Noblet Silver clarinet...Did I make a good choice?

LowThudd

LowThudd

Just won this auction, for what I believe to be a good price. Even if I only get a lamp out of it. lol

Basically, just the horn. No MPC or the barrel. I am thinking I might at least be able to get it to play by modding a plastic/wood barrel, if I cannot find the missing piece. It may be made out of unobtainium, or perhaps I can find another metal clarinet with a barrel that will fit.

If you guys/gals know of any good resources where I might find the missing piece, I would much appreciate it.
 
The good thing about eBay...

...is that if someone is looking to unload a one-off item like a metal clarinet barrel, it is likely to show up there. I found a replacement barrel for my Selmer metal horn on eBay, and at a bargain price as well.

However, against this you have the issue that Noblet clarinets of the metal persuasion aren't all that common. So, you may end up with that lamp after all.

Just keep looking once a week or so - you never know.
 
SOTSDO said:
...is that if someone is looking to unload a one-off item like a metal clarinet barrel, it is likely to show up there. I found a replacement barrel for my Selmer metal horn on eBay, and at a bargain price as well.

However, against this you have the issue that Noblet clarinets of the metal persuasion aren't all that common. So, you may end up with that lamp after all.

Just keep looking once a week or so - you never know.
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My other option is to make a barrel. This may be an unconventional idea, but it is basically in essence a connector/reducer piece of tubing. It might be as easy as finding/fabricating a connector with the proper I.D. at both ends. My first try might be to find a metal horn for cheap on eBay with a similar barrel, and make it fit. As stated before, fabrication in metal and wood is not new to me. I have done it for fun and professionally in my youth. I would just need some idea of the length required, and the dimensions. But, as stated that is not the best option.

As far as metal horns go though, if assembled properly it should be fairly decent.
 
Make a wood one and play/experiment until you get the length right. Then get a metal one made up.

Barrel Length - the physics doesn't change, so calc the length to match an existing clarinet as a starter. Then experiment by pulling out the mpc/shortening the barrel as needed until it's in tune. Easy, you don't even need to worry about corks.
 
hey! I have one of these! with the original barrel & mpc (from the 1930's?)
the all-metal barrell is one of these adjustable jobbies, turn the outer housing & it shortens or lengthens the barell. I unloaded all my clars over the years, but kept this one for sentimental reasons since i started on it. Overhauled it myself (sometime around 1992..?) It shines up really nice & everyone will wonder what in tarnation (!) that thing is....aside from one key that i dont have a good enough reason to get recast; ( i got it corked up) its fine, in a sort of Frenchy-folksy way.
 
CHasR said:
hey! I have one of these! with the original barrel & mpc (from the 1930's?)
the all-metal barrell is one of these adjustable jobbies, turn the outer housing & it shortens or lengthens the barell. I unloaded all my clars over the years, but kept this one for sentimental reasons since i started on it. Overhauled it myself (sometime around 1992..?) It shines up really nice & everyone will wonder what in tarnation (!) that thing is....aside from one key that i dont have a good enough reason to get recast; ( i got it corked up) its fine, in a sort of Frenchy-folksy way.
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Good to know. I have read good things about the early Noblet silvers. Thanks for the info on the barrel. That will help identify one if I happen to see it. I would love to get the dimensions of that barrel if you wouldn't mind. That would help alot

Kev- Yea I got the planned exactly. Acually, I also won an auction for three barrels. The 67mm I don't think I have any use for, and I was considering sacraficing it for experimental purposes. lol We'll see.
 
SteveSklar said:
go here
http://silver-clarinet.com/

and click on the Noblet picture at the top of the page for more info
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Thanks, I have read there. This appears to be of the "Very Early Noblet" type, perhaps? Unfortunately that means that the original barrel is more than likely impossible to find. But worth looking for. Here is a cool site I just came accross.

In the mean time, I am thinking this is a cheap way to experiment. The I.D. of the big end is only slightly large for the MPC(cork should adjust for it). Add a pipe of the right diameter to fit the horn end, and we are fairly close. Total cost about $5. It would be easy to adjust the length untill correct, and could always be silver plated later. Or just used as a prototype to make a better piece.
 
If anyone has the dimensions of a Noblet metal clarinet at the connection point to the barrel(I.D. and O.D.), it would be greatly appreciated if you could post it. Thanks.

KGrHqZHJBwEJ4F45pBBQB2L20Yw60_57.jpg
 
SteveSklar said:
is that nickel plated ?
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I thought it was silver, but after a little research it is probably nickle. Kind of a bummer. I was hoping silver. However, it does look very nice.
 
What are the keys made of? Looks a bit like corroded nickel silver (German silver/Neusilber) from here. If so, they'll polish up beautifully on a buffing wheel with a little metal polish. Test first where it doesn't show, though.
 
kevgermany said:
What are the keys made of? Looks a bit like corroded nickel silver (German silver/Neusilber) from here. If so, they'll polish up beautifully on a buffing wheel with a little metal polish. Test first where it doesn't show, though.
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Yes, I believe you are correct. You can see in the below picture(from http://www.clarinette-metal.fr/galerie_de_photos.htm) What it should look like. Nickle-left, silver-right and polished brass-middle.


3nobletamel.jpg


Will be a stunning horn when done. Hopfully I can make it sound sweet with a proper barrel.
 
I'm not much for collecting instruments...

...but I would love to have the Selmer pair of horns shown in the double case.

Also a blast from the past is the presence of telegraphic "code words" for ordering the Silver King horns, seen in the fragment of the ad just below the thumb rest. These were used to keep down telegraph costs - instead of sending "5 Model 23 clarinets" in your cabled order, you would just send "Five Cabin", thereby saving three words and a few cents for the cable. Folks were really cheap back then...

I wonder if, once I sent an email reading "Galoshes" to Selmer, they would send me a metal matched pair of full Boehm horns?
 
SOTSDO said:
I wonder if, once I sent an email reading "Galoshes" to Selmer, they would send me a metal matched pair of full Boehm horns?
Click to expand...

lol. One can always dream.

Actually, 5 cents was a whole loaf of bread back then. I mean, that is depression era isn't it?
 
ok


100_0806 by CHasR8, on Flickr
Fancy-schmancy, eh wot?



100_0809 by CHasR8, on Flickr

total length 3 inches



100_0810 by CHasR8, on Flickr

ID @ top 7/8" . there is a step-down ID (11/16" from the top) about 1/4" long where the mechanism (now locked despite ca 1987 oil bath & plumbing wrench) adjusted the bore length


100_0811 by CHasR8, on Flickr

bottom ID 5/8"
knock yerself out. :emoji_smile:

incidentaly, the inst is blessed with an original
'Kalarshens Kleartone' mpc. aint that the cheese?
 
That barrel looks like a Selmer one...

...which means it will probably not work with the Noblet instrument.

They are somewhat notorious for the "getting locked up" problem. The horn that I bought a few years ago was locked up at one point, and - yes - the same plumbing wrench solution was applied there (with horrible results: the bottom of the barrel was badly distorted, and the teeth marks on the flutes pretty much put paid to it).

With Selmers, at least there are a couple of sources to pick up a replacement. Not so with the Noblet, at least as far as I've seen.

That is in keeping with the general absence of Leblanc/Noblet horns from eBay. I can't think of a reason why this should be so, but it does appear to be so. Leblanc was one of the great advocates of the full Boehm clarinet, but I have never seen one on eBay in years of searching.

And, that French metal horn website is a sight to see, I tell you what...
 
That does appear to be a Selmer, but it also answers the question of "Will it fit". As it has worked on CHasR's horn. Yet another option. Thanks much! I appreciate it! That gives me all the dimensions I need to fabricate a mock up.
 
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