Hi

Has anyone out there has ever played a silver clarinet? I don`t play clarinet (piano & voice) but have been given one as a gift. I have been toying with the idea of taking up the clarinet but am not sure if a silver clarinet is the place to start. What does everyone think?

Thanks

Punzy

can you tell me what is it look like ? clarinet usually made of wood (grenadilla )or plastic.

Hmmm, silver plated, this one dates from the 30`s (I think). One piece body, although some silver clarinets break down into two. I read somewhere on the net that one company still produces them today, but they were phased out in favour of plastic, which was nearly as reliable and much cheaper. I have pics if that helps...

http://www.orsi-wind-instruments.it/cl_professionali.htm

I thought these clarinets were long gone. Looks like someone is still making them.

I found a site that sells it:
http://www.robertoswoodwind.com/pers.asp?pagCont=vintage
(click on "Vintage Bb clarinets")

$10,000? Ouch! I could buy a plastic body alto, bass and contrabass and still have money left over.

yeah, I got one of those, it was my grandpa`s old one, that he played in high school in the 30`s. They were just like an experiment then too, I am surprised to see that someone is still making them. They had lots of problems, they were never in tune, a lot of the first ones were made by crappy companies, and therefore crappy clarinets, and they would cost a lot more than wood, which was the only other option back then, then they came out with plastic and it took over. Most are actually brass and are just silver plated, like some of the nicer trumpets you see today.