Congratulations, and this is welcome news. I hope you can get us a few photos because so far there are few Empires with wooden bells on the list. Most appear to be early ones.
That one is definitely early but nailing it down is problematic. The reason is that while we do have a 1937 warranty record, we don't have any photos of the serials on that clarinet and that leaves some questions. Also, the number on that 1937 warranty is very high compared to yours for instance. It should be a little closer to the end of production if it is in the second serial series. If there were around 15,000 Empires, number 12372 should be closer to the end of that serialization (1956) than to the beginning (193?) I know we don't have this exactly right yet, particularly considering the conundrum introduced by Empire State number H12835, which has an H, but by other characteristics appears to be part of the first serialization. We still need more to fill in the blanks. It's like a jigsaw puzzle with about half the pieces missing and probably more than one out of place.
While that keeps me a little skeptical about the 1937 warranty date stake, I think it is safe to say that you have a 1930s clarinet by the best guess we can make so far. I wish I could be more confident, but I am reluctant. The Empire was the model that was the highest production model and the most popular. That is why it has serials that go far beyond the other models. If we look at the numbers we have so far, it appears that there were over 15,000 Empire models built, and we have to spread those out over about 25 years, give or take (?). The problem is that we don't know exactly when it starts, so the closer to the starting point, the less accurate we can estimate the date. Yours is definitely earlier in the period after the serialization by model was adopted. 193? That's the current problem. If there is anything in the case with writing on it, maybe an old reed envelope, that could help. Also the style of the case it came in might be significant if it is original.
I've seen more Empires with Bakelite bells than with wood, but as you can see on the list, I have a very low number one with a wooden bell that is original. It has a metal bell ring. I have seen wooden bells that have lost the ring on several different brands of clarinets and I am not sure how that happens. One would think that the wood must shrink catastrophically. If it was built without a ring, then it is the first PM that I know of like that. Photos of it would help, if you can post a few.
