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Selmer Series 9/9* Question

Author: Ralph
Date: 2012-01-07 13:42

For those of you familiar with these instruments, you know that the octave vent has a hexagonal body and screws into the body of the clarinet. Does anyone know if the 9 and 9* vents were supposed to have different vent tube diameters? Did Selmer make vents with different diamerters that could be easily swapped out if one had tuning issues?

Ralph

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Re: Selmer Series 9/9* Question

Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-01-07 15:22

The top joints are different lengths on the Series 9 and 9* (the 9* having slightly longer top joints) so it could be possible they used different diameter speaker vents - I haven't measured mine but I can do to determine if they're different.

They could be slightly different diameters depending if they're silver or nickel plated - silver plated ones could be narrower in diameter as silver plate is applied a lot thicker than nickel plate.

They are interchangeable in they have the same thread, but the best thing to do is try them out to see if it causes any trouble or improves things.

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

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Re: Selmer Series 9/9* Question

Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2012-01-07 20:48

The Selmer (Paris) Omega - a deluxe Centered Tone from the 1950s - had 3 interchangeable register tubes with different diameters plus a special nut driver to screw them in and out with. I played Bb/A pair for several years and naturally tried all of them, but I could never tell any difference.

Hans Moennig made permanent alterations the register tube for Buffet A clarinet to stop the upper register "grunt," but I've never heard of replaceable tubes except for the Omega. Av Galper also made a permanent replacement tube for the R13 Bb, but it apparently died with him, though there are periodic promises that it will return.

Ken Shaw

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Re: Selmer Series 9/9* Question

Author: Ralph
Date: 2012-01-08 13:35

Thanks to those of you who have previously responded. I did check the speaker vent diameters the best I could with drill rods. For both a 9 and 9*, a 7/64th (0.1094" or 2.7781 mm) drill rod entered easily. A 1/8th (0.125" or 3.174 mm) drill rod was to big. I do not have any metric drill rods. The diameters of the vents appear to be the same.

Ralph

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Re: Selmer Series 9/9* Question

Author: Alseg
Date: 2012-01-08 14:42

I think Dave Blumberg has the Galper register tubes now.
The (new) Vintage model Buffet A-clarinet uses a similar elevated tube.
There are those who feel that the regular R13 does better by swapping out for the Festival register vent.

If all of this vent tube swapping, altering, and pickiness seems arcane, take a look sometime at what marksmen do to the AR15 rifle. It makes the R13 stories look like kindergarten.

Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-

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