Klarinet Archive - Posting 001240.txt from 1998/05

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re:Selmer Signet
Date: Mon, 25 May 1998 15:29:39 -0400

At 08:55 PM 5/24/98 -0400, Mark Bradley wrote:
>This Memorial Day weekend I went marching in the parade and used my old
>resonite clarinet instead of the wooden, as not to damage it. The
>resonite is a Selmer Signet and the wooden one is a Buffet E-11. With
>my Vandoren M13, the Selmer sounded very good, and sound was produced
>clearer and easier than on the E-11 (I guess "brighter" would be a good
>word). The only thing I did not like was the key mechanics, which
>seemed of lower quality than the E-11.
>
Look more closely at your Selmer Signet. Signets are made of WOOD! You
might have been thrown by the fact that some have a cheesy varnish stain on
them that makes them look very shiny, like plastic. The key design IS
different from most clarinets, including the E-11, but the same as Bundys.
I used to think it was OK back when I marched with a Bundy in college, but
now that I am used to better instruments, I find I have a hard time with them.

>Can someone try to compare the Signet model and the E-11, if they have
>tried both? I am letting my teacher borrow the Selmer because our
>school hasn't any other good clarinets, but if I needed to sell it, what
>do you all think I could get for it? It is in excellent condition, all
>pads are in good working order, and most of the springs and mechanics
>are fine. It is probably nearing 10 years old (I bought it used 6 years
>ago--my first clarinet). Does anyone have the specifics of this model,
>like key material and bore size?
>
The Selmer Signet (currently known as the Selmer 100) has a .577 bore.
Keys, I believe, are the usual nickel-silver with nickel plating. Value
(retail) is in the $300 to $600 range.

>One last thing...I have noticed on my E-11 that the corks have become
>loose, and that some of the joints, most noticably the barrel/upper
>joint and the middle joint, are able to move *ever* so slightly. Could
>this be the cause of some of the "interference" that seems to be
>lowering tonal quality? I believe my mouthpiece (Vand. M13) is .001 off
>of the bore of the E-11, so would that be a cause? What other effects
>could the cork and slight bore difference have, in the short and long
>run? It might be the reed, but it sounded pretty good on the Signet.
>
Slightly loose corks are unlikely to be the cause of the difference.
Different instruments respond differently, have different resistance, etc.
The main problem loose corks would cause is that the clarinet might fall
apart in your hands, or the wobble could cause a loss of concentration, or
even prevent you from pulling out to make intonation corrections. I also
doubt that a .001 difference will matter much, but I am not an expert in
mouthpiece/instrument interface.

>My instructor decided not to repair such a new and expensive model ($500
>is a lot for someone like me). The clarinet is a little more than a
>year old. Should I have my instructor repair the loose corks, or should
>I take it to a shop? The disadvantage is that my instructor will do it
>for free, while a shop would charge, although the chance for error would
>be small. This is only cork replacement we're talking about, though.
>Also, how can I avoid wearing down the corks so much? I have followed
>the rule of using only enough cork grease to make it moist, nothing
>more, nothing less. I think I may not have used enough on the barrel
>joint, though.
>
Recorking only costs $6 to $10 per joint. You can keep from wearing them
down by not using the instrument so much, but I suspect that solution may
retard your progress somewhat. :-) Also, do not leave it put together
when not in use. It compresses the cork.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

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