Metal Clarinet Facts

Very few metal clarinets were made after 1940, and many of them were made in the 1920s. Before sound in movies, Hi-Fi radio, etc., let alone any of the gadgetry we have nowadays there was a time when an advanced home entertainment center was a shelf of books, a piano, and maybe a couple of small band instruments. Every kid wanted a horn, and countless cheap instruments were made. The metal clarinets were something for kids, and there were hundreds of brands put out by a few makers. If the instrument had the makers name on it the quality was better, but most metal clarinets are just old junk that costs more than it's worth to fix. They are interesting novelties, and people are starting to collect them, so the value is increasing. The name brand clarinets-- Like Conn, Buescher, Silver King, and Selmer are begeing quite valuable, but the desirable quality models only represent about 2% of the metal clarinets that were made. See silver-clarinet.ge for detailed information about the better metal clarinets. Anything not on the list with picture links falls into the general category of cheap antique student instrument and have a value of up to $180 if working perfectly, or about $30 if in need of repair. Many are not repairable and have a value of about $10 as decorations. The really good metal clarinets are really rare, and some arevery good--even the best of their day. The uniqueness can be fascinating, and a great metal clarinet can be a wonderful thing, but bear in mind that it may have sat for over 50 years after being played to pieces--parts could be frozen, and if replacement parts are needed they aren't available. The 2% that are very desirableare not only hard to find but harder to restore.
History: The first production of metal clarinets beganafter a Conn patent in 1888. Other makers came up with some great instruments in the first two decades of the 20th century -- most of these were double-walled. A flood of student horns began to hit the market in the 1920s. In the late 20s new pro models were designed as top-of-the-line instruments, but production of the better quality ended with the depression. Around 1938 top pro quality metal clarinets were being made again, but that stopped abruptly with the War. After the War, Conn didn't make any more, and most other makers phased out metal clarinets except for LeBlanc which made a student Noblet until 1963.