New member - please help with age of my Elkhart clarinet w/serial # 37441

[miamibeachcg]

I found this beautiful old clarinet in it's original case at a local thrift store. It's a Eckhart (Ind.) and the serial number is 37441 - can anyone tell me how old it is?
Any help is greatly appreciated!

[DaveLeBlanc]

Tough to tell without pics.

If it's metal, then it's probably from 1940-1950, or thereabouts.

[mechanic]

There was an Elkhart Band Instrument Company formed in 1924 that was bought by/merged with the Buescher Band Instrument Company in 1926. Buescher kept the Elkhart line of instruments alive for quite a while.  I haven't been able to locate any serial number list for the Elkhart line of instruments, but the majority of the metal clarinet production was late 1920's to late 1940's.
If production numbers were close to their high end instruments, yours is probably from the early to mid 1930's.

[miamibeachcg]

Thank you! It is metal (I first thought silver!) - maybe chrome?
I couldn't figure out how to post photos of it here so I made a quick listing for it on eBay - you can see it here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/175053140537
Looking at it, do you think it's 1920's era or should I say 40's - 50's?
Thanks again!

[DaveLeBlanc]

I don't think it can be 1920s, as the two posts for LH keys puts a rather strict post-1923-ish date.

Based on the case I would say it's probably no newer than 1940, probably sometime in the late 30s.

[miamibeachcg]

Thank You!