The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Selmer 9 or Centered Tone?

Author: rgoldem
Date: 2018-05-28 02:26

I have been looking for a new instrument and I am particularly interested in a large bore clarinet. Selmer seems to be the way to go.

In this case, what are the differences between a Centered Tone and a Selmer 9 in terms of intonation, sound and craftmanship. Also, is there any difference in playability by being a regular or a full boehm instrument?

Thanks in advance.

Reply To Message

Re: Selmer 9 or Centered Tone?

Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-05-28 14:45

I prefer full Boehms due to the extra gadgets they have - the low Eb doubles as a middle stave A#/Bb so you don't have to change registers when doing a B-A# slur.

Are you able to test both models side-by-side? That should give you a much better ides which one to go for. Although if you can't make up your mind, choose both.

I prefer the build quality of CT and early Series 9 clarinets. From Z-A prefix onwards (late 1970s) you can tell Selmer had rationalised things and the build quality isn't as good as it is on instruments from the '60s and earlier.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

Reply To Message

Re: Selmer 9 or Centered Tone?

Author: shmuelyosef
Date: 2018-06-04 07:07

My favorites are the Full Boehm minus the low Eb. They fit in normal cases, but you still get the extra keywork. I have a CT with this setup (and an ordinary CT), which is great for folk music outdoor jams and some types of big band, but it is pretty easy to play too loud in a lot of settings (when I get excited). I find the Series 9 (conventional keywork) to be a little more domesticated and use it for more intimate settings.
A nice compromise to see if you like big bore clarinets would be to get a Vito (7212 or 7214) which can be purchased for $30-60 and have it repadded for a couple hundred $$. I have several of these for 'dangerous' gigs (weather, drunks or children) and they are a reasonable surrogate. Bores are typically >14.8mm compared to 15mm for the CT and ~14.9 for the Series 9. You might find the Vito (when setup properly) to be a nice clarinet. I have made it a point to buy a bunch of these every summer and try to get them set up real nice and sell them for a reasonable price to middle school kids playing sad instruments. I will often trade for their lame Vito, Bundy, Yamaha for my nicely setup instrument for a small fee.

Reply To Message

Avail. Forums | Threaded View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

The Clarinet Pages

For Sale
Put your ads for items you'd like to sell here. Free! Please, no more than two at a time - ads removed after two weeks.