After doing some digging, looks like the guarantee bond certificate was signed by Sidney Pedler, one of Harry's younger sons.

I was perusing an old issue of the NAPBIRT Technicom and noticed something interesting. Sidney A. Pedler is listed in an index of officers from Elkhart instrument manufacturers. There is no mention of him working for the Pedler company, but he was founder and president of the Hoosier Band Instrument Company from 1950 through 1964. I can find little other information on the company besides that it was incorporated in 1949 and officially dissolved in 1970, and Donald Getzen was apparently involved with it in the '60s.

Pedler had a Hoosier model starting in the mid-1930s and running at least through the 1940s. Suppose Sidney bought the name from Martin when he left to start his own company?

I did find an example of a Hoosier instrument not made by the Pedler Company - a wood clarinet. The bell stamping is the outline of Indiana with "HOOSIER" superimposed on it, and "Elkhart Ind." below.


That issue of TechniCom has another valuable detail: Joseph O. Thompson became vice president of Pedler in 1936, and held that post through at least 1953.

The E&S Master Model is often referred to as a "semi-pro" instrument - it isn't at the level of an R13 or other models marketed as "professional", but a step above the intermediate E&S non-Master Model (E-13). Buffet advertising implied that the Master Models were exceptionally good examples selected out of the regular E&S production.

I played an E&S Master Model many years ago. Too long ago to say anything about the tone now, but I find the keywork lacking both in design and with how soft the metal is.

Hello, I recently bought a Vito Reso-tone bass clarinet on a whim at a local antiques mall.
I am unsure of the model #, the serial # is 2334B with a one-piece plastic body and oval logo. The low number places it maybe in the early 70s? Why does the serial number have a letter suffix instead of prefix like the others I see listed?
One interesting thing I noticed is that the keywork is made for a two-piece instrument - would that be an indication that it has a French keyset?
Am a clockmaker by trade and had no trouble repairing a few slightly bent parts and the keys feel really nice.

If anybody has any thoughts on the date/model #, please chime in.
Thanks

The year would seem to be accurate. Leblanc used different serial number sequences for each "voice" of clarinet - the ones you see for Vito soprano clarinets have no relation to those used for altos, basses, and contras. Why they moved the letter from a suffix to a prefix for Vito sopranos in the '70s is anyone's guess.

I have one that's from 1969 according to the chart, and based on other evidence, that checks out.

By the keywork being "made for a two-piece" I take it you mean the bridge key between the upper and lower joints? It's possible Leblanc USA used the same keywork as Leblanc Paris, but even if not, that key is built that way because it's a regulation point and needs to be adjustable.

The model number depends on if the low Eb key is on the main body or on the bell. If on the bell, it's 7166 (maybe 66 - I'm not entirely sure when Leblanc changed around their model numbers), if on the body it's 7168.

H.N. White did indeed sell a plastic Cleveland clarinet. It's model 707 and the metal liner was a no-cost option. It was introduced in the early '60s.

I know there were later Cleveland 707s that were made in Germany (probably by Schreiber).

It came with the original lyre and also guarantee bond certificate. They said it was the original sales receipt signed by Harry Pedler, but it is obviously not a sales receipt. I saw a previous post where someone has the same guarantee certificate and same signature. Not sure if it is Harry's or not. Does this add to the value at all, and/or does it help date the instrument?

I can't say what it adds for monetary value, but it's definitely an interesting and uncommon thing to have.

The signature definitely helps date it, if you can determine whose signature it is. Harry Pedler and his son left the company in spring of 1931, after which Louis H. Hombs was appointed executive manager. At some point between 1932 and 1937, he was replaced by J.O. Thompson.

Unfortunately there is no serial number chart for the Signet Soloist. Selmer USA, for reasons undoubtedly lost to time, used a separate serial number sequence for the Soloist, and there's so few examples relative to other models that assembling one would be difficult.

With that serial number, probably 1950 or 1951.

I don't have my notes handy at the moment, but I do recall that serial number 100000 was reached in 1950.

Almost certainly a U.S. military-issue instrument, and likely from the late 1940s given the serial number. It might be the "professional" model - student-level Pedlers typically had the left hand levers mounted on the same set of posts.