[RWP] the sax that got away wasRe: Original Music

[Indigo]

One of the most fun instruments the crazy collector brought by was a 
sopranino clarinet, from the late 1800's or early 1900's.
It was all wood, with mostly finger holes, only a couple of tiny levers 
to reach the bottom notes.
The corks between sections needed replacing, and it wasn't the standard 
fingering reeds use now, what's it called; Bohm?
Before the late 1920's there were high and low tuned instruments around, 
and in the 1800's several competing fingering systems
Several of my old saxes say Low Tuning on the back, below the serial number.
The sopranino clarinet was high  tuning, maybe 452 hertz or whatever.
You can't tune with modern instruments just by sliding the mouthpiece 
out, because the spacing between note holes is wrong for current 
standard A tuning.

None of that really mattered if you didn't try to play along with modern 
instruments.
I wrapped the joints with some saran wrap to stop their leaking, got the 
tiny little reed adjusted, and sat out back playing up so high with it 
it sounded more like a flute than a clarinet.
The mocking bird would stop and listen, since the notes were up around 
his range.
Unfortunately, those old instruments not in standard tuning or standard 
fingering aren't worth much, probably will end up in museums, but so 
much fun to play, maybe I should have made an offer for it.
There always need to be some that got away, otherwise life would be too 
predictable and nothing to nostalgize about.
Indi


On 6/23/2013 12:53 PM, Gordon Kent wrote:
> Well, back when I was a junior in high school and at a summer music
> camp, somebody lent me their curved soprano so I could play in a sax
> ensemble.  It really had a nice mellow tone, the Jerry Nywood sound,
> though it did not go above an e.  He offered to sell it to me for $125,
> I think it was a conn.  I should have grabbed it, could you imagine what
> it would be worth now.  I just didn't think I'd have any use for it
> since I was really shifting over to more brass at that time, and I was
> so biased about tenor, having all the rock guys say that alto was a toy
> etc.
> Gord
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Indigo
> Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2013 12:37 PM
> To: Reapers Without Peepers
> Subject: Re: [RWP] Original Music
>
> I've done some really stupid things in my life, one was turning down a
> Selmer Bundy baritone for a low price in a pawn shop.
> How was I supposed to know that the Bundy bari was really a Buescher
> bari renamed Bundy, same high quality, with different labels on it.
> My crazy sax collecting friend tried to sell me his 1928 Martin
> baritone, but it was the typewriter model, with all round typewriter
> type keys, totally uncomfortable to finger, so I also turned it down.
> it had a great tone, but some of those weird keys are so far apart it's
> painful to stretch my fingers that far.
>
> I don't care so much now, got the Dave Guardala tenor, that's big enough.
> Anyway, you're a great sax player and really made a fine recording.
> Indi
>
> On 6/23/2013 12:25 PM, Kevin Brown wrote:
>> Thanks,...The Baritone is an old "Armstrong",...I bought it in 1972 for
>> $1200,...gone are those days!,...I think a nice bari goes for no less
>> than
>> $8,000
>>
>> With the updates in reaper, I think we can get some pretty efficient
>> recordings now,...I'm glad for what we have so far...
>>
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