[Dixielandjazz] Metal Clarinets

[Russ Guarino]

I grew up on a metal clarinet.  A "Continental Colonial".

As a kid, I was embarrassed because everyone else played a wooden clarinet.

Later, based on a thread in this mailing list, I learned much.  One]  There is nothing wrong with a metal clarinet. They play well and
do not go out of tune in fog & colder weather. Two]  They were more costly to produce than plastic/wood and gradually faded from the
market  Three]  They used the Boehem system of fingering.

I continue to use the metal when I play in colder weather, outside, when my wooden instrument goes haywire with its intonation. I just
transfer my regular mouthpiece and blow.

Russ Guarino
Clarinet maven

David Washburn wrote:

> There were some good metal clarinets made. I restored one that my dad played
> back in the forties. It plays well and in tune. While opinions differ, I
> believe the majority of sound characteristic is created by the person and
> the mouthpiece. I have never seen an Albert metal clarinet. That does not
> mean they were not made. But I think in the brief period of manufacture of
> the metal clarinet the Boehem system was pretty much accepted as the
> standard.
>
> Thanks,
> Dave in Dallas
>
> On 9/2/07, Mike <mike at railroadstjazzwest.com> wrote:
> >
> > I read some time ago that Lester Young used to play on a metal
> > clarinet. What are the sound qualities and benefits to having a
> > metal versus wood? Were most of these metal ones an Albert
> > system type? I think I remember hearing that metal clarinets are
> > long out of production.
> >
> > Mike
> >
> >
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