Some readers may want to skip to What's my French stencil clarinet worth? While this page is mainly about French vintage instruments, if your instrument is from another country, look for it under the sub-pages of this page. Perhaps that should be 1980's to the present.) That being said, many of the vintage instruments on these pages are very nice intermediate-level instruments. (Klezmer clarinetists, polka and folk music artists, and some jazz players (especially in Europe) prefer Albert system clarinets.) And if you want a professional level instrument, you want one of the newer poly-cylindrical bore instruments that date from the late 1960s to the present. Unless you live in European countries like Switzerland or Germany, you want a modern Boehm system clarinet. Fourteen keyed Albert system and antique clarinets with fewer keys are significantly harder to play, and the volume of tone is not what modern players want. The Armstrong has a Sterling Silver head and body while the Yamaha 382 has a Sterling Silver head but the body is nickel silver.Clarinets made in the 20th century are not like violins, where a vintage instrument may be worth millions. Trying to compare the Armstrong with the Yamahas is difficult because they are somewhat different and each has some advantages. You can find Armstrong 104s on Ebay from $100 used, and as low as $200USD new. I think they are easier to play and more durable than Yamahas or Jupiters. Is an Armstrong flute a good brand?Īrmstrongs are one of the best build student instruments you can buy. And you’re much better off with a used Artley than a brand new CSO. Are artley clarinets good?Īlthough they’re very utilitarian in design and the build quality isn’t great, they’re not bad instruments, they’re fairly sturdy, they have a pretty good tone and intonation and they’re ideal for players with small hands. The Artley Wilkins flute is a silver flute (not plated like a student model). While most of the major brands have moved their student flute production to Asia, the Armstrong 104 flute is still built in the USA at the Conn-Selmer Woodwind Excellence facility in Elkhart, Indiana. No other numbers appear on the flute in any of the sections. Serial number is 2081, which is located on the head and middle section. Where is the serial number located on an Artley flute? Hube and his cousin Don went into business together developing a brand of flutes still being made today. With an innovation that allowed the instrument to be made cheaper, Artley became a successful product for school band programs as well as a well-established and noted professional line of products.

1964 artley flute value