 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: lucas inc.
Date: 2012-11-16 20:08
I was looking for a professional level clarinet for college and i went to about 20 different store. i did finally find one, a selmer series 9 used, and the store owner gave me a serial number(#X3768) to look up but i cant find anyhting saying this is an actual serial number maybe i was looking wrongly(?), but any info would be nice before i make to decision to buy the clarinet. i think i did find something saying its a large bore and if it is can someone help me. maybe explain the result of a large bore and any dissadvantages i should be careful of. im kinda new to the looking for a clarinet and knwing whats good or not. im going into college for music ed. but need to pass an audition. in college i want to classical or jazz. plus orchestra.
thank you
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-11-16 20:48
A serial number of X3768 would date the clarinet to around 1972. This would make it a very late Series 9 and the Series 10 was already in production by that time.
The series 9 is a large bore clarinet. It has a nominal bore size of ~15mm while most modern Bb clarinets have bore ranging from around 14.3mm to ~14.6mm depending on model.
Here's where things are going to get political. Many players hate large bore clarinets and will try to dissuade anyone from buying one. Others will tell you that they are great instruments and are worth considering. I count myself as part of the latter group but I will acknowledge that the large bore dissenters do have a few valid arguments.
We are talking about a 40-year old clarinet here and you need to be realistic in your expectations. More work will be required on your part to play with good intonation on a Series 9 than on a more modern instrument. It can be done however and is really just a matter of getting used to the tendencies of the instrument. You should also take into account the condition of the instrument. 40 years old is a getting a bit long in the tooth for a clarinet so there may be issues with excessive wear if it has been played a lot.
How much is the seller asking for this instrument? It might be worth considering if the price is right but there may also be better options available in your price range.
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Author: lucas inc.
Date: 2012-11-16 21:16
he's asking for $400, mainly because no one really comes to his shop for clarinets and he wants to get rid of it. also he's letting me rent it out to have my clarinet teacher check for any un-noticed defects. but it does have a cracked bell, he's offering to fix it for free though, or my teacher is going to help me find a new bell for the clarinet
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-11-16 21:34
lucas inc. wrote:
> he's asking for $400, mainly because no one really comes to his
> shop for clarinets and he wants to get rid of it. also he's
> letting me rent it out to have my clarinet teacher check for
> any un-noticed defects. but it does have a cracked bell, he's
> offering to fix it for free though, or my teacher is going to
> help me find a new bell for the clarinet
$400 is a good price for a Series 9 especially since you are going to be allowed to extensively test it out first. If you like the way it plays then I doubt you will be able to find much of anything better for that price.
The cracked bell isn't a big deal unless it's a really bad crack. Two of my 4 vintage Selmer's have cracked bells that have since been repaired. If you decide to buy the clarinet and want a new bell as opposed to a repair you might want to check with Morrie Backun. He's been selling vintage unused Selmer bells on ebay for the past couple of years so I suspect he's got a bunch in stock.
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Author: lucas inc.
Date: 2012-11-16 21:46
thanks for the info. i tried looking him up. is that his UserID? or should i search selmer bells(im gonna try that i just that of it)
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Author: Vova Doob(UA)
Date: 2012-11-16 22:26
1 month ago I bought for myself selmer Series 9 clarinet that was made in 1963. I paid 500$ for clarinet and 65$ for shipping (to Europe) I made a repair of it (new corks and pads) and must say, that instrument sounds beautifly. I found some little problems with keywork. It is great instrument and larger bore is a good rather bad thing. Before I played at Buffet E11 (20 years old) that you can buy in same price (used), but E11 is a student model, and it can`t work as good as Series 9. Fiat Punto will never ride faster than Ferrari!)
Selmer Series 9 will good instrument for you. As for Bell, you can buy Backun protege for 249$ Traditional or Moba models 600+$ each or many other models, and new bell will add you some new bonuses as easier blowing for lower joint notes, darker sound, etc.
Post Edited (2012-11-16 22:27)
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Author: lucas inc.
Date: 2012-11-16 22:47
i took a look at backun bell i liked them and will speak to to my private instructor on what type of bell i should get to get the sound im looking for with how i play and how the selmer plays. but is there any other bells you know that are cheaper. i have to pay for this myself and i dont really make enough money(almost none at all)
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Author: Clarineteer
Date: 2012-11-16 23:11
Keep the original bell and simply run some thin CA glue on the inside where the crack is and it will seal it.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-11-16 23:28
Is there much difference between a Series 9 bell and a Series 9* bell? I can't see much of a difference just by looking.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Vova Doob(UA)
Date: 2012-11-17 14:41
Some people told to me that bell from Buffet Festival is good for Series 9. It`s cheaper than Backun. But I didn`t try such combination
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-11-17 14:52
lucas inc. wrote:
> i took a look at backun bell i liked them and will speak to to
> my private instructor on what type of bell i should get to get
> the sound im looking for with how i play and how the selmer
> plays. but is there any other bells you know that are cheaper.
> i have to pay for this myself and i dont really make enough
> money(almost none at all)
I would probably just get a repair done on the stock bell unless the crack is really bad. I have repaired cracks in a couple of mine and haven't had any issues since. Also if the repair is done well it is relatively invisible.
If the crack is really bad (spread open really far with chunks of wood missing) I would probably look for another stock selmer bell. Backun had a bunch of them he was selling and IIRC the going rate was usually around $60 or so. Unfortunately when I just checked it looks like he doesn't have any listed at the moment. If you end up buying the clarinet and want a replacement stock Selmer bell let me know. I have a spare one that would probably work on a series 9.
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Author: tibbler
Date: 2013-06-30 12:04
Hi,
just seen this thread and may be a bit late, but here goes. I have just bought a series 9 and it has a replacement bell, not sure where from, but it plays OK. I'd love to get a Selmer bell to match, if you have one please let me know. Also, I have a B& H Emperor barrel (64.5mm), which plays in tune (440) but again, would prefer to match up with the Series 9. Any ideas? Thanks.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-06-30 12:39
Keep an eye on items listed by eBay member pacificwinds6875 as various vintage Selmer clarinet parts are on offer.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: tibbler
Date: 2013-07-02 12:59
Have been checking ebay and just seen one. Thanks for the tip.
Jim.
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