The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2012-07-19 19:19
I repaired an old Selmer Bb with an odd serial number PN2XXX- the P was clearly stamped in separately from the N2XXX. The register boss and hole were extremely large vs. typical. It produced an excellent pinch Bb, but was quite resistant in the high clarion. Can anyone identify the age and model of this one? Are they a collector's item or just an oddball?
Thanks,
Jerry
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-07-19 19:58
Is the register boss round or hexagonal? If you are confident that the "P" was added later then it is possible that you have an N-series Selmer Paris clarinet. The N-series was somewhat of a transitional model between the Balanced Tone (L-series through M-series) and the later Centered Tone (very late N-series through R-series). As with all of the large-bore Selmer clarinets the N-series will have rather large toneholes, especially compared with modern narrow-bore clarinets.
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2012-07-19 23:19
The register boss was round, whatever that signifies......
Jerry
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-07-20 00:46
My first Selmer Bb is an N-series with the large domed speaker bush. It's in two parts - the large domed outer cup screws into the joint (the two dimples in it aid fitting/removal using a suitable tipped driver) and the central speaker tube push fits into the cup. Both parts are best sealed in with wax to ensure they're both air and water tight.
On the CT, it was replaced with a one-piece bush with a large hexagonal head and wide diameter thread - the bore end of the speaker tube is turned down to a narrow diameter. Later CTs and the entire Series 9 models still had the large hexagonal head but the thread was much narrower in diameter. From the Series 10 onwards they have a narrow, smooth sided speaker tube that's glued in.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2012-07-21 18:01
Round register vent is before CT. Selmer used large asterisks when *replacing* a joint. Wonder if the N series joint was replaced with a P series joint? That would be unwise.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2012-07-23 18:53
Thanks, guys. But the really interesting thing is the very large diameter of the speaker hole itself ( not the boss ). Appearently this was not a succussful design, as later models and other brands' speaker holes are much smaller.
Jerry
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-07-23 20:27
The push-fit speaker tube is tapered on the inside - the innermost (bore) end is much narrower in diameter than the outside (speaker key pad) end. You can alter it easily enough by filling it in with solder, then drilling out and reshaping the inside taper.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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