C Melody Saxophone Forum

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C Melody Saxophone Forum / C-Tenor (C-Melody) Saxophones / Clarinet question (non-sax, sorry)

Eric
User ID: 0791694 Sep 24th 7:39 AM
Just thought I'd throw a question to the forum. In general opinion, should I get my old silverplate metal clarinet fixed? What ever happens I probably will as I like the distinctive look & it will be as asset in a band, but do any of you guys have an opinion on them. Mine isn't by any noted maker.

WW2
User ID: 8973393 Sep 24th 12:29 PM
I was looking in to metal clarinets in the past. The general opinion of most is that most metal clarinets are junk. Only two brands were considered worthwhile (sorry, I don't recall the brands just now). If your clarinet plays in tune, I say get it fixed and enjoy. However, it is still a clarinet, and the cost of repair should be balanced against the cost of a replacement clarinet.

Now, being a C-Melody player, I enjoy the novelty of metal clarinets and would fix it.

alan (uk)
User ID: 0651814 Sep 24th 1:32 PM
I have an old metal Pedler, and it plays (and surprisingly sounds) as good as any other clarinet I've played. But in a band you may well have to overcome the same sort of prejudice that is normally directed towards a C-Mel.

Capn Beeflat has seen and heard it, and as he didn't immediately tie it in a knot, so I guess he was impressed as well ?

It is normally the double-walled ones that are worth a lot of money, but then they look as thick as normal clarinets, and break down into 4+ parts...

Jim B
User ID: 9440113 Sep 24th 7:20 PM
I also had a Pedler in the past and it played real well.

Eric
User ID: 0791694 Sep 24th 10:02 PM
Thanks. Mine is a no-name, that is, it's a Wolverine stencil from Grinnell Bros, an old time music store with a good reputation. It's rather leaky but plays well enough to suggest it'll be a decent instrument. As to the band, it's one of those 'Who ever shows up is what we've got' organizations. There's a mix of brass players, my partner in the reed section plays a Buescher tenor, I play a 1925 Conn alto, on a good day there ate TWO sousaphones, one of them an old Martin. Volume tends to be more of a factor than tone quality. We do have fun, a group of guys blowing away, wearing the red fezzes.

bruce bailey
User ID: 9690803 Sep 25th 12:26 AM
Being that they are pretty cheap to repair it may be worth it. The best one is a Haynes (couble wall made by the flute people in the teens) and the King or Conn should be worth something. I had a Conn that came apart like a wood one with the bell screwing on. It was quite good.

Jim B
User ID: 9440113 Sep 25th 7:29 AM
Found this comment on the internet:
"I live in Michigan, and I'm also familiar with Grinnell Bros. My grandmother worked for the Grinnell Bros. piano factory in Holly, MI for a while. Grinnell sold a saxophone made by York called the Wolverine for a while. My great grandmother bought one for my great-uncle. Not the greatest saxophone from what U understand. They were patterned after a Buescher True Tone. Some of the later York models were Buescher Stencils from what I understand, but they made their own horns for a while. If this model is a 1921, it might have been one of the last horns built by York. The finish leads me to believe that it is probably built by York."

Eric
User ID: 0791694 Sep 25th 9:35 AM
Interesting, but my C mel Wolverine sax is definitely a Conn stencil, and a pretty good one. Only clue on my clarinet is "Made in USA" stamped on the bell. It's probably a Harry Pedler, or one of the other big clarinet factories. Anyhow, I'll be getting it fixed.

alan (uk)
User ID: 0651814 Sep 25th 12:44 PM
I didn't know that either York or Holton made stencils, whereas all the other major manufacturers did.

I thought that Buescher made a lot of saxes for, and engraved, York (as Martin did for Holton).

Eric
User ID: 0791694 Oct 28th 4:52 PM
Just a follow up- I got my Wolverine silver clarinet fixed up, it plays and sounds very nice- for some reason it sounds kind of hooty on the open G, but that's probably just my embochure. It sounds great in the lower range. I'm getting a better clarinet fixed soon (a Preufer from the late 20's- early 30's) but the silver one is really quite nifty & certainly will look well when I'm doubling on sax and clarinet.

Eric User ID: 0791694	Sep 24th 7:39 AM Just thought I'd throw a question to the forum. In general opinion, should I get my old silverplate metal clarinet fixed? What ever happens I probably will as I like the distinctive look & it will be as asset in a band, but do any of you guys have an opinion on them. Mine isn't by any noted maker.
WW2 User ID: 8973393	Sep 24th 12:29 PM I was looking in to metal clarinets in the past. The general opinion of most is that most metal clarinets are junk. Only two brands were considered worthwhile (sorry, I don't recall the brands just now). If your clarinet plays in tune, I say get it fixed and enjoy. However, it is still a clarinet, and the cost of repair should be balanced against the cost of a replacement clarinet. Now, being a C-Melody player, I enjoy the novelty of metal clarinets and would fix it.
alan (uk) User ID: 0651814	Sep 24th 1:32 PM I have an old metal Pedler, and it plays (and surprisingly sounds) as good as any other clarinet I've played. But in a band you may well have to overcome the same sort of prejudice that is normally directed towards a C-Mel. Capn Beeflat has seen and heard it, and as he didn't immediately tie it in a knot, so I guess he was impressed as well ? It is normally the double-walled ones that are worth a lot of money, but then they look as thick as normal clarinets, and break down into 4+ parts...
Jim B User ID: 9440113	Sep 24th 7:20 PM I also had a Pedler in the past and it played real well.
Eric User ID: 0791694	Sep 24th 10:02 PM Thanks. Mine is a no-name, that is, it's a Wolverine stencil from Grinnell Bros, an old time music store with a good reputation. It's rather leaky but plays well enough to suggest it'll be a decent instrument. As to the band, it's one of those 'Who ever shows up is what we've got' organizations. There's a mix of brass players, my partner in the reed section plays a Buescher tenor, I play a 1925 Conn alto, on a good day there ate TWO sousaphones, one of them an old Martin. Volume tends to be more of a factor than tone quality. We do have fun, a group of guys blowing away, wearing the red fezzes.
bruce bailey User ID: 9690803	Sep 25th 12:26 AM Being that they are pretty cheap to repair it may be worth it. The best one is a Haynes (couble wall made by the flute people in the teens) and the King or Conn should be worth something. I had a Conn that came apart like a wood one with the bell screwing on. It was quite good.
Jim B User ID: 9440113	Sep 25th 7:29 AM Found this comment on the internet: "I live in Michigan, and I'm also familiar with Grinnell Bros. My grandmother worked for the Grinnell Bros. piano factory in Holly, MI for a while. Grinnell sold a saxophone made by York called the Wolverine for a while. My great grandmother bought one for my great-uncle. Not the greatest saxophone from what U understand. They were patterned after a Buescher True Tone. Some of the later York models were Buescher Stencils from what I understand, but they made their own horns for a while. If this model is a 1921, it might have been one of the last horns built by York. The finish leads me to believe that it is probably built by York."
Eric User ID: 0791694	Sep 25th 9:35 AM Interesting, but my C mel Wolverine sax is definitely a Conn stencil, and a pretty good one. Only clue on my clarinet is "Made in USA" stamped on the bell. It's probably a Harry Pedler, or one of the other big clarinet factories. Anyhow, I'll be getting it fixed.
alan (uk) User ID: 0651814	Sep 25th 12:44 PM I didn't know that either York or Holton made stencils, whereas all the other major manufacturers did. I thought that Buescher made a lot of saxes for, and engraved, York (as Martin did for Holton).
Eric User ID: 0791694	Oct 28th 4:52 PM Just a follow up- I got my Wolverine silver clarinet fixed up, it plays and sounds very nice- for some reason it sounds kind of hooty on the open G, but that's probably just my embochure. It sounds great in the lower range. I'm getting a better clarinet fixed soon (a Preufer from the late 20's- early 30's) but the silver one is really quite nifty & certainly will look well when I'm doubling on sax and clarinet.