Clarinet in A

"Oskar Oehler (born Annaberg, Erzgebirge, 2 Feb 1858; died Berlin, 1 Oct 1936) was a German woodwind instrument maker and clarinettist. He developed the clarinet of the German-speaking world to its modern state; this model is thus known as the Oehler system clarinet. Oehler was trained as an organ builder and clarinettist, and set up a woodwind instrument making workshop in Berlin in 1887. For the clarinet he devised additional venting, making the tone and intonation of the Baermann clarinet more even, and designed a mechanism that enabled his new vent keys to operate extremely reliably and with very little additional work from the fingers (the 28 tone-holes of the Oehler system clarinet are controlled by the same number of keys as the 22 tone-holes of the Baermann system instrument). The mechanism for properly venting the forked b/f″ on the right hand is particularly complex, and Oehler worked through several versions before arriving at one that is reliable and effective in all three registers of the clarinet. He is also credited with the idea of making the table of the clarinet mouthpiece slightly concave, a design that ensured (especially in the case of a wooden mouthpiece) a good seal against the reed. Several important makers, most notably F. Arthur Uebel (1888–1963), and also Ludwig Warschewski (1888–1950), served apprenticeships with him and spread his ideas. Oehler was also a distinguished orchestral clarinettist whose last post was in the Berlin PO (1882–8)." (Nicholas Shackleton, "Oehler, Oskar", in: Grove Music Online).

Overall size: 700
Bore: c-hole 14.9; f-hole 14.9
Conical part: 120

Technical description: Blackwood with silver plated German silver ferrules and keywork. Five pieces: mouthpiece, barrel, upper section, lower section, bell. The ebonite mouthpiece is not belonging, but suitable for the instrument. The number "2" on the barrel indicates that there were two barrels coming with the instrument as it is still usual today. Zig-zag speaker with chimney on the left side of the instrument. Speaker liner projects ca. 4 mm into the bore. This is to prevent the speaker tone hole from being affected by condensed water. German silver tube in the thumb-hole projecting into the bore for about 2 mm for the same purpose. Alternative touch piece for C♯4/G♯5. Tenon-socket connection of upper and lower section lined with German silver. Disconnectable C sharp mechanism. No E3/F3 vent. 17 keys, 5 rings, 1 plate, 4 black ebonite rollers.

L0:   T; speaker corresponding with first ring.
L1:   T + ring + vent; throat A♮; throat A♭.
L2:   T + ring + vent; alternative cross key for F4/C6.
L3:   T + ring; E♭4/B♭5.
L4:   C♯4/G♯5; E3/B♮4; F♯3/C♯5; alternative lever for B♭3/F5; alternative lever for G♯3/E♭5.
R1:   T + ring + vent; side F4/ C6; side E♭4/B♭5; side trill key for throat G-A or C6-D6; side trill for throat A-B♮ and B♭-C; alternative touchpiece for C♯4/G♯5.
R2:   Plate.
R3:   T + ring (forked B♭3/F♮5); cross B♭3/F♮5.
R4:   G♯3/E♭5; F3/C5.

Keyhead type: modern
Keymount type: srewed-in pillars
Inscribed on all pieces except for unstamped mouthpiece: lyre / (in oval cartouche "O. OEHLER / BERLIN" / OO monogram / "A"; on barrel also "2".
Playing accessories: one reed and a cord (not original), a bevelled reed-cap.
(Heike Fricke, 2014)