 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Karen
Date: 2001-02-21 22:56
First of all, thanks so much for all the help, advice, and information this list has provided to me and the rest of us lurkers over time. The postings between professional and amateur musicians, technicians and newbies has been priceless to me.
I’m another one of those “adult comebacks” that we’ve been hearing a lot from lately. I had been away from my clarinet for about 20 years. Back in my sheltered, small-town high school band, we all played Bundy clarinets with stock mouthpieces and Rico #2’s for theme songs such as Mission Impossible, Shaft, and Hogan’s Heroes. We knew no other world!
After lurking on this list for the past few months, I have acquired a Yamaha 20 on eBay and had my technician give it the once over, plus got a Vandoren 5RV Lyre mouthpiece, Rovner ligature, and Legere reed. To top it off, I joined a community band! Wow! I’m having soooo much fun! (Yes, I’m looking into lessons too.)
I would like to solicit your opinions on the following:
I came across a vendor at an antique fair this past weekend who was asking $225 for a Selmer Series 9 clarinet. (This is a vendor I see all the time at our local flea markets and swap meets with band instruments for sale). The serial number is R9160 (made in 1959?). It has a badly-repaired crack in the upper body which runs through the tone hole of the top-most trill key. It has had a few pads replaced, but I think that was a pretty futile effort. It looks like it’s been neglected for a long time. I believe it needs a total overhaul (pads, corks, key polishing, the works). All the keys are there and none of them are broken, as far as my novice eye could see. All the pieces seem to be original to the instrument, including the mouthpiece. I didn’t try to play it. Besides not wanting to show off how loud I can squeak in a public venue, I wasn’t about to wrap my lips around that grungy mouthpiece!
So, my question is . . . Is this a “diamond in the rough” that just needs a couple hundred dollars worth of TLC to become a treasured possession and I’d better snatch it up the next time I see this guy?. . . OR is it better to just forget about it and keep my eye open for something in a little better condition?
Thanks for your comments!
Karen
San Jose, CA
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Author: Anji
Date: 2001-02-21 23:36
These are fabulous players...if the crack doesn't leak or spread, it is likely just a cosmetic problem.
John Butler and Dave Spiegelthal are better resources for what a repair should cost, but I have played LOTS of horns in the past six months and really liked a Selmer 9. I passed at $750 on one.
My guess is that a total overhaul (key polishing may be extra) should run around $250, if they rework the crack.
For $500 this could be a killer horn.
Why not take your mouthpiece and barrel along next time and see if it plays?
If the open G sounds okay, find out which pads are loose. Sometimes a demonstration of the repair condition helps in negotiation.
An eBay search would reveal what recent auction values have been. Generally, eBay horns need $100-$200 of work in addition (unless you're handy).
If you could get this for $150-$175 you could always get your money back out.
But do play it a little first.
Let us know how the scrounging goes?
anji
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Author: Willie
Date: 2001-02-22 04:19
Maybe John or Dave could elaborate on this further, but I would kinda leary(sp) of a crack that goes through a tone port. This has ruined a lot of good oboes. But then I have seem some good techs work miracles with stuff like this. $225 for this with a crack and need of more work seems a bit high to me.
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Author: Doug Perrenoud
Date: 2001-02-22 13:12
Seach eBay for Selmers to get an idea of pricing - make sure to look at the completed auctions to see what they actually sold for.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-02-22 15:32
Karen -
There were two versions of the Selmer Series 9 (which was manufactured during the late 1950s and 60s). The Series 9 was a large-bore, standard Selmer design, the successor to the Centered Tone model. The Series 9* was a small-bore model made to play more like the Buffet R-13, that is, with a more focused, less jazzy quality. Either instrument is a bargain at $225.
However, the crack is worrisome, particularly because it goes through a tone hole and was poorly repaired. I wouldn't buy it without having a repair technician look at it first and pronounce it repairable.
Good luck.
Ken Shaw
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Author: J. Butler
Date: 2001-02-22 22:16
I would not comment on the playability of the instrument without seeing it firsthand. I will say "generally" that the crack probably ORIGINATED at the tone hole and spread along the grain to the tenon. The crack can be repaired as long as it does not extend to BOTH sides of the tone hole. The first question I would need to ask is about the "previous repair". Has it been flush banded, pinned or simply filled? I would hope not the latter since the crack needs to come together as much as possible before any type of repair is made.
John
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Author: Karen
Date: 2001-02-23 21:51
Once again, thanks for all your comments. You guys are great!
Mr. Butler raised a couple of concerns:
Does the crack extend through both sides of the tone hole? Yes, it does. The crack runs from the top of the tone hole up to the tenon, and then extends from the bottom of the hole for about a half inch. I can barely see it underneath the trill key.
Has the crack been flush banded, pinned or simply filled? It looks to me that filler was used. It also appears that the filler has dried up and tiny bits have dislodged, like tile grout. I figure if it looks this obvious to me (a novice eye) it would probably look really horrible to a professional technician!
I’ve decided to let this clarinet “rest in peace”. Poor thing.
Karen
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Author: J. Butler
Date: 2001-02-23 23:22
There may be enough room to put a pin below the tone hole also, especially if the crack extends .5" beyond the bottom. This may give the pinning rod enough room to pull the wood together. However, since you are looking at the clarinet and I am not, you have the advantage. I do believe that you are wiser to let it "rest in peace".
John
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