Expert: Kenton Scott - 10/28/2005

Question
I have a Old Clarinet. Triomphe. Case is long and looks a little like a small trumpet case. As compared to most clarinet cases that are square.
I have looked all over the web & ebay for this. My searches on yahoo come up with only french land marks some sort of Arch of triomphe.
There is a castle impresstion with the letters LPB above it. With Triomphe writen through it...
La chapelle on the mouth piece.It is not made of wood or siver. It's Black looks like plastic...
I hope you can help me.
Thanks so much for being here

Answer
Daniel,

I think I have seen Triomphe, or something similar as a trade name for another company, but I can't find it im my references.  

I mainly do brass insruments, so I'm not as up on woodwinds.  I'm assuming that the instrument is one piece.  And, that is why the case is the shape that it is.  The metal clarinets were also one piece and had a case that looks like I think you are describing.  

Ususally the letters LP mean that the instrument is designed to play at low pitch or A=440, which is the tuning for the modern band.  Ususally, when an instrument has that marked it is because it was made in the first couple of deacdes of the 20th century, when the A=440 was just getting established as the standard.  (but the B may mean that LPB means something entirely different)

kms