 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mirko996
Date: 2015-08-29 22:48
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Hi, i would like to buy a selmer serie 9 and i find someone that sell a cheap prize (300€) the problem is that: this person is not near to me, therefore i cannot try to play the clarinet, i should go and try it one day from him.
For the moment, he sends me a photos of the instrument so i'm able to see the condition and i see few things that make me insicure to purchase the instrument...
First at all is the cork in the middle of instrument, is worn for the time, it could be change but is a cost.
Second is the wood, and is not in awful condition but is full of veins... i don't think that has cracks but it makes me insecure. I was thinking that thanks to some treatment, especially with the oil of almond is possible to improve slightly but not at all...
Third are the pads and aren't new but there may be certain to change.
You think that despite the price and i could use it (and hopefully for a long time) is worth taking or could not resist?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-08-29 23:43
You should expect to completely rebuild any older clarinet rather than expect it to be completely playable when you get it. Whenever I've bought an older clarinet, I've bought them with the intention of completely stripping them down and then rebuilding them as I know they won't be reliable in their present condition.
So that's removing all the old pads, key corks, tenon corks, cleaning and oiling the joints and bore, polishing up and having the keys replated (not always necessary but I like them freshly silver plated), all the toneholes repaired if they're damaged, all tenon corks replaced, all screws cleaned and polished and all keys refitted, all new springs if needed, all logos re-gilded, new pads and key corks fitted and the instrument is then back into playing order.
The open grain on the top joint isn't a problem - some of my older Selmers are like this and haven't split. That can be filled during polishing so the joints all look smooth again.
I've never had a dud old Selmer yet - even the worst looking ones that were badly neglected and all dried out can be brought back to life provided there isn't any serious damage to the wood. But any cracks can be dealt with and shouldn't reopen of fixed well.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2015-08-29 23:47
300 Euro for a full Boehm series 9 looks an extremely good price assuming no major wood problems.
The coarse grain is not in itself any problem.
Centre tenon cork is a fairly trivial repair (just a little more difficult because of tonehole in tenon but any good repairer can easily fix it.)
Pads not being "new" is not a problem as long as they seal OK.
Of course there is no substitiute for on signt inspection but as I say price is very good.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-08-30 01:20
My concern is the "articulated g," which is a nice little technical perk but it may get in the way if you aren't really looking for it.
Selmer 9s are great horns, and this one looks pretty good.
The price is amazing though. Most people would know to sell this horn more at around 1300 Euros I would guess.
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: Mirko996
Date: 2015-08-30 01:50
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Thanks everyone to answer my ask,
Chris P, Wow! He likes a new clarinet, before he wasn't (Like a my clarinet, i never cleaned the key but i repad and fix the cork)
How much costs rebuilt like your clarinet? without spending a lot.
Post Edited (2015-08-30 01:54)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-08-30 02:09
I did the work myself, so not entirely sure how much it would cost to do a complete rebuild - although I suspect it may be around £600-700 (GB£).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Mirko996
Date: 2015-08-30 02:13
Repading and Corking? To clean the key is hard or you could do alone without take it the repairer? I never tried because i'm afraid to damage the instrument
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-08-30 02:48
If you don't know how to do the most basic repairs on clarinets or are worried about doing any damage, then you're best having it repaired professionally so you will end up with a fully playable and guaranteed instrument.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Mirko996
Date: 2015-08-30 02:51
Totaly true. Is not simple repad or fix. What's the product you use to clean the key?
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Author: Mirko996
Date: 2015-08-30 16:07
And everything went wront... this guy has found another person to sell the clarinet... Bah...
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-08-30 16:35
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That's a shame. But I'm sure another one will turn up soon.
With regard to polishing the keys, they were unplated nickel silver on my Centered Tone, so I filed out any scratches, then used abrasive paper to smooth out the file marks, used a brass mop on a buffing machine and finished with buffing compound (Tripoli and jeweller's rouge) to get a highly polished finish in preparation for silver plating. I had the keys silver plated by the company that do Buffet's silver plating.
On nickel plated keys that are worn, you can also polish them using a buffing machine, but it will erode the exposed nickel silver far more than the nickel plate due to the hardness of nickel plate, so I'd be inclined to just clean up the keys without using any polish on them at all if you don't mind them looking worn. But if you are going to have them replated, then you'll have to blend in the worn areas with the surrounding nickel plate so there aren't any definite edges bordering the exposed base metal with the nickel plate.
I have a Series 9 full Boehm Bb that was originally nickel plated and worn through in several places, but I did all the preparation work and had it silver plated to match the Series 9 full Boehm A clarinet I paired it with. (see attachment).
I have another Series 9 full Boehm Bb which is still in nickel plate but has a split top joint tenon cap, so I'll have to replace that and then I'll set about preparing all the keys for silver plating.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2015-08-30 16:36)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-08-30 21:57
I'd go with a standard Series 9. Less gizmos to go wrong.
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: Mirko996
Date: 2015-08-31 01:55
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Chris... is not simple in effect... however thanks!
Just to not open other topic, it will be hard to find a other selmer series 9 with this price but if i take in consideration to try a different model? For example Centred Tone? Is totaly different than Series 9 or could be similiar? 'Cos i find another sell a Centred Tone for 650€ (but it could be lowered) and it is near enough to try it
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-08-31 02:08
I think you'll like the Centered Tone and it appears to be in better condition than the Series 9. I wonder what make the crystal mouthpiece is?
You may need a longer barrel for it (67mm) as the one it has appears to have been shortened. Unless you prefer to use a shorter barrel that is.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Mirko996
Date: 2015-08-31 02:26
The mouthpiece has a value, but i have a very a large collection of crystal mouthpieces, so i'm more interested of the instrument, not of the mouthpiece (but if is Bucchi or Pomarico it could be a good deal).
Series 9 it seemed ideal for me because it had been used by jazzist like Benny Goodman and probably by Tony Scott and i'm afraid that there's a big difference between series 9 and Centred Tone (I never tried, the only clarinet selmer clarinet i tried was a 10s and i didn't apprece a lot especially he was all to repad and fix)
Post Edited (2015-08-31 02:35)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-08-31 02:48
The Centered Tone was in production from the very early '50s (they were being made before 1954) through to the early '60s and has a larger bore and toneholes than the Series 9, so a fairly low resistance clarinet with a lot of power.
Benny Goodman was far more likely to have played a CT than a Series 9 - he may well have played a Series 9 in his time, but the Selmers he played on were far more likely to have been the Radio Improved, Balanced Tone and Centered Tone.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Mirko996
Date: 2015-08-31 02:56
Chris, you good person, you're helping me a lot. So selmer series 9 could be a good clarinet but is totally different respect other series... try Centred Tone i could be sure to take the clarinet for me. Thanks very much
About the barrel it's easy to find it's length or not?
Post Edited (2015-08-31 02:58)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-08-31 03:20
You may find suitable new old stock Selmer barrels on eBay being sold by Pacificwinds6875, but the postage from Canada is expensive.
If you're a sharp player (like me) then you'll definitely need a 66.5mm, 67 or a 68mm barrel - a 68mm barrel can always be shortened to 67mm or 66.5mm. But if you're playing at 443-444Hz, then a shorter barrel should be fine (but won't raise the pitch of the entire clarinet uniformly).
So many Centered Tone clarinets have had their original 67mm barrels shortened, so finding a replacement is becoming increasingly rare. I was fortunate and found a 67mm barrel for my CT full Boehm in the US as the barrel it came with was shortened to 62mm which is far too short for me.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Mirko996
Date: 2015-08-31 03:31
62 is very short! In the photos it doesn't seem so short, in which case i should have a barrel of a selmer series 9 founded time ago that could help (i don't think patricola barrel could work because the bottom is totaly different)... However my mind slightly clearer now. I look patiently and hopefully i will take (trying to keep the cost down) Thanks very much
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Author: 2cekce ★2017
Date: 2015-08-31 03:46
Nice clarinet, I have the Amati full Boehm. I noticed the cork around art G#
hole is squared off rather than round with the hole itself. will that affect the
tone of the note or notes below it as the air is now filling a little more space than usual before exiting the tone hole itself? just curious.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2015-08-31 04:00
Are you sure that the square cork shape isn't in fact cut to fit a small raised square of wood on the tenon? This is the way that most Selmers are made whereas the Leblancs just allow cork to fit right up the the tonehole with no raised wood around that hole.
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Author: 2cekce ★2017
Date: 2015-08-31 05:04
I haven't seen a full Boehm selmer up close and the pic doesn't allow for a clear view of any raised wood which is why I asked the question that's all. my full Boehm has the cork all the way up to the tone hole
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-08-31 07:10
Attachment: leblancllfullboehm 001.JPG (545k)
My Leblanc LL full Boehm had a raised round chimney on the middle tenon rather than a plain hole. The Selmers I've got all have a raised square of wood surrounding the C#/G# tonehole on the tenon.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Mirko996
Date: 2015-08-31 16:39
For Chris:
That is my collection of crystal mouthpiece
Right to left
http://i58.tinypic.com/w1brds.jpg
Bucchi (20€)
Pomarico 0 (30€)
Pomarico Double Star (tried directly from Pomarico 80€)
Coutry (10€)
Pomarico Alto Clarinet (hard to find and very good for clarinet 70€)
Uknown Mouthpiece ( I bought it along with a clarinet , the case was my old Pomarico Mouthpiece I destroyed unfortunately the same day came the clarinet, 50€ with clarinet)
Two mouthpiece Prof. Peverelli (40€ one refaced)
Pomarico One Star (watch clarinet, another tried from Pomarico 80€)
Symphonie (made by Pomarico and sell for meazzi, 30€)
Coutry (my first cristal mouthpiece, bought with wooden clarinet, i've attached pictures before)
More i thinked to sell because are unless, like Bucchi, he has a value ( Approximately on 100-200€) but the sound is orrible because the chamber inside is completly runied. but one interessant things is the ring
http://i59.tinypic.com/fem0k9.jpg
http://i62.tinypic.com/sm7h3d.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/2s6o8k7.jpg
Post Edited (2015-08-31 17:07)
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