Post 21: When Instruments Can Talk….

Here at Onks Woodwind, we frequently say, “It would be nice if this instrument could talk to us.”  We see instruments in all conditions and of all ages and when the oboe or clarinet has some age on it, we always wonder what the instrument has been through over the years.  Sometimes our clients know the history of the instrument and it is great to hear the story.  A lot of the time, our clients purchase their instrument used and do not know the story behind the instrument.  Most oboes and clarinets that we repair have serial numbers on them, which can help us determine the age and possibly the original owners if we did enough digging.

This week I overhauled an English Horn, and as I started disassembling the EH I saw something that I have never seen before.  A date Stamp!  I’ve seen serial numbers stamped on keys but never a date.  I wanted to share this rare find with you, see the picture below.  Happy 51th birthday, or manufacture day for this EH.

  This EH was made if Florence Italy, which is also unusual!