Western Europe, France, ca. early 20th century CE. A handsome Dupont Superior model B flat and low pitch clarinet with nickel-brass keys and blackwood. The bell is stamped "SUPERIOR DUPONT" within an oval. The nickel-brass keys contain rollers for the smaller finger keys. The nickel ferrule under the mouthpiece is stamped "PAT FEB 15-1916." This joint is different from the other ferrules and has a corrugated edge that can be twisted to adjust the distance between the joint sections to tune the instrument. A deeper sound can be made by pulling out the barrel joint slightly but results in poorer tone quality and condensation, so this adjustable ferrule sleeve bridged the gap to prevent condensation and increase tone quality. Dupont was a French instrument maker that distributed throughout the United States via Sears, Roebuck & Co. Size: 26" L x 3" W (66 cm x 7.6 cm)
Provenance: ex-Stein collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA, acquired prior to 2010
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#167514
Condition
Fair condition. Chips to wood surface and white discoloration. Missing tips of 1 nickel-brass key and others are loose. Green patina to keys. Missing and losses to keypads and joint corks, and some pads are loose. Has not been tested for playing functionality.