Klarinet Archive - Posting 000817.txt from 2002/10

From: Oliver Seely <oseely@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Help? - Interesting Selmer
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2002 11:55:02 -0500

Hi Stewart,

My A Clarinet is a Selmer Series 10 and every time I blow through it I feel
like a pro. I love it!
And to have an old one to fix up -- what a delight! I'd go for it. The
next time my wife and I are in Wiltshire, let's get together for some duets!

Oliver

At 06:19 AM 10/30/2002 +0000, you wrote:
>Hi
>
>New to the list, but not to the clarinet.... been playing 32 years now. I've
>always had student instruments, though, so definitely time for a change. I
>started hunting the other day for a 'bargain' pro instrument. Here in
>England these things are a bit hard to find, but I turned up something I've
>never seen before....
>
>The Clarinet in question is a Selmer Series 10, W series, so around 1970.
>It's the strangest clarinet I've ever seen, though. The keys are black.... I
>assume just tarnished silver.... but the body of the instrument is not black
>but a reddish light colour wood. Unfortunately it's in very poor condition,
>all the joints are loose, the thumbrest is missing, and the wood looks very
>'dry'. It's been stored on a shelf, with no case, since the last owner died
>4 years ago... However the keywork looks fine, it has a good Vandoren
>mouthpiece, and despite the very leaky condition has the most awesome,
>powerful sound of any clarinet I've ever played...
>
>It's going cheap, as it should be, and having spoken to a couple of
>instrument repairmen, I'm told that it's easy enough to fix (and not too
>expensive, both are quoting in the region of ?100, although neither have
>actually seen it - they have the same description as this). They tell me it
>will come back to me as good as new.
>
>My feelings are that fixed up, with silver keys against that red wood, it
>should make both a stunning sounding and looking instrument.
>
>Does anyone have any comments or experience of similar projects which would
>egg me on or put me off? Anyone know much about the 'series 10', and care to
>illuminate? Anyone seen a red wood Selmer clarinet before? ....help me
>someone, all advice on or off list is welcome!
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Stewart Milton,
>Chippenham,
>Wiltshire,
>England
>
>srmilton(AT)btinternet.com
>
>
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