Yesterday I took the plunge. After relearning the clarinet for a musical I'm currently in, I decided that I shouldn't forget it again. (Last time I played was in the 80s in university.) I always sucked at Bb soprano clarinet, but really excelled at bass clarinet, so yesterday when I was at my tech's shop, I asked him if he had any in stock. Low and behold, he happened to have 3 vintage babies that he got a number of months ago.
One was a Selmer Bundy, and 2 were Jubilee-branded horns from Germany.
Jubilee was a brand we see a lot here in Western Canada. The horns were usually made by JK (I have 2 Tonekings from 1957 that carry the name.) My tech goes along with my thinking that these Jubilee bass clarinets were likely made by Richard Keilwerth. (Julius outsourced his clarinet production to his brother.) Both are intermediate models, sadly the wooden one has had some cracks repaired, and has a crack that runs down to the tone holes. The other though, is made of a type of hard rubber--it has some of that discoloration we see in HR sax mouthpieces. Unlike the wooden one, it is a one-piece body.
Of the 3 he had in stock, David figured that this HR one is the best one, and that he can get it playing very nicely for me. He is going to do a full overhaul on it, switch the bells (the other Jubilee has a peg), give me a new neck to replace the damaged one currently with the horn (he happens to have a number of necks which are pristine, and identical).
The price I'm getting is crazy-good, so I really couldn't say no. I will have to get it a new case though (David didn't have anything that wasn't junky), and the MP is a Selmer HS*, so eventually I'll want to get something different as I develop my chops again. But all in all, I am quite excited about this.
I will never be a fabulous bass clarinet player. I was very good, but I will never put the time into it that I put into sax. It is just something that I will enjoy doubling on. As a bari player, this will just make sense going forward.
One was a Selmer Bundy, and 2 were Jubilee-branded horns from Germany.
Jubilee was a brand we see a lot here in Western Canada. The horns were usually made by JK (I have 2 Tonekings from 1957 that carry the name.) My tech goes along with my thinking that these Jubilee bass clarinets were likely made by Richard Keilwerth. (Julius outsourced his clarinet production to his brother.) Both are intermediate models, sadly the wooden one has had some cracks repaired, and has a crack that runs down to the tone holes. The other though, is made of a type of hard rubber--it has some of that discoloration we see in HR sax mouthpieces. Unlike the wooden one, it is a one-piece body.
Of the 3 he had in stock, David figured that this HR one is the best one, and that he can get it playing very nicely for me. He is going to do a full overhaul on it, switch the bells (the other Jubilee has a peg), give me a new neck to replace the damaged one currently with the horn (he happens to have a number of necks which are pristine, and identical).
The price I'm getting is crazy-good, so I really couldn't say no. I will have to get it a new case though (David didn't have anything that wasn't junky), and the MP is a Selmer HS*, so eventually I'll want to get something different as I develop my chops again. But all in all, I am quite excited about this.
I will never be a fabulous bass clarinet player. I was very good, but I will never put the time into it that I put into sax. It is just something that I will enjoy doubling on. As a bari player, this will just make sense going forward.