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ID French clarinet please...

Hello,
I am just looking for some help in identifying a clarinet. It is a Bb Soprano, that is definately an older clarinet. The upper and lower joints have 'Made in France' stamped on them as well as a serial number 3854. The bell does not appear to be an original one, as the rest of the clarinet is wood and the bell seems to be plastic, and has 'thibouville-lamy, london, made in paris' stamped on it.

Any help in identifying it would be appreciated. A link to a photo of it is posted below.

Picture -> http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/kiwigc/IMG_0509.jpg
 
It' NOT a Buffet nor a Malerne

It is at least an intermediate clarinet from some of the more "swooping" keywork not normally found on student level clarinets.

can you show a picture of the octave key from the side ?
is there one or two posts for the lower joint C#/B side keys ?

does the mouthpiece have any identifiers on it (couold be a manufacturer mpc) ?
 
I didn't think that it was a buffet. There are two keys for the lower joint C#/B side keys. The mouth piece is a Rico Royal B3, and isn't original, and the ligiature and reed guard don't have any markings on them.

I have attatched two photos that have a side view of the octave key, but there are a few more photos of the clarinet at the link below.
http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/kiwigc/clarinet/
 
Its' interesting because it has these identifiers

split posts for throat keys
sheet metal for upper trill keys
a distinctive thumb octave lever. It's not SML either
pinned lower joint side spatula keys

so far .. i don't know who made it though :emoji_rolling_eyes:
 
ah-ha
I was rearranging my shelves and my old Alexandre (Selmer) clarinet has the same octave shape .. I'll have to double check though after looking at the pic again.

but Alexandre Selmer basically started making clarinets in the US. Then he started importing his brothers - Henri Selmer - instruments to the US. Then he hired George Bundy to continue the Selmer USA company. And Alexandre went back to France and continued to make clarinets, some of which, seems as though he sold to Mr Bundy who resold them in the US.

You can find old sales brochures (i have some scans somewhere on my computer) where (Henri) Selmer instruments are next to Alexandre and Barbier instruments. Selmer bought Barbier (if i have the name correct) as the low end. Alexandre were the medium. This was especially prevalent on a metal clarinet brochures as I recall.

Anywhoos ... I'll double check your pictures with the Alexandre clarinet in front of me later. FYI, the Henri Selmer clarinets of approx the same vintage have alot of similarities though are different (considering Alexandre helped design them). I'll check one of those too against the pics ... i think have too many clarinets.
 
Thank you for finding that out, if it is an Alexande then it is a bit older than I thought it was. As I recently brought it and it is quite easy to play and has a lovely sound, I was just interested in what it was. It's just a shame that it doesn't have the original bell.
 
Hi Kiwi,
at forst: I don't know the manufacturer, but ist looks like a low price model (there's no adjustment screw with the cross coupled upper keys, isn't it?).
But why did you argue, there's not the original bell on? The bell's mark "...made in Paris" and the "french" marking on the body parts would fit each other. The reinforcement rings are in the same design and corrosion condition. This would implement the same years of manufacturing and use.
Some manufacturers did wooden instruments with ebonite bells too (f.i. see Amati student models). Could be such a philosophy?

Hope you'll find any more information about.

kindly
Roman
 
Hi,
No, there doesn't seem to be an adjustment key with the cross coupled upper keys. I presumed that the bell wasn't original, as did the people in the show did when I took it in to be serviced, because it a different colour than the rest of the clarinet (a light brown, compared to the rest of the body of the clarinet which is black).

I can't find much information on thibouville-lamy, which is what is stamped on the bell, but I will have another look around and see if I can find anything. Thank you for your help.

Kiwi
 
Hmmh, the design of the rings tends me to contemplate an original bell. Like Amati does, the bell could be made of ebonite and the rest of the clarinet is wooden. My stock holds 2 pcs. of this type (student models). The ebonite of the bell colours brownish/green over the time, but the woood remains black as before.
But I'm thinking, Steve will be the best "knowledge base" for such details ;-)

kindly
Roman
 
older professional clarinets did not have the adjustment screw onthe throat keys .. Buffets, Selmer Paris, etc. That would date it in the early 1900s or before.

Thiboville (sp) is an old name associated with several manufacturers from the mid 1880s at least.
 
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