Klarinet Archive - Posting 000293.txt from 2000/11

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Hard Rubber Selmer
Date: Sun, 5 Nov 2000 18:00:50 -0500

Brent Eresman wrote:
>I was over at Ralph Morgan's last night to show him that hard rubber Selmer
>Paris clarinet i bought on ebay. He at first didn't think that Selmer ever
>made such a thing, but when i took it over there he agreed that it was in
>fact Selmer's pro model in hard rubber. He said that there was no record
>of Selmer having made such a thing and that this must have been a one-off
>which was not documented or sold commercially.
>

How interesting! Selmer Paris did make some student clarinets in hard
rubber, so it makes sense that they could have used the equipment to quietly
turn out some pro models to order. The 1931 catalogue lists the Master Model
as the pro instrument, with the Bundy as the better student (intermediate)
model. Neither the Master Model nor the Bundy are listed as available in
rubber. They're both available in either Grenadilla wood or silver-plated
metal. The 1931 catalogue lists eleven different sub-models of the Selmer
Barbier clarinet, as a student model below the Bundy and "made in France in a
Selmer-controlled factory," in both Boehm and Albert system. In addition to
several different key options, the 1931 Barbier comes in silver-plated Nickel
silver, in Grenadilla wood, and in "Ebonite (Hard Rubber)." The most
expensive metal Barbier is $85; the most expensive Grenadilla Barbier is $72
and the most expensive hard rubber Barbier is also $72 but listed *after* the
wood and metal models.

By the 1935 catalogue, Selmer has replaced the "Master Model" with the
"Balanced Tone" model at the top of the line, and has added the cheaper
Raymond model at the lowest end of the line. The Raymond, like the Balanced
Tone and the Bundy, is listed as available only in wood and metal. The
Barbier alone is still available in hard rubber.

By the 1958 catalogue, Selmer no longer offers any rubber clarinets. I don't
know when they were discontinued.

Lelia

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