Untitled Document
     
Advertisement Click to advertise with us!
     

Need information about Selmer Clarinet

jbtsax

Distinguished Member
Distinguished Member
I have a friend who is looking for some information about a clarinet he has come across that was owned by a professional musician friend of his.

It is stamped (Star symbol) (B) (some letter) (Star symbol)

Serial number is L 813, includes the word "depose". Any information will be helpful. See picture below. Thanks.

SelmerBGClarinet.jpg
 
Others can check on the serial number and model, but what you have there is the remains of a "part Boehm" horn, with the auxiliary Eb/Bb ring on the upper joint and the remains of an articulated C#/G#. Note the missing portion of the upper joint's lover tenon; you have to work at destroying a Selmer clarinet in that fashion.

At one time (say up to the mid 1960's), you could order your Selmer instrument with a variety of different variations on the Boehm theme. No longer. Leblanc kept this practice up a bit longer, but they too no longer list variant keywork systems.

Fully repaired and in proper working order, we're talking perhaps $500, this because of the repair to the tenon. My guys do this sort of thing by boring out the end of the upper joint and inserting a new tenor with the tone hole and the cork and all of that. Not the most solid repair, no matter how careful they are. That's what will drive the resale price down past the point of doing the work.

My opinion, of course; others will differ…
 
Note the missing portion of the upper joint's lover tenon;

I didn't know we could say things like that on the WWF. How did that get past the censors??? :) :)

Seriously, thanks for that info. I don't think there is any of the wood missing, but it is hard to tell in that photograph. I will be seeing this clarinet in person, so I will able to better tell its condition at that time.
 
Note the missing portion of the upper joint's lover tenon
I didn't know we could say things like that on the WWF. How did that get past the censors??? :) :)
Simple. Just don't tell if its a male or female part.

(I remember my first time in (the equivalent of) Radio Shack, where a I asked for a "connector", and the clerk asked me if I meant a male or a female one. Got me thinkin' for some milliseconds. Hey, I was a 14yo pup, clueless, innocent, the whole two inches...)
 
a "part Boehm" horn
I usually refer to Full-Boehm-Sans-The-Low-Eb-Key as a "¾ Boehm". :emoji_rolling_eyes:

Hey, speaking of "remains" - at least the keys don't look as eroded as on my Leblanc LL. (which I probably will dub "craterface")
 
Thanks Steve. That helps a lot. Any idea of how these Balanced Tone's play? Are they worth a professional overhaul in your opinion?
 
The BTs are fine. Large bore Selmer clarinets. Very free blowing, thinner rings than modern. And the keywork is more delicate than modern keywork by visual comparison.

The enhanced boehms (everything in between of a standard boehm to the full boehm) are nice models. Be careful with early selmer articulated models about using too thick of pads in the lower joint with the C#/G# and top tonehole as the mechanism there has limited travel and you have be careful for proper venting.

Also before you take it apart pay particular attention to how the entire C#/G# mechanism works. take pictures of it. it can be a bare to put back together and get it working correctly if you aren't accustomed to that keywork design. I can't remember if that model has this weird flat plate in the mechanism which acts like a stop.

truthfully the world evolves around standard boehm (except for Terry) and any alternate keywork clarinet seems to get 2nds in selection. So is it worth the money? If it is for the owner then there's no problem. If you were going to put this in the hands of a newbie(ish) who had a teacher the teacher probably wouldn't like it very much.
 
Thanks again Steve. I will pass this info along to my friend. Appreciate you letting me dig into your treasure trove of information and experience.

John
 
and some have this weird pivoting flat plate that limits travel too. This mostly to accomodate the travel of the C#/G# in relation to the related sliver and ring keys.

I don't know if you noticed, but the top 3 rings are inline - ie, the C/G is NOT offset. Some players have a problem with the key being inline versus offset.

Leblanc & Buffet in their enhanced boehms always (from one's i've seen) have the ring offset, whereas Selmer has them inline and offset in various models.

Have fun :)
 
by the way, in regards to older Selmers.

The only model I would avoid completely is the Selmer Model "55".
This model was designed with a BIG protruding nut that goes into the bore.
While playing the additional resistance from it is quite noticeable
so is the protruding nut

02.jpg
 
Upon closer examination of the clarinet in question (i.e., I used the magnification feature of the Macintosh's disability accommodation software), I note that (while the cork over the section is long gone) the wood itself is present and accounted for.
 
Back
Top Bottom