I have two clarinets. They are Preufers, but I cannot read any clear model numbers on them. The writing pessed into the wood is barely legible. I mean really just barely legible. I can make out G.Preufer, L.P. which I assume is low pitch A-440, and the letter A which I assume indicates that it is in the key of A. It came in a double case with another Preufer soprano clarinet in Bb marked similarly only it is G. Preufer, L.P, B and 211 which I am told is the serial number. I am also told that the A clarinet is serial number 1371, but I cannot find this number on the clarinet anywhere. The case was in such bad shape that my wife would not allow it in the house and I don't blame her. It looked and smelled like the clarinetist that owned it died and was burried with it and then the clarinets were recently exumed and sold. Also in the deal were three barrels in three different lengths. The longest is a Preufer. the middle sized one is a Buffet and the third, the shortest is the one, also a Preufer has a crack in it. The crack goes all the way through and is full length and suprisinly does not leak air. I am quite sure that I can steam it completely closed and seal it with cyanoacrylate. A number of the rings on the joints and mouthpoeces have fallen off. I think that it was probably due to the wood shrinking. There are no cracks or checks in the wodd with the exception of the one barrel. The keys all work, but will need adjusting and there may be one or two that are a bit oit of alignment. So here is the deal. I know that I probably paid too much for them, $150.00 delivered and 45.00 for a new double case. I have found two shops that will put them back into playing condition, complete disassembly, all new pads and corks, clean and oil the wood, remove any corrosion and clean the keywork, straighten any bent keywork, polish the keys and play test them for $200.00. $400 to me doesn't seem like too much to pay for a pair of working wood clarinets with fresh pads and corks etc. So how did I do? Should I write off the $200.00 or spend the other $200 anad go for it?
CORRECTION!!!!
The clarinets are Albert system, not Boehm system. This from another shop that I sent photos to with a request for a quote. It's not that I am dishonest, it's just that I am pretty much ignorant about the various keying systems. The A clarinet has three trill keys on the lower jont, the Bb has four. Are all A clarinets made this way?
CORRECTION!!!!
The clarinets are Albert system, not Boehm system. This from another shop that I sent photos to with a request for a quote. It's not that I am dishonest, it's just that I am pretty much ignorant about the various keying systems. The A clarinet has three trill keys on the lower jont, the Bb has four. Are all A clarinets made this way?
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