SUPERB COUESNON 13 KEY ALBERT CLARINET, EBONY, NEW PADS

<P>WICHITA BAND INSTRUMENT COMPANY

2525 East Douglas Avenue

Wichita, Kansas 67211

<P>Service to wind instrument musicians since 1953!

<P>RARE “ALBERT” CLARINET FROM COUESNON WORKSHOPS, MADE IN FRANCE ABOUT 1900.

<P>The instrument wears thirteen keys all of nickel-silver.  

<P>The bell is engraved  with Couesnon’s logo and “94 rue d’Angouleme / Couesnon et Cie. / Paris”

<P>Serial #5887 is stamped on the lower joint.

<P>The body is of ebony (not granadilla) of close grain.   There are no cracks to the wood.  The tenons are very sharp, which indicates the instrument has been played very little.

<P>With the original barrel, the total length of the clarinet is 601 mm, with the instrument standing up, end of bell to the top of the barrel (without mouthpiece).   (The Buffet clarinet that I’ve used for four decades measures 596 mm.)

<P>The instrument is also sold with a replacement barrel from the same time-period that’s 5 mm shorter.  With it, the total length is 596 mm.

<P>In short, it’s perfect for proper Dixieland or Klezmer!

<P>The leather case appears to be the original. 

<P>Pads and corks are new and from our shop in Wichita.

<P>Couesnon’s 1913 catalog shows this particular clarinet for sale as their model number 180.  The instrument is offered in “ebene”, not granadilla.

<P>Very good player with the same 13 key set-up that was used by many pro players before 1900.  London clarinet virtuoso Henry Lazarus always used this model, nothing else.

<P>Wichita Band Instrument Company is a small musical instrument emporium located in the center of the USA. We’ve been in business since 1953 and have had the same owner since 1963. Originally we were a repair shop that specialized in woodwind and sax restoration. Today we have 18 employees including eight of the finest repair technicians in the country. Virtually ALL the items we sell have been fully reconditioned in our own shop, although we do sell a few unrestored historical instruments each year. Due to the heavy demand for our services, we do no school repairs, and very few “walk-in” repairs.

<P>It’s sometimes possible to buy a clarinet on Ebay for a lower price, but unless that instrument wears all new pads and corks from a reputable shop, you won’t know how it plays until you spend another several hundred to have it mechanically overhauled. With a used clarinet from OUR shop, you know it’s in the finest condition when it arrives at your home!

<P>Here’s what we do to all the used clarinets we sell:

<P>The instrument is taken apart and everything washed clean.   We don’t use chemical dips, but do use plenty of soap and water!   All wood parts are inspected for checks and damage, polished and then soaked in oil for three days. After the body-shop work’s been completed, we swedge hinge-tubes tight again and re-fit to the clarinet body.  Finally, pads and corks are replaced and the instrument play-tested.   Most customers tell us that our clarinets are then actually “mechanically better than new”.

<P>Wichita Band’s service warranty is the same as it’s been for more than thirty years:

<P> “ALL new and all used instruments sold by Wichita Band Instrument Company come with our 24 month service warranty. It’s in addition to any factory guarantees. For two full years, we will repair or replace, whichever in our estimation is the more advisable, pads, corks, springs or other parts required, at no charge to the customer.  In the event of cracked or damaged wood sections, we will repair at no cost to the customer or replace the section and charge the customer only for our net costs for the replacement section.   Often, wood replacement parts are supplied from the manufacturer at no charge.   The customer is responsible for shipping and insurance charges. Cases and plating finishes are not covered by our service warranty but are sometimes covered by factory guarantees.”

<P>Wichita Band Instrument Company maintains a repair department capable of restoration work of the highest quality. Even though repairs are essentially “free” for the first two years, after that period has expired, we remain at your service to maintain and repair your musical equipment forever. It’s our “service after the sale” promise and has been since 1953!

<P>In the event that a customer requires service under factory guarantees or Wichita Band’s service warranty, the item must be returned to us and not directly to the manufacturer.

<P>Anything we sell can be sent to you for a short approval period without obligation. We collect NO SALES TAX, unless you’re lucky enough to live in Kansas. The customer is responsible for shipping and insurance and must pre-pay back to us any freight and insurance charges on returned equipment.

<P>International shipping is available. Returned items will be refunded within 3 weeks of receiving the item. We’re happy to send any instrument “on approval” for five days, but ask the prospective buyer to pay shipping both ways and to reimburse us for clean-up and restocking charges (2.95%) on any returned instrument.

<P>VISA/MASTERCARD/DISCOVER/PAYPAL ACCEPTED. Credit cards not accepted from some countries. Must ship to the credit card billing address with exceptions made at our discretion.