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Selmer W Series Bass

Author: fromsfca
Date: 2017-05-08 21:55

I have a Selmer series W bass clarinet (range to low C) which according to the serial number, W5893, was made in December 1970.

Anyone know what model this is?

I previously owned a Series 9 bass (marked Series 9 on top joint) which I had purchased around that time...or a few months later.

There are not model markings on the top joint: only the Henri Selmer Paris symbol, with DEPOSE marked above and FRANCE marked below symbol.

I believe the range to low C was a cust9om ordered option in 1970.

Thoughts??

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Re: Selmer W Series Bass

Author: tucker ★2017
Date: 2017-05-08 22:44

http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=446599&t=446599

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Re: Selmer W Series Bass

Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-05-08 22:48

That will also be a Series 9 bass - Series 9 clarinets were made from the early '60s to the late '70s. Not all of them carried the Series 9 logo - my Series 9 Eb clarinet is a late one and doesn't carry the Series 9 logo as does my 1967 Bb/A set of Series 9* clarinets. I've seen several other Bb and A clarinets without the logo, but were definitely Series 9s as they had the hexagonal speaker bush.

The low C basses made after the Series 9 had one of the most ridiculously complex mechanism for the low notes as well as the low Eb key being next to the F/|C touch and the low Db key being where the low Eb key normally is. The model after that reinstated the low Eb key to where it would normally be and had a low D touch immediately above it, but the leverages were short making the keywork feel heavy.

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

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Re: Selmer W Series Bass

Author: fromsfca
Date: 2017-05-09 00:40

Thanks Chris,

The Low D, Db and C keys are below the thumb rest, without rollers, but not as clumsy as one would think.

There is also a LH Eb key...thankfully.

The horn has wonderful sound and tone and excellent intonation...I'm quite happy with it....though I have no gigs booked as of yet.

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Re: Selmer W Series Bass

Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-05-09 00:50

The current Privilege low C bass has much better keywork than the two previous models. Seems they went wrong after the Series 9.

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

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