From: "Jay and Adrienne Easton"
Subject: Re: [CB] makers of contrabass clarinets
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 09:35:46 -0800
I shared the question of contrabass clarinet makers with William
McColl. His reply:
"Two lines of inquiry for Mr. Wang:
1. German makers, Herbert Wurlitzer,
etc.
2. Met. Museum of Art, NY, has one of
the first ones made. New in 1880 and never played. (Not now
playable - deteriorated pads, corks, tenon string, etc. Just old
age. Could be great, but expensive to overhaul.)
Also he could check the Baines book,
Rendall book, etc."
Also for more information on Adolphe Sax making contra
clarinets, you can check Fred Hemke's PhD dissertation- it has
catalogue drawings and several historical references. Robert Howe (list
member) has an excellent article on saxophone history in a 2003 issue
of the American Musical Instrument Society Journal- If I recall
correctly, he also makes mention of the Sax contra clarinet. Based on
the drawings and descriptions, the Sax model contra was in Eb, with
keywork to low E, and a neck, bell, and body that VERY closely resemble
the current Selmer Paris contra. (Perhaps not surprising, since Selmer
eventually bought Sax's instrument manufacturing business.) Is appeared
in several of his catalogues and was exhibited in Paris along with his
other instruments in the 1850s.
All the best,
Jay Easton
***End of Contrabass Digest***