Because you can never have too many projects to work on, I decided to add a couple to my plate this summer.
A friend of mine was clearing a house that had been in his family since 1911 when they found an old clarinet in the attic. He asked me if I was interest. I, of course, said sure. It turned out to be an old Albert-system clarinet. This type of clarinet is favored among dixieland, klezmer and other folk music artists as the simpler keywork makes it easier to do more musical effects with the instrument like sliding through notes. The vast majority of clarinets produces are what is called a Boehm System clarinet. They have more keys and key rings, and are undoubtedly more precise instruments in terms of their intonation.
A little bit of research put this particular clarinet's manufacture between 1890 and 1900. Problem was that it was missing a couple of keys. So, I went on eBay and found another Albert clarinet that was also missing some keys, although not the same keys on the first clarinet. The "parts" clarinet dates between 1880 and 1890. I'd prefer to have the older one be the instrument to be restored, but cracks in the body seem to have ruled that out.
The Albert clarinets finally gave me the impetus to work on two other clarinets in my collection that have been sitting for many years waiting for me to decide I was ready to fix them up. The one I'm working on first is a 1927 Conn hard rubber clarinet. It's not particularly valuable, so I figured that one would be my restoration guinea pig. The other clarinet is an Eb soprano clarinet -- it looks like a toy -- that I've had for 30 years. It dates to 1914 and was an old Army band instrument.
Once those two are out of the way, I'll attack the Albert clarinets. I have another wooden clarinet, an Evette, that I've been playing. I'm trying to get my doubling chops back -- adding clarinet and flute to my woodwind palette. I also have an oboe, but learning to play that is a much longer term project.
A friend of mine was clearing a house that had been in his family since 1911 when they found an old clarinet in the attic. He asked me if I was interest. I, of course, said sure. It turned out to be an old Albert-system clarinet. This type of clarinet is favored among dixieland, klezmer and other folk music artists as the simpler keywork makes it easier to do more musical effects with the instrument like sliding through notes. The vast majority of clarinets produces are what is called a Boehm System clarinet. They have more keys and key rings, and are undoubtedly more precise instruments in terms of their intonation.
A little bit of research put this particular clarinet's manufacture between 1890 and 1900. Problem was that it was missing a couple of keys. So, I went on eBay and found another Albert clarinet that was also missing some keys, although not the same keys on the first clarinet. The "parts" clarinet dates between 1880 and 1890. I'd prefer to have the older one be the instrument to be restored, but cracks in the body seem to have ruled that out.
The Albert clarinets finally gave me the impetus to work on two other clarinets in my collection that have been sitting for many years waiting for me to decide I was ready to fix them up. The one I'm working on first is a 1927 Conn hard rubber clarinet. It's not particularly valuable, so I figured that one would be my restoration guinea pig. The other clarinet is an Eb soprano clarinet -- it looks like a toy -- that I've had for 30 years. It dates to 1914 and was an old Army band instrument.
Once those two are out of the way, I'll attack the Albert clarinets. I have another wooden clarinet, an Evette, that I've been playing. I'm trying to get my doubling chops back -- adding clarinet and flute to my woodwind palette. I also have an oboe, but learning to play that is a much longer term project.