Clarinet in C

Grenadilla, ivory, 13 silver keys. A variant of the English-style clarinet with a concealed connecting lever of the highest (speaker-) key. C was the main size used in nineteenth-century bands.

Samuel Graves (born New Boston/NH 1 July 1794; died Wells River/VT 18 November 1878) started as a woodwind maker during the early 1820s. From 1832 on his firm in Winchester/NH was called "Graves & Company" and produced woodwind instruments until ca. 1840. (Waterhouse, NLI, 145)

Overall size: 593
Bore: c-hole 13.1; f-hole 13.1.

Technical description: Granadilla with ivory ferrules and silver keywork. Five pieces: mouthpiece, barrel, upper section, lower section, bell. Presumably original blackwood mouthpiece not grooved for cord, but designed for a ligature. Barrel and joints with brass sockets and tenons to be used as tuning slides. Concealed ring operating speaker key. All tone-holes under keys lined with German silver. Keys mounted in blocks which are all lined with German silver. Cross keys with oval touchpieces. Shaped thumb rest. Additional cross B♮₃/F♯₅. Levers for L4, tone-hole and key for R4 mounted in a bell-shaped swelling. Guidance for F♯3/C♯5. A lot of pins to strengthen the wood. All ivory ferrules with a silver bevelled rim.13 keys, 2 silver rollers.

L0:   T; speaker.
L1:   T; throat A♮.
L2:   T; throat A♭.
L3:   T; E♭4/B♭5.
L4:   C♯4/G♯5; E3/B♮4; F♯3/C♯5.
R1:   T; side F4/ C6; side trill key for throat A-B♮ and B♭-C.
R2:   T; B♮3/F♯5.
R3:   T; B♭3/F♮5; side B♮3/F♯5.
R4:   T; G♯3/E♭5.

Keyhead type: saltspoon.
Keymount type: blocks, swelling.
Inscribed on all pieces except for unstamped mouthpiece "Graves & Co. / Winchester / N.H", on upper and lower section and on bell also "C".
Engraved on the keys with rollers, which were also very ne at the time: "J. B. Yale / Lee Mas."
Decorative features: Richly bevelled ferrules.
Playing accessories: one reed and cord.
(Heike Fricke, 2014)