 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ZCClarinet
Date: 2004-07-12 21:23
This one is old. After hearing about me thinking about getting a new clarinet, my mom pulled out a clarinet that was my grandfather's. It is a Selmer Berevete "SGDG" with a serial number of 6230 (no letter at all before, according to sneezy that's around the year 1930), and has several extra parts in the key department, including an alternate G# for the left pinky, a low Eb key for the right pinky, also the "banana shaped" Eb key for the octave above that (bottom line of the staff) also presses shut a secondary very small hole which seems to clean the tone qualtiy for that note up, and the C#/G# key which is usually located at the bottom of the top half of the body is actually on the bottom half, and closes a hole which goes litereally through the tendon which connects the two halves. Nice tone and response though it hasn't been touched in several decades, as well as the keys fitting my fingers very well, though my mom said the last time she took it into a store they found a crack somewhere under the keywork (I've yet to find it). There are also a few "bites" taken out of 2 tendons. I'm most likely going to get my R-13 "Brannenized" after my 1st clarinet fest (yay!) and am wondering if it would be wise to get this one overhauled as well.
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2004-07-12 21:53
Hello, ZCClarinet! My A clarinet is a Selmer "Brevete" (serial #7XXX) as well, with the extra keywork. The horn plays more freely than many of the A clarinets I have played on in the past and has a pretty sweet tone. The intonation in some ranges takes a bit more work perhaps that it would on a newer horn. I am having my 10G Bb clarinet repadded this summer, and I will say that there is indeed a difference in what i am willing to spend on each horn. You might consider what each of them is worth to you, both money-wise and in terms of personal and sentimental value. I would think it would be fun to have your grandfather's horn to play. The question is how far you want to go with having it fixed up. When I bought mine it did not need a repad, so I just had it adjusted and a few pads replaced. One of these years it will need more.
Have fun!
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-07-12 22:01
ZCC, Congrats, It sounds like you have a nice old Sel Full Boehm [20 keys/7 rings, count 'em] like mine, which has some reddish tint like "rosewood", ser # 68xx? Mine is still "fair-playable", but an overhaul cost [vs value] might be excessive! Yours, having the Brevet [patent] and SGDG ["without guarantee of FR govt {of the pat's validity}] info., is earlier than mine, which I've always figured was 1920's. Having a 1932 Sel RI FB, if I ever need more keys [the alt. Ab/Eb is the best of the 4 add'ns IMHO], my golden oldie is on display, so best of luck. Other info?? Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: ZCClarinet
Date: 2004-07-12 22:18
some other notes about it... there is a repaired crack at the bottom of the bell. The included mouthpiece is a Selmer which has a "HS*" in a circle on side where the reed presses on instead of the same side where it says "Selmer" "Henri" "Paris" along with a ligature marked Selmer and has the same "made in france" as the clarinet but no other markings. It is in what I'm guessing is the origional case which has a gold square plate on one side with red ingraved letters "Selmer"
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2004-07-12 22:39
Don--Does the SDGD basically mean patent pending then? Mine does have that marking but has a hgher serial number than either yours or ZCClarinet's (Ser # 78XX) Does yours not have that marking?
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Author: Dee
Date: 2004-07-12 23:35
Since it's a full Boehm Selmer, it was almost certainly a professional grade horn in it's day. I'd get it overhauled and play it upon occasion. It should be worth it. Just go price a new Full Boehm instrument by one of the major makers!
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Author: Dee
Date: 2004-07-12 23:37
By the way, check the pitch to be sure it is Low Pitch (i.e. modern pitch). Both LP and HP were produced in that time frame.
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Author: ZCClarinet
Date: 2004-07-13 00:33
Thank you all for your time and very inciteful information. It's been a blessing to have found this board. I'm learning so much just going through with the search button!
Edit: yes it is Low Pitch. Just throwing my mp on, most everything was in tune for base A 440 except for one or two notes which were 1-3 cents off either way
As far as being older than 1930, I think you are correct. According to my dad, my grandfather graduated from college in 1926 and he got it sometime towards the end of high school, so early '20s would be close to correct.
I'm just playing on this Selmer more and more (even in this state) and I'm getting attached. Knowing that both my dad and his dad played this thing at their respective senior all state, I would be proud to continue that tradition for at least one more generation. Currently the notes around center of treble staff Bb and the same area an octave above (using around the same keys) are a bit airy, but absolutely nothing else is. Hopefully that's just a pad or two that will clear up with a good overhaul.
Thank you again. This is a great community!
=-Ben Chapin
Post Edited (2004-07-13 00:39)
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-07-13 00:48
As usual, Dee's [too infrequent] advice is very good. A bell crack will do little harm, my Sel has an U J crack, pegged/banded/filled and doesn't leak enough to hurt. The only reservation I see is to check pitch, It's prob. LP, but that may be 435, so you may need a shorter barrel, and a bit of "favoring", partic. in the throat tones to play 440[+?]. It will be fun learning what all you can play easier with the extra keys! Incidentally, that mp, known as a "table Selmer" even with that sorry [IMHO} HS* facing, is worth some real money, so hang onto it and dont reface it, just use another if you wish to. C W, I dont know the [long-gone] "run-down" on SGDG, but believe it was THEN a warning by the French Govt, that any patent infringement et al problems would have to go to their courts, not to their patent offices for adjudification [in short, you are on your own]. Also "patent-pending" [again I believe] was an early US warning that a pat. application had been filed, maybe presuming a pat would be issued??, and as I viewed its use, it was a way of bragging that there was something? there that was novel/inventive, and therefore good??? Our lawyers should be able to give you much better info on this double-barreled ? than I, PLEASE HELP, Ken Shaw et all. Lots of fun ! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: RRiverMcD
Date: 2004-11-24 17:05
I have a "brevete" also, with the number 5953. It was my grandfathers. He played in the army band and the story goes that he purchased it while in France in WWI. We have a picture of him in uniform holding (what we thought was) this clarinet.
I really have NO idea about it being of this type or that as I am a guitarist (music does run in the family).
Could this clarinet be from WWI era, or is this a family legend? Also, I believe it to be in excellent condition (as it has not really been played since he died in the early '30s, but does need to have new cork, etc.
Any help, suggestions?
Thanks,
Michael
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Edit My Post
Post Edited (2004-11-25 16:09)
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