 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill
Date: 2013-04-27 02:55
Have funds sufficient for restoration of one clarinet but must choose from among three: a Selmer "RI," a Selmer "BT," and a Selmer "55."
Which one would you choose? All in fairly similar condition, the "55" in slightly better state.
I feel like Lear.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-04-27 05:08
The 55 was only made in 1945. The RI (Radio Improved) dates to prewar and the BT is probably postwar. All things being equal, I'd probably go for the BT. It's probably newer and will (hopefully) have benifitted from developments in design. Good luck, whichever you choose. Just my 2 cents worth.
Tony F.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2013-04-27 05:10
That's a tough one. I have an RI and a BT and love them both. I've never tried a 55 so if it were me I would probably go for that one just for the chance to try something new.
Is the BT an L-series or one of the later M-series?
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Author: Bill
Date: 2013-04-27 12:55
Thanks Tony for that information about the 55. I'm a old Selmer nut (obviously) but never knew much about the 55 model and certainly not that it had only been made for one year.
My personal opinion about the old Selmers is that they sort of hit a sweet spot with that kind of design somewhere in the K or early L series; I don't prefer the Centered Tone over a Brevette, for example. I had a Series 9 and didn't care for it at all. So the choice here is between horns that point back to the K series or ahead to the N series and (eventually) CTs. The RI is L2659, the BT is L5635, and the 55 is M6450.
Thanks!
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: MarlboroughMan
Date: 2013-04-27 16:34
I've never played an RI, so that would be most intriguing for me. My favorite Selmer model (and favorite clarinet, main axe, etc) is the CT. If you have a bunch of extras you want to unload, Bill, feel free to send them my way
All that aside, the 55 I played was an amazing instrument, and if I really had to choose a model to refurbish, I'd probably choose that one.
Eric
******************************
The Jazz Clarinet
http://thejazzclarinet.blogspot.com/
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2013-04-27 19:50
I have a Model 55 (along with several others of that era). Although the 55 plays beautifully, I view it as only a collector's piece. The problem is that the keys of the 55 are sterling and much too soft for regular use. The rings, on the side away from the pivot rod, are worn to about half their original thickness. To use it regularly, I would need to find a jeweler who was willing and able to rebuild the rings and I would need to avoid bumping the keys in any way once they were regulated.
I love my 55 but, for a regular player, I would go with the RI or BT.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2013-04-27 23:44
BartHx wrote:
> I have a Model 55 (along with several others of that era).
> Although the 55 plays beautifully, I view it as only a
> collector's piece. The problem is that the keys of the 55 are
> sterling and much too soft for regular use.
I think that the solid silver keys may have been a fairly rare option. I have seen a number of 55's and all of them have definitely had unplated nickel-silver keys like most other Selmer clarinets prior to the 1960's. I have seen a few Selmer clarinets with solid silver keys so I know they do exist but it appears that very few clarinets were made that way.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-04-28 07:10
As the 55 was a commemorative model, the silver keywork may have been a special run. Just a thought.
Tony F.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2013-04-30 18:00
Tony,
You say the 55 was a "commemorative model." Any other information? Maybe I should search a bit more, eh? Mine has the unplated keys.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-05-01 13:51
The 55 was produced in 1945 to commemorate Selmer's 55 years of clarinet production.
Tony F.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-05-01 14:34
So is the 55 essentially the same instrument as the BT but marketed as an anniversary model?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-05-01 16:23
I'm not sure. Is there a Selmer guru who can answer this?
Tony F.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2013-05-01 18:21
My 55 has the N series (and later) register vent (large, round) and my BT does not.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-05-01 21:47
I see.
What about the throat A key touchpiece - is it a single piece one that's integral with the key arm (similar to a Buffet one), or is the teardrop-shaped touchpiece soldered onto the key arm and hollowed out underneath?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2013-05-02 00:09
The A touchpiece on both my BT and 55 is hollow. I compared them with a 19,000 series Buffet, though, and didn't see too much difference. But I've never checked this out before. Fascinating question!
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: Rickwbliss
Date: 2013-05-04 01:58
I know that the 55 has a special design in the upper joint that kinda "nerf" the sound, so it is NOT a BT, but a worse version of it. I can't exactly recall what the design was, but it had some thin to do with that little half stick thing inside the bore of the upper joint.
P.S pls tell me the proper name for the "half stick" thing.
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2013-05-04 04:09
Are you talking about the register tube? It comes out the inside of the hole under the register key pad. The length of that tube can be altered in order to make fine adjustments to the tone. On the CT and the Series 9, for example, it is held in place with a hex nut to make it easy to change to match your needs (Typically, once you get it adjusted to your needs, you don't need to change it again.), On instruments without the hex nut, it is held in place with bees' wax. On the 55, it is held by a circular collar with holes for a pin wrench.
My 55 has fantastic tone. If you know of one with poor tone, it possibly has the wrong length register tube.
Bart
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-05-04 10:20
My first N-series Bb (bearing no model name) has the two-piece speaker fitting with the large threaded cup with domed top and two wrench holes and the central speaker tube which is push fit. I seaedl the lot with beeswax screwing the outer cup in first then pushing the actual speaker tube in afterwards.
Was it designed so water would collect in the cup? I've seen the patent for it, but no real explanation for the design.
The hexagonal one on earlier CTs had the same large diameter threaded section, but soon afterwards (later in the P series) they kept the same size hexagonal head but with a much narrower thread.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2013-05-04 14:39
Thanks Chris. I stand corrected. It is the speaker tube, not the register tube. It was a really long day yesterday.
Bart
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Author: Bill
Date: 2013-05-05 03:20
Fascinating comments. I have M8448, which is a prototype "N" design.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-05-05 04:04
Speaker tube - register tube - same thing, different name.
So what model is an N-series pre-CT (with large domed two-piece speaker bush as opposed to the large hexagonal one) - is that still a BT? The bore size, tonehole sizes and layout and keywork are identical to the early CTs with the exception of the speaker bush.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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