 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2012-02-29 01:37
I've been searching the archives about this beautiful affordable clarinet. Aomw people on this board speak highly of it as a musical instrument (not just an object of beauty) and then other times people speak of it in disparaging terms (such as simply awful or horrid). Can we please come to some reasonable objective agreement about whether or not this is a viable instrument or just a collector's item? The 50's Omega is based on a clarinet that frequently gets the thumbs up, (the Selmer centered tone), so it really can't be that sub-standard. Can someone who isn't a great musician but only aspires to be competent with a lot of heart get this instrument to play well? When we speak badly of older instruments in comparison to newer respected ones like an R-13 or a pro Yamaha, aren't we really saying that such and such older instrument has only a few minor flaws or quirks and not that it's hopelessly flawed? Let's please drag this topic out and give it a measure of clear critique.
Garth
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2012-02-29 02:45
As I've written, I played a Bb/A pair of Centered Tone Omegas in high school. They had the standard large-bore Selmer design of the 1950s. As it happened, the Bb was merely adequate, but the A was excellent.
The CT design was great for jazz, but not as good for classical. When I got to college, I switched to a Buffet R13 Bb, but kept the Omega A for another 15 years until I found a fine R13.
Ken Shaw
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-02-29 06:05
Garth Libre wrote:
> Can we please come to some
> reasonable objective agreement about whether or not this is a
> viable instrument or just a collector's item? The 50's Omega is
> based on a clarinet that frequently gets the thumbs up, (the
> Selmer centered tone), so it really can't be that sub-standard.
> Can someone who isn't a great musician but only aspires to be
> competent with a lot of heart get this instrument to play well?
I bought one of these a few months ago. I had been playing a normal Selmer CT as my primary horn and was interested in trying the Omega version. To answer your question, yes they can be viable instruments just like all of the old large-bore instruments are. They present more of a challenge with regard to intonation when compared to modern instruments (the CT's tend to be sharp in the low chalumeau) but once you are used to the quirks it isn't a big deal and you can get a nice sound out of them. Not everyone's cup of tea but I like them and so do many other people.
Specifically regarding the CT Omega I personally don't feel that it adds all that much to the regular CT. The double register mechanism does clear up the throat Bb a bit but the pad on the upper vent is a bit prone to sticking (seems to work fine if you manually un-stick it before assembling the instrument) and you have to be careful to fully remove your thumb from the ring when playing the throat Bb or you will partially open both vents and end up with a rather ugly sound. That being said the wood on my CT Omega is definitely nicer than the wood on my regular CT and the extra bell engraving adds an extra "look at me" element if you're into that kind of thing.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2012-02-29 15:51
A really capable player in a community band I was once in played a Selmer Omega. He was primarily a jazz player, but the instrument functioned quite adequately for him as the solo clarinetist on standard community band repertoire. They surely are pretty instruments!
Susan
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2012-02-29 17:59
I still don't understand how the Omega double bflat - register vent works. I'm getting the idea from what you said that there is some kind of a link-disconnect when you have your thumb on on f key and when you don't. So sometimes the higher vent opens when you go for b flat and don't have your finger on the f. And sometimes the lower vent opens when you only need the register key working. Is this right? Well, then it must be a somewhat complicated mechanism. I've tried using the side key for b flat and it makes a much cleaner, less air-leaky type tone than just using the traditional fingering. So the Omega must use this kind of alternate placement for the b flat using additional key work.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2012-02-29 23:58
Is there some agreement that the regular Centered Tone model on which the Omega is based is superior to the Omega?
Garth
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2012-03-01 01:07
The Omega had exactly the same design as the Centered Tone. It *was* a Centered Tone and had the CT logo.
The Omega was marketed as Selmer's top model, with several extras. It had 3 barrels and 3 interchangeable register vent inserts with a special wrench to change them; the keys had phosphor bronze bushings, which were claimed not to need oil; the joints on each instrument were claimed to be made from a single piece of grenadilla, to make them vibrate together; it had a gorgeous leather case with an extra-thick velvet lining and a special lock and key, plus the special register rmechanism, double-thick silver plating, engraving on the bell and the bottom of the lower joint, and so on. It had a retail price of $500, compared with around $400 for the CT. At tht time, you could order a Buffet R13 from Paris for $125 withut a case.
Ken Shaw
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-03-01 03:48
Garth Libre wrote:
> Is there some agreement that the regular Centered Tone model on
> which the Omega is based is superior to the Omega?
>
> Garth
>
Quite the opposite. Most regard the CT Omega as being superior to the regular CT. Some people don't like the double register mechanism but it should be mentioned that not all of the CT Omegas had this feature. The one on Vytas Krass's website has the regular style register key.
Things get murky when talking out the Omega because there are multiple versions. The CT Omega was an upscale Centered Tone. The Selmer Paris Omega is a different design entirely but I've never played one so I can't really compare it to the CT Omega. There was also more recently a Selmer USA Omega that had a fancy bell engraving but wasn't a professional level clarinet.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-11-20 12:30
The 1950s Selmer Paris Omega had "Centered Tone" engraved on the top joint. As far as I know, the Selmer Paris Omega *was* the CT Omega. I've never seen a 50s Paris Omega that didn't have the throat Bb mechanism. I'll be glad to learn otherwise.
In I think the 80s, Selmer USA introduced a step-up model called the Omega. It got poor reviews. The older Paris Omegas had wreath carvings on the bell that extended well up on the lower joint. The Selmer USA carvings were all on the bell. As far as I know, the bell carving was not gold-filled, though Vytas did that with his.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-11-20 12:49
The speaker/throat Bb vent mechanism on the CT Omega works in the same way as the speaker mechanism on a Bundy bass clarinet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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