The ClarinetPages Forum

 ;)

Not a bad deal for a decent alto:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PRICE-SLASH-Half-Off-Today-150-00-Vito-Alto-Clarinet-with-Case-/352132904773?hash=item51fcc1b745:g:gQkAAOSwAPVZHgvy

Dave, I actually love the register of an Alto for improv and street work, and that's a great price for anyone looking to get into the game.  I see the funky, kidney bean trill touches are alive and well on this model, too.  It looks like LeBlanc used those on many models for about 20 years, off and on.

The rare and coveted Couesnon.....

8C model..... ::)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Couesnon-Wooden-Clarinet-8C-A-Paris-/182701917235?hash=item2a89e20433:g:oFoAAOSwkttZaNlL

Not that I'm a judge of what is and isn't a good clarinet but I love the look of these old metal instruments. And this one is made by Windsor of Elkhart Indiana. My clarinet bears the name Windsor, tho these days that probably means nothing...

http://m.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Silver-Plated-Windsor-Clarinet-with-Case-made-in-Elkhart-Indiana-/122586316713?hash=item1c8ab6bfa9%3Ag%3Abz4AAOSwd3dZX5xg&_trkparms=pageci%253A98cb81b4-7a47-11e7-9d2b-74dbd180df70%257Cparentrq%253Ab52f3d1c15d0ab1de6a566d7fffff787%257Ciid%253A8

It is marked Windsor (the metal one). There was no maker in Elkhart named Windsor, I'm fairly sure. There are scores of stenciled instruments from most of the Elkhart makers. If you compare the key work, the ferrules, the way the barrel fits the body to known makers like Pan American or Cavalier (Conn products), and Harry Pedler, and other documented makers, then you will find out who actually made the Windsor brand. I'm wondering if that brand might have come up here before. My memory gets kind of fuzzy with all these brands. Try the forum search field.

I have found numerous H. Bettoney of Boston metal clarinets with various names on them. Some of them even are marked with names like L.Lebret, Paris and right under that mark it is engraved with "Made in USA". Tracking the brands is like trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle with hundreds of pieces.

See what you can find just by using the search tool> http://clarinetpages.info/smf/index.php?topic=1027.msg5121#msg5121

If that Windsor looks like this Windsor, which looks like the Cavalier, it was made by C.G. Conn, Ltd. I have never heard a C.G. Conn product that had horrible intonation. For kicks I bought a "Beltone" trumpet that is quite obviously a Cavalier stencil, and it is several grades below a Conn trumpet, but the design is straight off the Conn drawing board for their "new era" trumpets and the intonation is quite superb even thought the tone is a bit on the tin can side. They used brass for these that had a higher zinc content and less copper, which is cheaper brass and doesn't have the same tone and is less responsive. That probably matters much less with a clarinet than with a trumpet. Conn was quite well known for ornate engravings, even on the less expensive stencils.

A good clarinet or any instrument is one that you like to play, really. Tone preference is highly subjective and I like having a sleek trumpet that plays like a Conn but sounds almost like a toy horn. It has uses, just not the same uses as a 1928 Conn 22B.

Quote from: Silversorcerer on August 05, 2017, 04:24:42 PM
The rare and coveted Couesnon.....

8C model..... ::)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Couesnon-Wooden-Clarinet-8C-A-Paris-/182701917235?hash=item2a89e20433:g:oFoAAOSwkttZaNlL

. . . with the optional Vito bell. Rare bird for sure.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Henry-Dubois-Wooden-Bass-Clarinet-Bodies-For-Parts-Double-Register-Vent-/282602113038?hash=item41cc66080e:g:XFwAAOSwiiRZiHxH

If you can find yourself a bell, neck and case, then this isn't too bad.

Why are the holes on bass clarinet covered like a plateau flute, instead of having rings?

The holes are quite large and in some places,  the reach is too far,  so in those instances they aren't even aligned with the holes holes,  but only near them and closing a nearby connected pad.

Some of the older bass clarinets might have one ring on the upper joint, the oldest Harry Pedler basses are like that, but mine that is otherwise the same finally got a plateau there. There are also alto clarinets with rings and it probably is not the easiest instrument for someone with smaller hands to play. And then there are the soprano clarinets that have plateaus throughout, and at least one model with mostly plateau keys. It's kind of optional on the smaller instruments, but a bass or anything bigger plateaus are necessary.

I was looking at those joints above before they came up on this thread wondering where I could get the bell and neck for them. It's a good looking set of joints.

My hands are princess-small and playing a Selmer open hole alto was a bit tough.
Unless you're literally Bigfoot, plateau keys on a bass are imperative.

There are several kinds of plateau soprano clarinets. Mazzeo has just the thumb plateaued, a special Bundy model has the thumb, UJ 3rd hole and LJ 3rd hole plateaued. There is also the full plateau with all keys like that. Finally there is the very rare all-but-thumb, where the thumb is open but the rest are plateau. I've only seen this type once.

Thanks guys. I watched a video explaining why you can't play the famous Gerswhin glissando on a bass clarinet, but he didn't explain why the keys are plateaued. Now I know!

I don't play Eb clarinet ever, but I know some of you do.

I know that there are differing opinions on the usability of wood mouthpieces, but for $40 it's definitely worth a shot in my opinion.