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Re: Albert system

Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-08-17 13:37

Simple/Albert systems do vary from maker to maker and also within the same make depending on how much they were priced (check out an old clarinet catalogue from the late 1800s/early1900s and you'll see the variety on offer) - so you may find the most basic doesn't have any rings on the top joint and some don't have the patent C#, the most popular has the patent C# either with or without top joint rings and the high end ones usually have various rings and gadgets (improved F# and Barret action) as well as some fitted with the LH Ab/Eb and articulated C#/G#.

If you're looking for the holy grail of simple/Albert systems, then a Selmer 'Improved Albert System' is the one of choice - but they were built in both LP and HP (and not always marked as such), so make sure you check it against a tuner calibrated at 440Hz to see if it's in tune if you come across one. Someone brought a metal one over to me not so long ago, but it turned out to be high pitch which was a real shame.

But if you're after a modern day non-Boehm (which is a development of the simple/Albert system), then the German style clarinets from the basic 17/18 key 6 ring German system right up to full Oehler systems (27 keys 5 rings) are there which will set you back a considerable sum (even the basic ones from the top makers are expensive).

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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