[Tradjazz] Fw: Gretsch clarinets

[trevor rippingale]

Dear discussion groupers :
             EUREKA : after much "surfing the net" I've made a little progress about GRETSCH clarinets
        I "googled" METAL CLARINETS, and found a wealth of information about the history of metal clarinets, and many photographs on different makes currently available for sale....but none of them GRETSCH. 
        But on page 4 of these offerings I found the heading "TRADE NAME LISTING".This is a very comprehensive schedule which can be "sorted " under a number of variables (market name/retailer/maker and in some cases dates of manufcture, for all instruments : (reed, brass, string). Its a growing schedule, open to additions by readers as information comes to hand.
       I'm surprised to read on this site that my GRETSCH PATHFINDER Bb metal clarinet, Serial  No: 9243A, is listed as being marketed, retailed and actually  made by Fred Gretsch company. Its idetified as a "student" model, but I find it a good horn, although not as good as my "Series 9" Henri Selmer, Paris grenadilla instrument of course.
        However, no year of manufacture or serial number list is mentioned. So I'll keep looking.  I find it hard to  credit that the Gretsch company, specialists in, and famous for guitars and drums, would ever have set up the extensive tooling necessary for mass producing metal clarinets....but who knows? The search continues.
                           Trevor Rippingale (New Wolverines, Sydney)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: trevor rippingale 
To: trad jazz 
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 9:45 AM
Subject: Gretsch clarinets


Dear Discussion groupers,
         I'm grateful for the several helpful and interesting  responses I've received from list members, but sadly I'm still unable to find definite answers to the questions below . Any leads will be most appreciated while I continue to puzzle through the internet about this.
(i) Who manufactured "GRETSCH" metal clarinets, and in what years ? It seems the Czech company "Kohlert" was probably involved at some stage.
(ii) What is the date of manufacture of  Gretsch metal Bb clarinet Serial no : 9243A ? ( the only Gretsch serial number list I can find on the internet, is for guitars and drums only)
(iii) What other horns (if any) might have been marketed under the Gretsch label, and what company  made them in what years ?
(iv) As a matter of wider interest, what other examples might there be of  "re-badging" by other companies over the years ?
      I'm aware of "WURLITZER" and "VEGA" having marketed C melody/tenor saxophones, and wonder who actually manufactured them and what the full extent of this might be for clarinets and saxes with any other makes..
                                     Trevor Rippingale 
                                           (New Wolverines, Sydney)