The Normandy 4 Bb clarinet is one of the most respected vintage intermediate clarinets ever made in France — and this example has been professionally refurbished by Kowal and Son LLC in Gainesville, FL. Manufactured in the late 1970s by the Noblet workshop in La Couture-Boussey, France during the LeBlanc Corporation era, it shares the same acoustic bore design as the legendary Noblet 40/45 series, giving it a warm, focused tone that plastic student clarinets simply cannot replicate.
What Makes the Normandy 4 Special
The Normandy 4 was in continuous production from the late 1960s through the mid-2000s — one of the longest-running clarinet models in history. What sets it apart from typical student instruments:
Grenadilla (African blackwood) body, barrel, and bell — the same tonal wood found in professional-grade clarinets
Boehm system, 17 keys / 6 rings with nickel-plated keywork and inline trill keys
Noblet bore dimensions — delivering resonance and projection far beyond its student-instrument price point
French workshop construction — consistent keywork geometry and quality materials from the La Couture-Boussey manufacturing tradition
The Kowal and Son Restoration Process
At Kowal and Son LLC, every clarinet is restored by hand in our Gainesville, Florida workshop. This is not a wipe-down and flip — it’s a full mechanical restoration verified with a leak light before the instrument ever ships. Here’s exactly what we did to this Normandy 4 Bb clarinet:
Full disassembly — all keywork removed, posts and pivot screws inspected for wear and play
Body and bore cleaning — interior swabbed and cleared, exterior cleaned, tone holes inspected and dressed as needed
New pads installed — double-bladder pads sized and seated individually for a flat, airtight seal on every tone hole
New tenon corks — upper joint, lower joint, and barrel tenons recorked and fitted to proper resistance
Spring tension adjustment — all needle springs set for consistent, responsive action across the full range
Full regulation and play test — every note tested from low E to high C, leak-light verified for a complete airtight seal
The result is a Normandy 4 Bb clarinet that responds cleanly, plays in tune, and holds up in daily practice and performance.
Who Is This For?
Students upgrading from a plastic beginner instrument to a real wooden clarinet
Adult returners who want quality without the cost of a new professional horn
Band programs needing a durable, play-ready instrument at a fair price
Vintage collectors who appreciate genuine French woodwind craftsmanship
About Kowal and Son LLC
Kowal and Son LLC is a father-and-son woodwind restoration workshop in Gainesville, Florida. We personally restore every instrument we sell — no outsourcing, no shortcuts. Our process is rooted in hands-on training and a genuine passion for keeping vintage wooden clarinets in playing condition. Every instrument is play-tested and leak-light verified before it leaves our bench.
kowalandson@gmail.com | 352-327-8352