 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Anne Marie
Date: 2000-06-23 22:34
A friend of my dad's is selling two Clarinets. They are both Selmer's and I have the serial numbers. One is a 'Series 9' which I believe makes it not too old as the newest is the 10G and the other is an older Omega which I believe makes it a student model. I'd like to find out some specs on these horns and what they're worth before I name a price on them.
I have been playing Clarinet for 13 years and I have just graduated college with a B.M. in Music Composition. My trusty horn all these years has been a Buescher. When I looked it up on the 'How old is my...' section of this site I found out it was made in the 1920's. This explains why I was kicked out of my ensemble for not being able to play in tune. Before I go on to graduate school I need a more professional horn to replace my newly discovered antique.
Thanks
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Author: gary van cott
Date: 2000-06-23 23:08
The Series 9 have been around for a while. My teacher got one when I was taking lessons from him sometime in the early 1960s.
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Author: J. Butler
Date: 2000-06-23 23:16
Both the Selmer 9 and Selmer 10G could be several years old. What are the letter prefixes? They will tell you the year of manufacture. Get the serial numbers and look them up in the "......how old is my?" link in the equipment section here on sneezy. My Series 9 was made in '64. The Omega is an intermediate/semi-pro line that Selmer introduced back in the 80's I believe (don't take that for gospel).
J. Butler
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-06-23 23:18
The Selmer Series 9 is a professional grade instrument. Perhaps you should keep it and play it yourself. These were generally regarded as fine instruments in their day.
Regarding your Buescher. It's not necessarily the age that causes the problems of playing in tune. There are instruments of that vintage that do play reasonably well in tune. There are several possibilities. Perhaps this particular instrument was built to the old High Pitch, abbreviated HP, or some other pitch standard (HP was common but there were many others) that does not match our modern pitch standard. Perhaps this was a student grade instrument. Perhaps it needs a serious cleaning. Buildups that are not noticeable to the eye can throw the pitch off. Maybe a better mouthpiece should have been used. Buescher was better known for its saxophones so maybe their clarinet designs were not all that great.
To get an idea of the prices that these different instruments sell for, check the completed auctions on sites like eBay. If I recall correctly, a used Series 9 will often go for over $500 and sometimes quite a bit over. Of course a local music store would sell it for somewhat more than that. Bueschers sell very poorly on the auctions. Even in good condition and not too old, they seldom get much more than $100 for them. Many go for less and some don't sell at all. If the intonation is as bad as you say, use it for decoration. Don't sell it to some poor unsuspecting soul to struggle with.
Just because the instrument may have been made as long ago as 1920, does not mean that it is an antique. Skipping automobiles, where the states define what is antique for the purposes of licensing and taxes, the general definition of an antique includes two criteria: 1) usually 100 years old or older but there is some flexibility there, 2) the age *ADDS* to its value rather than reduces its value or it has some instrinsic historical value other than monetary. The second item is particularly important. If the age does not enhance its value then what you have is merely an old clarinet (some of which are quite good) or a collectable or an artifact.
Let's take your Buescher. For the sake of argument, I am assuming that it is the Boehm system instrument in the same pitch standard as used today. A Buescher clarinet has no intrinsic historical value. They are not unique in any particular way. Buescher made quite a few of them. Laying it on a table, you wouldn't be able to tell a 1920 model from a 1940 model from a 1960 model. So the fact that it is old can only be determined from the serial number, not by any other feature. Which one will bring the highest price? The 1960 model because it is newer with, the 1940 bringing the second highest price. The 1920 model is simply competing as a used clarinet. Since it competes in the market as a used clarinet, the age detracts from its value.
On the other hand, if it is the Albert key system, it may bring a better price as there are some players who seek out these instruments. But the price driver is not its age but its key system.
Prices on High Pitch instruments seem pretty variable as these are only of interest to collectors. You can't play them in a modern ensemble. There are a few groups that specialize in playing old music on old instruments but these are not common. Most people buy them for decoration. There are still enough around that the price usually is not high.
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Author: William
Date: 2000-06-24 04:15
FYI The Omega was Selmer's top-line clarinet in the late 50's along with the "Centered Tone" series. It featured interchangable register vents (and fancy engraving on the bell) and was a fine instrument. Recently, the "Omega" series was re-introduced as an intermediate instrument, however, only a shadow of it's 1950's predecessor. The series 10G is a fine professional level instrument which was designed for Anthony Giollotti (spelling???) retired Principal Clarinet of the Philadelphia Orch. It is a good all-around instrument and should work well for you. Also, remember, that playing "out of tune" is often a fault of the human ear rather than that of the instrument. Most good pro's can play "in tune" regardless of what instrument they may have in their hands. Good luck with your music.
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Author: Rob
Date: 2000-06-25 06:38
The Series 9 is still a very good pro-grade horn. BTW, the Series 10G is by no means the "newest" in the Selmer line. I had one in the mid 70s and Selmer has introduced a number of professional models since the 10G. You may though, want to find out for sure the reason for your intonation problems. They may have nothing to do with the clarinet itself. Numerous other factors can contribute to intonation difficulties. There is a wealth of information on this website that may be able to help you.
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