Best posts made by Tommy

@Niner This sounds correct. Pete was given free clarinets by Vito Pascucci, the owner of LeBlanc Corp. 'Vito' became a brand name, of student line instruments, under the Holton/LeBlanc umbrella. Pete played his own model, gold plated keyed, small-bore LeBlanc clarinet. Vito was a very successful guy in the instrument business, but his son wanted no part of it after he died. His son sold the company/assets to what is now Conn-Selmer. I'm not surprised that Pete would give someone a free horn, as Vito had the habit of giving samples out to many people as gifts. I know this first hand as he gave free instruments to a top LA Clarinet player and free trumpets for his son. Sadly, LeBlanc (under Conn-Selmer) no longer makes the Pete Fountain clarinet.