Matched Pair of Louis London Clarinets
These are an exceptionally rare and fine pair of Louis & Co. early English clarinets, which are a commission sale for Clarinets Direct. The firm was strongly associated with possibly the finest ever French makers: Martel Freres. Each Louis instrument was completely hand made and undercut in their London premises, 2 Burnsall Street, Chelsea W3. The finishing alone took 2-3 days. These instruments have last been owned by a player who is also a repairman and they have been well maintained and cared for. Charles Draper personally endorsed Louis, and the A is stamped such.
These instruments are in excellent condition, for clarinets made in the 1920's. The pads throughout are fish skin in fine condition. There are no cracks or repairs to the wood. There are no less than 4 barrels, the shortest of which is made of ebonite, the next longest may not be original as it carries the serial number 6143. This serial number is too high in our experience to be of Louis manufacture. The Silver plated key work shows only slight wear on the Bb to the LH F# ring, apart from this it is excellent. The Bb has matching S/N 33, unlike the A it does not have an adjusting screw on the bridge of the G# key, however the screw may have been added at a later date to the A. The A clarinet has matching S/N 35. The silver plate and wood are pristine throughout. There is one original Louis m'piece, which plays well, and also another stamped "WhiteSpot". The supplied Yamaha double case is in excellent condition, and comes with the keys