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Selmer confusion

Author: moodsk
Date: 2010-09-01 15:14

Hi, not being one myself I'm looking for any help from clarinetists. I've been clearing out my parents' house as they prepare to move up the country and have stumbled upon an old Console Special, by Selmer, that belongs to my father. He reckons it's a budget line from the 'fifties, which is when he bought it. He thinks it was new then but, stamped on one of the middle barrels, is 'made in france' and the serial number 8839 which, according to Selmer, dates it at 1928.

Are we getting wires crossed?

Thanks for any help you can give,

Pete Moody

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Re: Selmer confusion

Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-09-01 15:40

The Selmer Console clarinets were made for Selmer London by Malerne (if it says 'Made in France') in the '50s-'70s to fill a gap in the market for student instruments (Selmer Paris only producing pro instruments at this time - so the Gold Seal, Sterling, Console and Steel Ebonite were imported to complete the lineup).
The serial numbers for Selmer Paris clarinets have no correlation with these.

Some 'Console' clarinets were Italian, some were Czech (usually marked with 'Foreign' on them) and some were also Chinese (some of the the 'Steel Ebonite' ones were made by Lark).

Here's an old Selmer catalogue from the '60s: http://www.donmack.com/SelmerSaxophones/SelmerLondonCat60s.htm
Console and Sterling:
http://www.donmack.com/Images/products/Selmer/SelmerLondonCat1967/Page16.jpg

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

Post Edited (2010-09-01 15:45)

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