Empire H-408-B

Serial #H-408-B for Fernando.

I would guess that this one was made earlier than the first one reviewed, not only because of the serial number, but because of the key shapes and the wooden bell.

Barrel: 66.1mm

Bore LH joint top: 15.2mm Woo-hoo! Wide.

Bore LH joint at bottom: 14.8mm So this again has characteristics of a poly-cylindrical instrument. Way ahead of its time.

Intonation results taken when playing loud and not lipping. See how to interpret these results on the Model Comparison Page.

For this test, I pulled not at all, in both normal locations. All the way pushed in.

Intonation summary: I was not able to get my Linux tuner to work today, for some reason. Using the QuickTune box is not quite as precise. This is FANTASTIC intonation, very much up to professional standards. The A throat tone can be lowered by a resonance fingering, and I will put more cork under the key.

Key work quality: The key work seems sturdy enough, but it is a bit on the delicate side. It is unusual, and I think it is not as shiny as the first Empire that I reviewed. The keys have an odd sculpted look. So I think that this may have been American made, as I have never seen anything like these keys on any other instrument.

This clarinet is most appropriate for: Intermediate or advanced players, or anyone who will appreciate great intonation. Because of the wide bore, this would make a wonderful jazz instrument. Whoever owns this should exercise reasonable care with the keys. This is not a marching band horn. Phil's similar serial number Empire reconditioning:

4May2014, #H-653-B, for Julie L. Boy is this a great line of instruments! This is a fantastic instrument! LH joint bore at top 14.8mm, at bottom 14.5mm.