 The Fingering Forum
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Author: Billie
Date: 2003-12-04 02:42
Hi. I have acquired an old metal clarinet which I'm told may be an Albert fingering instrument. It has number 4043 on it. Can anyone help me with where I can find info on this and other older instruments. Thanks for your help.
Billie
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Author: Gnomon
Date: 2003-12-04 07:50
Are you sure the clarinet is Albert System. Have a look at <A HREF="http://gofree.indigo.ie/~jonmca/clarinet3.html">Identifying your clarinet's fingering system</A> to check.
There were a lot of metal clarinets made in the first half of the 20th century, as band instruments. (You can't take wood instruments out of doors and plastic hadn't been invented).
It's unlikely you'll be able to find out anything about the manufacturer. There were hundreds of manufacturers, most of which were never heard of again. How much is it worth? Basically nothing. If it is playable, then it is worth something to you purely for enjoyment. If it needs to be repaired, then it is probably not worth the money of repairing.
Most metal clarinets were very poor quality, but the occasional one played really nicely. If you want to learn to play it and it is an Albert, you'll have to face up to the problem that it is a non-standard fingering system. I wouldn't embark on a professional career on one, but for playing for enjoyment, it shouldn't matter. You'll find all the fingering charts for it here on the Woodwind Fingering Guide.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2003-12-06 13:47
You can take wooden instruments outdoors. Just don't let them get soaked in the rain or iced up.
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