Beautiful pair of COCOBOLO wood Howarth S2 clarinets Start Price USD 4,000.00 Current Price USD 4,000.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price USD 5,000.00 Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, July 02, 2008 End Time Monday, July 07, 2008 Location New York, NY See more about 'Beautiful pair of COCOBOLO wood Howarth S2 clarinets' Description I will start by saying that these are two of the most wonderful clarinets I have ever played, and the decision to sell them was a very, very, VERY difficult one to make...the ONLY reason I am selling them is simply that I cannot afford to keep them, nor is the vast majority of the professional work that I do these days worthy of these instruments. (My performing has shifted greatly from the symphonic/solo work that I have traditionally done to musical theater pit work, and these clarinets are far too good to be used in a pit, not to mention that I am paranoid as heck about taking them into a crowded pit and putting them on pegs with a bunch of other horns, and these instruments deserve to be sitting in a symphony orchestra or in the hands of a soloist). This is a pair of Howarth S2 clarinets crafted from COCOBOLO wood, not grenadilla. There is a vast craze sweeping the clarinet world right now for bells and barrels made of cocobolo wood, but it's rare to find an entire *instrument* made of cocobolo. According to a Howarth craftsman, there have been but TWENTY-NINE of these instruments built, ever, and I believe this is the only matched pair of cocobolo S2s in America (the serial numbers are consecutive). The Howarth S2 clarinet has a very warm, round, even sound that blends beautifully but can also be pushed to cut through the texture of an orchestra. The keywork is meticulously crafted, and there are two adjusting arms for the low F pad to fine-tune the low E/mid B and low F#/mid C# connections, as well as an adjusting mechanism for the Eb pad between the rings on the upper joint. The 2nd trill key has been placed in a forward position, out of the path of condensation, and the wide-plate adjustable thumbrest is VERY comfortable, and has a large range of adjustability. These instruments are still available from Howarth, but there is a waiting period and the cost is approx USD$8,000 for a pair in cocobolo wood with double case (Howarth cases are EXCELLENTLY built, very sturdy French-style cases that protect the instruments beautifully, and Howarth charges approximately $300 to add a case to your instrument order. This one comes with an insulated Altieri cover).I have had these instruments extensively worked on by an excellent repair technician who custom-made cork pads and hand-adjusted the mechanism, so they are better than new. This is a chance to get an incredibly beautiful, unique pair of WONDERFULLY playing clarinets (the A in particular has garnered tons of compliments from other professional clarinetists here in NYC) in better-than-new condition for less than you'd pay new.  I have many other photos, as well as sound files of the instruments available for those who would like them. Place a Bid!