Well, looks like I'm gonna learn to play an instrument again.
 

I'd been wrestling with the idea of picking up an instrument again (played clarinet, trombone and trumpet in school), but just hadn't dropped the hammer. Well, I bought this neat old silver plated Conn 514N, the serial dates it to 1932. I've gotta drop it off the be re-padded and corked, but it looks to be in otherwise excellent shape.
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...cket_5810_.jpg
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...cket_5811_.jpg

I wanna hear some Benny Goodman come'n outa dat licorice stick!

I can probably make one of those too. After the Les Paul is finished....

Lubey, gimme a few weeks to remember what the hell I'm doing.
This era of Conn metal clarinets are considered to be of the highest build quality and this model was near the top of the line.
I think I'm gonna order the musicmedic kit and do the pads and corks myself. Anyone have any experience with those kits?

Pretty exciting. I love the sound of a smooth clarinet playing 'Begin the Beguine'.

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KT

The sound is a bit different than a traditional clarinet. I can't find a youtube of this model, but this one is very similar in construction and should yield a similar sound
YouTube - Clarinette metal Silver King

Excellent!!

The picture is sort of fuzzy to me, but is that a Boehm or Albert system fingering arrangement?Many of the old metal-types were Albert and that can really be a bear if you learned standard Boehm. Nice find.

That was one of my concerns, but it is a Boehm system. I haven't played, the cork for the mouthpiece and barrel is crap, but I've been going over fingering and it's coming back pretty fast.

I used to replace pads and corks on my old clarinet. It is pretty easy. The pads are stuck on with a sort of red resin stick that you melt and drip. Getting the action regulated is harder, hard to track down the little leaks when three pads are sealed well but one is barely off. If I recall, the metal ones had a brighter, harder sound - perfect for big band. I have my old wood clarinet and a (cheap) metal around somewhere. What I really wanted to learn, back when, was either soprano sax or bass clarinet.

Playing a musical instrument is a great way to stay young and mentally healthy! I'm just a drummer, but I hang out with real musicians! Congrats on picking it up again!