Manufacturer: Rene Dumont

Model: None specified   Serial Number: 219

Material: Wood Clarinet        System: Boehm

Made in France, 1930s?

The name Rene Dumont was a trade name and not necessarily a manufacturer. I have several Clarinets that use the name Rene Dumont, their logos are not the same. I have been told that these were average, run-of-the-mill  quality wood clarinets. The fact that the keys do not seem to tarnish quickly an give off a "yellow" tinge maybe in indication that they used inferior material for the key plating.

One thing I did notice about this clarinet is the great efforts that was made to prevent the posts from shifting by the use of "locking pins" at the base of the post. This prevents the post from wearing the thread and weakening the key structure. Also, notice the tiny locking screws use to prevent the pivot screws from backing out and shifting the key positions. This is to me is a sign of careful and clever engineering...not a sign of inferior quality.

Anyway, when I purchased this clarinet, it was not playable. The keys were seized, it had no pads and  spider had graciously used the bore of the middle section to deposit an egg sack. After many days of careful disassembly,. I had removed all the keys, springs and posts. The clarinet w as cleaned an oiled thoroughly.  The keys were polished an buffed and It received a new set of cork on the teneons and a new set of proper  pads.  Today it is a dependable, beautiful sounding instrument.