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Re: Selmer Series 9 Basses

Author: Max S-D
Date: 2019-12-17 23:52

When did Selmer start labeling bass clarinets "Model 33"? It seems like a designation that applied to a pretty wide variety of designs, superficially at least.

I have a 1981 instrument that is a Model 33 and my understanding was that the Low-C Selmer I played in college, a 'Mazzeo Model' bass, was also a Model 33, though the repair tech that always worked on it for me mentioned to me recently that it potentially predated the Model 33. Is that correct? Does anyone know what years Selmer would have made this instrument? I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to compare it to my own instrument, but I remember absolutely loving that instrument.

I see what Selmer calls a Series 9 Bb Bass clarinet to Low C that is designated No. 33 in this catalog from 1964 (page 18): https://saxophone.org/museum/publications/id/440

That same catalog shows Mazzeo model Bb clarinets, but I don't see any bass clarinets in there. I'm not sure if "No. 33" is just a catalog designation or if these were considered Model 33 instruments. The cases in that catalog look like the one I used in college (textured vinyl-coated wood with leather trim), though I suppose there's nothing saying that the case it had in 2008 was the case it came with originally.

There is also a 1968 catalog on there that includes a Low C bass clarinet but makes no mention of the number 33. I think references to the Mazzeo models are gone by this point, though I might have missed them.

The 1963 catalog on there doesn't appear to have any reference to Low C bass clarinets, but it's also in French so I might have missed something...

Not one of these three catalogs makes any mention of Mazzeo model basses. Of course, there were years in between these catalogs as well.

I am seeing a "Mazzeo Model" bass clarinet for sale at Midwest Musical imports, but that's the only reference to a Mazzeo bass that I'm finding, other than passing references to them existing and a thread from years ago where I shared that I was playing a Mazzeo bass and then neglected to share photos of it.

Oops.

Anyways, if anyone has any information on that instrument, I'd love to know more, mostly out of idle curiosity. That was one of the instruments that changed my life!

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