Harry Pedler & Co./The Pedler Co. Thread

[Silversorcerer]

I wonder if model 167 is a metal clarinet?

[350 Rocket]

I wonder if model 167 is a metal clarinet?

Yes, it was a metal American, the later style with art-deco engraving.

Pictures of the two metal American engraving styles I've seen are below. I don't think the change in engraving quite correlates to Harry Pedler reclaiming the rights to his name, since the guarantee bond above still says Harry Pedler & Co. There is a gap in American models in my notes, the highest plain engraving is 15711 and the lowest art-deco is 22xxx.

[Silversorcerer]

OK, great details on that one taken together, while it was still the Harry Pedler Co., metal American #23603 was sold, and we know what it looks like. Way cool.

[noneyet]

Hi Windsong. Here's another for the list. Serial is E33152 on both UJ and LJ. "The Pedler Co." stamped on bell, but not on barrel. The mouthpiece is original as it is stamped "The Pedler Co." as well. I'm guessing the UJ and LJ are hard rubber. The bell and barrel seem to be Bakelite (I think). Maybe your eye can confirm from the bell pic.  Hope these pics suffice!

I'll have another Pedler for the list next week sometime  ;)

[Windsong]

Thanks for that, Noneyet.  I'll add it to the list.  Do you own this one?

Whenever you see an "E" before the serial, you may be assured it's hard rubber.  It stands for "Ebonite".

This clarinet is hard rubber, and--oddly enough, I think you may actually be right about the Bakelite bell.  It certainly has the sparkle of Bakelite.  If it is, this is the first one I have ever seen so adorned.

Sorcerer:  your thoughts on that bell?

[Silversorcerer]

I've haven't seen a Bakelite bell on a Pedler, unless this is one. It certainly has that look under the flash from the camera. It doesn't look like the same material as the joints in the photo above either. I can't see the barrel well enough. The other thing I see is that it has the less common UJ trill shapes. Also, note that it has no shared pivot posts for the UJ trills;- typically that means it's the top model, The Pedler, whithout a different model name.

[Windsong]

Yes...very curious.  Harry Pedler never used bakelite in production, to my knowledge, (Yes, he did!  Quite frequently, actually.) but who knows what Martin used?  If this was an experimental material, it may be uncommon, but the SN is late in production, and I focus primarily on early models, so I am no expert on late 40s-early 50s Pedlers.  The UJ trills are indeed later.

I will certainly be  paying more attention to SNs close to this one from now on.

[noneyet]

Yeah, Windsong, she is one of mine. I'm glad to see she exhibits some unusual characteristics. I'm like a proud poppa  ;D

Do you need better pics of any parts? Just let me know; I'm at your service.

[Windsong]

Nice score, Noneyet.  We NEVER refuse further photos.  I'd like to see the trill keys on the UJ better.  These 17/6 HR Pedlers are every bit as good as anything else of the time.  Keywork was solid and precise, and intonation fine.  I can tell that this clarinet was played a lot, by the wear on the keys, which tells me it played well.  Harry's hard rubber (and MBIC's too) weathers wonderfully.  It is among the best of the time.  I have a number of them, now, from the teens to the mid 1930s, and love them all.

[noneyet]

Your wish is my command  ;)   ...and the other Pedler is on the way as of today :)

[Silversorcerer]

Take a couple of shots of the upper joint next to that Alexandre Paris upper joint;- just for kicks...  ;)

[noneyet]

Okey-dokey, here ya go : Pedler on bottom, Alexandre on top

Practically twins! The only thing that jumps out to me is the number of posts for the trill keys

[Silversorcerer]

Remarkable.

I think Pedler did make some clarinets with similar trills but with a shared pivot post. So does that Alexandre have a serial number?

[noneyet]

Serial # 51440, only on the lower joint

[Silversorcerer]

From a seller's listing on ebay a few years back, I collected some a couple of photos of a similar A. Paris, serial # 31204. If they started at zero, where are the rest of these? Mostly I see the German ones or the SML variant. Sometimes you might see a "Woodwind Co." clarinet that also looks like SML and it is invariably made in France. The German ones don't have the same serial sequence I don't think. We might want to move this discussion to the other thread. I'm not sure. Made in USA and looking like they look suggests a relationship to Pedler for the USA ones, but the serials?