The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill
Date: 2002-11-26 02:09
Of interest to a very few, but after years of wanting one I decided to spring for a BT and acquired Selmer L296 (John Butler, you are restoring it). Selmer L296 is not a BT--probably something even more interesting, being that rare thing, an "unmarked" Selmer Paris BUT my (unanswerable) question is: What are the chances L296 is a smaller-bore aka "K-series" pre-BT instrument (the sort O. Lee Gibson said were, in his opinion, the "best")? (I trust I've bored anyone reading this by now.) Perhaps my question is: When did Selmer start with the wide-bore instrument of swing fame? Late K series? Early L-series? Late L-series? I promise to get a life soon! --Bill.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-11-26 13:58
Bill - I have L 1206, a Selmer R[adio]I[mproved] Full Boehm 20/7, which I believe I showed to John B on his last visit here [played??]. My list dates it as 1932, yours is [before] 12/31. Mine has a "metal-tubed" barrel which projects down the tenon length into the Upper Joint which measures .600" [15.1[?] mm I D. Its "mid-joint" ID, slightly egged due to the tenon-hole for the artic. C#/G#?, averages about .585" [14.8? mm]. Thus it may predate the Carree-Buffet to some extent as a to a tapered [poly-cyl?] UJ bore!! I have not played it with others enough to assess tuning/volume character, but consider it to be a "big-bore" [I may be also with all this detail!!]. I suggest that you measure both, maybe with help, JB?, as I also will be interested, since I presume yours is a 17/6 [+/-]. Fun, aint it! Don
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Author: JLS44070
Date: 2002-11-26 20:10
I am curious if one of your serial numbers is worn off. L296x seems to agree with some of the serial number lists available. If so, I believe an unmarked clarinet with a serial number L296x might be the European version of the big bore RI (Radio Improved).
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Author: Bill
Date: 2002-11-26 21:02
Nope. It's really really really just those three numbers. I was surprised too. Yes, there probably even was a Selmer "L1."
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