[Tradjazz] Gretsch Clarinets

[trevor rippingale]

Dear Steve,
               Thankyou for your helpful suggestions : I'll certainly follow 
them up. Strange that my first sax was a Kohlert Bb tenor !
            My first need is simply to identify the date of manufacture of 
my instrument, from its serial number. But  then I'd also like to establish 
the full extent of "re-badging"  by all makers over the years : should be an 
interesting exercise. I've been told that "WURLITZER" and "VEGA"saxes might 
have been  made by the Conn company, but there seems to be no actual 
evidence/proof of that as yet.
             Some suggestions that have come in are sites I've already found 
to be of no help : even the Gretsch Company home/history site , extensive 
though it is, makes no mention on anything other than guitars and drums.
           Thanks again Steve, and a happy and healthy new year to you and 
yours.             Trevor.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: <tradjazz at list.okom.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 4:24 AM
Subject: [Tradjazz] Gretsch Clarinets


> "trevor rippingale" <trevrip at bigpond.com>
>
>>
>> Dear fellow discussion groupers,
>> S.O.S. for information : "badging" of instruments.
>> I have a metal clarinet branded "GRETSCH" , Serial Number : 9243A
>> I can't find any internet reference to clarinets being made by this 
>> famous
>> company, so I assume this must have been a marketing ploy having had them 
>> made
>> by another company, e.g. Conn, Buescher, Martin, King etc.
>> Can anyone advise me please
>> (i) whether this is so, which company(ies) actually made the instrument, 
>> did
>> Gretsch market other horns in this way as well, and if so in which years 
>> ?
>> Perhaps there may be a serial number catalogue I can consult ?
>> (ii) the year of manufacture of the serial number above ?
>> (iii) what other "badge engineering" took place with other makes, and 
>> when ?
>> I'm aware of C Melody saxophones branded "VEGA" and "WURLITZER".  What 
>> other
>> firms might have done similarly, and for what sort of instruments and 
>> when ?
>> I'd be most appreciative of any information anyone can give me. I find 
>> this a
>> fascinating can of worms, and one I can't seem to crack open on the 
>> internet.
>> Trevor Rippingale (New Wolverines, Sydney)
>
> Hi Trevor:
>
> You might try a google search for <Gretsch + Clarinet>.
>
> There are some of them on sale at Ebay etc, and more hits there.
>
> You might also check out "Kohlert", a German or Czech instrument
> manufacturer. The below quote from a blog on the web seems to indicate 
> that
> Gretch may have been importing and re-badging clarinets made by Kohlert.
>
> ---
> "I have a Fred Gretsch Manufacturing Company "The Gretsch Album of
> Woodwinds" with a January 1961 price list that lists that only lists their
> clarinets and bassoon. The only saxes listed were Beaugnier ($250 for alto
> and $300 for tenor) Monopole ($200 for alto, $260 for tenor, and $360 for
> Baritone), and the Grafton which listed at $167.50 plus $28.00 for the 
> case.
> I always figured Gretsch was importing all of the Kohlert products but as 
> of
> 1961 they were only listing clarinets and the Bassoon."
>
> ---
> You might also try:
>
> http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/
>
> They are the best source of information about clarinets that I know of. 
> They
> have a chat list etc., and you can register and ask about your Gretsch.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tradjazz mailing list
> Tradjazz at list.okom.com
> http://list.okom.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tradjazz
>