show any Bb soprano clarinets. Just student model alto, bass, and contrabass. Is that all that is left of the once extensive Leblanc catalogue? Can somebody bring me up to date?
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2016-07-28 10:35
Hi, Robert:
Leblanc USA was acquired by Conn-Selmer in 2004. The Leblanc Paris works was acquired by Buffet in 2008.
There aren't any professional Leblanc clarinets being made today. The intermediate-level Bliss L210 is the top-level Leblanc offered.
Conn-Selmer has been on something of a rampage cutting models from the Leblanc USA catalogue. Many models from the Leblanc, Vito, and Holton brands have been phased out.
Tom Ridenour, designer of some acclaimed Leblanc professional clarinets, continues to develop his designs and markets instruments himself under the Ridenour marque. If you desire a professional clarinet in the Leblanc spirit, check out his offerings.
But do keep an open mind. Backun and Yamaha continue to come up with fresh new takes on our beloved instrument. Even the English-style clarinet has enjoyed a renaissance by makers Peter Eaton and Hanson. Try as many as you can get your hands on...
At the end of the day, you might just decide to stick with your LX and LL. You can get advice here on finding a technician who can wring every last delicious morsel of performance out of what you already have.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2016-07-28 16:24
I agree with URSA: the closest thing to the Leblanc Opus and Concerto is Ridenour these days. It is only natural, as he designed these instruments, and since then, he has improved them considerably. The old LL and LX are good in their own way, but big-bored instruments that don't produce the sound people usually seek in Classical music at present.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: r small
Date: 2016-07-28 17:27
Thanks Ursa and Ruben for the helpful replies. It's sad to see the venerable Leblanc brand reduced to a few student level alto and bass clarinets. I have some Leblanc catalogues from the 1990s when Leblanc had a very extensive line. The catalogue has lots of quality glossy pics of the whole line: Opus, Concerto, Infinite, Esprit, Pete Fountain, LL, etc. Plus a wide range of harmony clarinets including the tiny Ab sopranino. Also the special mechanism models like full Boehm, 3/4 Boehm, etc. My LL is a 3/4 Boehm (same as full Boehm without the low Eb). I still enjoy poring through those old catalogues. I'll do some research on the Ridenour clarinets but I'll more than likely just sit tight with the LX and LL. Both are very good sticks and more than adequate for community band work. By the way, the LX has the same bore as the small bore Opus/Concerto models (14.61 mm or very close). The LL has a medium bore (14.80 mm) which is halfway between the small bore and the large bore Pete Fountain model (15.00 mm). A shame these great instruments are no longer being made.
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Author: r small
Date: 2016-07-28 18:03
I'm not familiar with the "LL3". What does the number "3" indicate? And what year was it made? My LL was made in about 1996 and is pretty easy to play in tune. I bought it from Phil Muncy who supposedly set it up. Though I had my local repairman do some work on it to get it hitting on all cylinders.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-07-28 22:20
I reckon you'll be fine with the LL and LX as they're very nice clarinets.
After production ceased in France, Leblanc clarinets were being made in the US for a very short production run of Backun-style high end clarinets.
So you're either looking at a Backun or a Ridenour for the nearest thing to a Leblanc nowadays - besides a used or new old stock French Leblanc (Opus, Concerto, Ambiance, Infinite, LX2000, etc.).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2016-07-28 22:53
rSmall; Leblanc is a company that I know rather well because I almost worked for them. The company revolved so much around its owner, Léon Leblanc, who used to take even the smallest decisions, that it isn't surprising that it didn't really survive him. At the end of his career, when he was almost 90, he was too reluctant to change in order to adjust to new criteria in tone and intonation. Vito took the company over and did very well as long as Tom Ridenour was around. Once the latter left, well that was it.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Johan H Nilsson
Date: 2016-07-30 12:28
The clarinets that Tom Ridenour designed at Leblanc in the 90s (Opus, Concerto, etc.) were very different from the Leon Leblanc lines (LL and L7/L70/L27/L200/L300/LX/LX2000).
Generally, Ridenour's instruments are both more versatile and tune better.
Designing is a different thing than producing. I actually prefer the Leblanc instruments to the ones that Ridenour sell on his own.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2016-07-30 12:43
Dear Mr. Nilsson, I agree that Ridenour's clarinets were very different. Better, I don't know, but certainly more to contemporary tastes and needs. Would you happen to know who was the tester for the Leblanc L7, L200 and L300? I suspect it was Henri Druart, but I'm not sure. He was probably the most prominent French orchestral clarinetist of his day, but when Karajan took over the Orchestre de Paris, he hated Druart's sound; too far from Leister's, I suppose.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Johan H Nilsson
Date: 2016-08-01 22:40
Dear Ruben,
I have very limited insight into the Leblanc history other than what I have read in old news paper articles and forum discussions.
What I have done is to reverse-engineer some models by measuring them. Then the difference between the Leon Leblanc models and the Ridenour ones become very apparent. They can also be told apart solely by playing them.
The L300 is the odd bird in the Leon Leblanc family, with its soft and round sound. It both stands out from its predecessors and successors. The closest resembling modern clarinet that I can think of is the Selmer Signature.
I didn't say the Ridenour designed clarinet were better overall by some standard, only that they tuned better and that is said objectively. I prefer them playing wise too.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2016-08-02 20:52
Dear Johan,
I will try out a Leblanc L300 this week-I had much trouble finding one! If it's the odd-man-out in the Leblanc "pre-Ridenour" line, so much the better. Comparing it to a present-day Selmer Privilège is actually very high praise. I took out a couple of Ridenour Leblanc clarinets and played them for a few days. They are excellent. My only criticism is that they are a bit like Merlot wine: very smooth and round, but lacking in complexity. The A below the staff is very, very sharp, while the E a twelfth up is in tune. This will be very hard to rectify. Besides that, my Leblanc Concerto is very well in tune.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Wes
Date: 2017-10-20 00:23
To lower the pitch of the A below the staff, consider undercutting the next lower hole. This can lower the pitch of the A without changing the pitch of the E in the next register. An expert clarinet tuner would perhaps do this. I've also seen that low A affected by a too small barrel bore. Good luck!
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-10-20 00:57
Just a note of interest. At the ClarinetFest 2017 I spoke with Julian Bliss for a bit. I really like the guy. Fun to talk with. Long story short he said they are working on a new Bliss clarinet. I did not ask him if it would be a pro model.
You may wish to keep an eye on this, or contact Lablanc directly and see what's going on.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2017-10-20 08:12)
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2017-10-20 02:41
Barblyn,
my pair of LLs which I bought new in the UK at start of 1961 have serial numbers 141xx and were made in late 1960 so your instrument almost certainly would date from 1961.
I don't know how different the Classic was from the LL, certainly appearance wise they looked almost identical, and the bores were I think the same, but never analysed the tonehole positions / dimensions to compare them.
I don't recall seeing the Classic model sold in the UK although over the years I have worked on a few, but always imports from the USA.
Certainly Bill Lewington who was the main agent fro Leblanc in the UK didn't have those in his stock during the early 60s when I was a regular caller at his shop.
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Author: Dibbs
Date: 2017-10-20 15:11
Wes wrote:
> To lower the pitch of the A below the staff, consider
> undercutting the next lower hole. This can lower the pitch of
> the A without changing the pitch of the E in the next register.
> An expert clarinet tuner would perhaps do this. I've also
> seen that low A affected by a too small barrel bore. Good
> luck!
Don't do that. It will make it worse. You can't make a note flatter by making a hole bigger. Undercutting raises the fundamental more than the 12th.
https://www.clarkwfobes.com/pages/tuning-and-voicing-the-clarinet
The correct fix is to enlarge the top of the upper joint but that would affect all manner of other notes.
Post Edited (2017-10-20 15:14)
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Author: Wes
Date: 2017-10-20 22:18
Sorry about that, Dibbs. You are right and I did have it reversed. Thank you for your correction!
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2017-10-20 23:27
When will someone tell the story of what went wrong at Leblanc? Why did it go under/struggle?
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Author: Johan H Nilsson
Date: 2017-10-21 02:12
J. J. wrote:
> When will someone tell the story of what went wrong at Leblanc?
> Why did it go under/struggle?
I've heard a couple of theories that connect quite well:
1. Competition from Asian student instruments in combination with lack of automatisation didn't make them profitable enough.
2. The company culture circled too much around Leon Leblanc and Vito Pascucci and the only heir, Leon Pascucci, was not 100% dedicated to running a woodwind company.
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