Goulding & D'Almaine Boxwood C Clarinet
A Goulding & D'Almaine boxwood & ivory C clarinet. The last owner of this fine clarinet is the noted British player, Sarah Thurlow, and she has used this instrument professionally in many period instrument orchestras This clarinet can be confidently dated to the period of 1813-1824, because of the Goulding D'Almaine Soho Square stamp, and is in excellent condition for its age. Made with brass keys and ivory rings, the instrument has all original stamped pieces, and includes an African blackwood Liddle London m'piece, which, though it has suffered some damage to the tip rail plays well, and is a modern resin copy. The instrument was probably made as a 6 key clarinet, with the C#/G# key in an ivory collar mounting added at a later date, as were the three other cross keys on brass sadles. There is a crack in right hand joint through to bore from socket downwards which has been glued in the past. There are also 2 further minor cracks to the upper joint underneath the trill and A keys which have also been glued. The clarinet has had an extensive restoration and plays very well at approximately A=440 Hz. Guy Cowley's full report on this restoration is included with the sale. Because ivory remains on the CITES appendix, the current seller would prefer that the instrument remained in the UK. However if a foreign buyer is interested, then he would be prepared to consider a sale abroad, if that purchaser was willing to accept the cost and time delay of applying for the necessary CITES re-export license. It comes in what is probably the original wooden case, which can be closed with a leather strap. Some cut down Vandoren Eb reeds are supplied, and also a collar, ligature and string to attach the reed.