Barre / Jean Barre

This seems to be just like the René Dumont. The simple Sans Serif Caps of the brand name are just like the Dumont instrument, and the key work seems to be the same. I am positing that the Sans Serif Logo clarinets like this are Thibouville products from the 1940s. Note that the same company turned out a plastic “Jean Barre”.Serial: 1493, batch # 14XBore at top of the left-hand joint: 14.65mm.Bore at the bottom of the same: 14.67 to 14.8mm. The exit from this joint is oval.Barrel: 64.5mm.This instrument plays with very good intonation, and would be appropriate for intermediate to advanced players.One characteristic of Thibouville/Masson clarinets is the batch number. I am assuming that this was clarinet 14 in batch x. Unless it was number 14 that Xavier was working on.

One thing I like about some French stencils of this time is the wide and comfortable rings.

It seems to me that several of the French stencil makers used the same key work manufacturer. I like the clarinets are of the period (probably 1950s and before) when they used nickel silver keys, like those shown here. Some of the later stencil clarinets used pot metal or brass keys with a shiny plating of nickel or chrome.

The wide rings are seen again here.

One thing I want to pay more attention to is the area underneath the four right pinkie keys. This horn has an area that has been chiseled out flat under these keys.

I prefer clarinets that use the Buffet-style pin-in-hole left pinkie keys. [Update: I like how Noblet made their left pinkie keys even better.]

Just a little thing I notice is the shape of the lower part of the bridge key and the upward turning first pad cup.

See the slide show for intonation results. The test was made using the 64.5 barrel, pushed in all the way, and a B45 mouthpiece and #4 Legere reed.

Note that numbers indicate how long I played each note. I played an F scale, testing also selected B naturals. So results for such notes as G# are caused by harmonic pops/anomalies.

Darker lines are 10 cents apart, gray lines are 2 cents apart.

Phil's other Jean Barre reconditioning:

JB from Guy in CT, #1217 Barrel: 63.8mm Bore: 14.2mm at both ends of LH joint. Narrow!

12Jan2013, #1440, with logo just like the one pictured above. For Mike H. 14.4mm bore on both ends. Batch mark is 337L 63.9 barrel pushed in all the way.

For this test of #1440, I used my Legere Signature 3 3/4 reed with a Portnoy BP02 mouthpiece, because my normal mouthpiece would not fit on the barrel.

15Jan2015, #1321. Slight chipping fixed in center tenon. Excellent condition. Great player. Also for Mike H.