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Clarinet Ebonizing - Why?

6/23/2013

8 Comments

 
Picture
 I was buffing this customer clarinet - A c.1900 'Bay State' Albert system in C - when I noticed I'd gone through a layer of black tinting (most likely a colored vanish or shellac) to a lighter color underneath. 'Uh -oh' thinks I, 'now what do I do?' Upon closer examination, I saw that the even layer of black was covering up reddish brown and honey stripes that were far more attractive than the tint, so I kept buffing.

 What I ended up with was a body that looks like it was carved out of Tiger's Eye, although my picture only gives a hint of its attractiveness! Is this what's under the ebonized tint on modern clarinets, and, if so, why would they cover it up? Or is the modern wood considerably less attractive and covered up for a good reason?

 This isn't the first time this has happened to me, but I don't have an explanation for it, so I thought I'd post and ask: does anyone know the reason for this? Please click on the pic for a better look, and let me hear from you....


8 Comments

Obscure Brands and Great Players

6/10/2013

3 Comments

 
Picture
Recently, I posted a blog on Thibouville Freres clarinets, (an obscure French brand with which I've always had good luck), and it got me thinking about all the good playing horns I've handled in the last decade and how many of them weren't Buffets or Selmers.

 Just yesterday I finished this 1920's Pruefer 7 ring - obviously a pro instrument - and was really impressed: Great wood, well shaped keys, nicely assembly touches (like post locks on the lower stack), a large bore and an even, free-blowing response. Why spend $2600 if you can get something like this for less than $500?

 I wish there were more people out there on the net giving thumbs - up to good old makes like this, so people would have the courage to step up and try something different. Does anyone else have a similar experience ?

3 Comments

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    The Licorice Shtick Blog is the creation of the Vintage Clarinet Doctor, a Winston Salem, NC based woodwind instrument repair shop specializing in vintage and antique clarinets, saxophones, and the occasional flute.

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  • Home
    • About Us
    • Clarinet Donations
    • Why Vintage Clarinets?
  • Before and After
  • Contact Us
  • Learn
    • Blog
    • Clarinet Lengths
    • Clarinet Makers
    • Fingering Systems
    • Links
  • Shop
    • Clarinets >
      • Vintage Boosey and Hawkes 2-20 Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Siour Chapelain Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Conn 446N Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Leblanc. Noblet Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Leblanc Normandy Special Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Paris Selmer A LP Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Selmer Model 55 Bb Boehm Clarinet
      • Vintage Thibouville Freres Bb Boehm Clarinet
    • Flutes
    • Mouthpieces
    • Saxophones >
      • Vintage P. Gerard Beaugnier Stencil Eb Alto Saxophone
      • Vintage Kohlert Eb Alto Saxophone
      • Vintage Martin Handcraft Alto Saxophone
  • Services
    • FAQ
    • Performance
    • Services II - Technical Info
  • Testimonials