 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Djudy
Date: 2020-08-03 23:31
I've just picked up an old Selmer N series with covered rings, like a sax or a basse. It needs an overhaul but seems to be a normal Bb other than the rings. Anybody else have one or know anything about this clarinet, is it as unique as it looks ? And is there anything I should look out for before sending it off to my local luthier, like does it demand any special knowledge or equipment to get it playing again? Thanks !
Post Edited (2020-08-03 23:41)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-08-04 01:08
Very nice!
Make sure whoever is working on it uses the correct thickness and high quality pads on it and sets up the main action venting good so it doesn't play stuffy. I'd personally go for cork pads throughout, apart from the largest four where I'd fit leather pads.
The only reference I can find to plateaux model clarinets made by Selmer is the model 13B from a 1910 catalogue https://www.saxophone.org/museum/publications/id/49, but nothing in any catalogues from the '40s when this one was made. I'm sure the model numbers were changed to fall in line with all the other versions made by that time (model/number 1 being the standard 17 keys and 6 rings and model/number 8 being full Boehm with 20 keys and 7 rings).
Listed here: https://www.saxophone.org/uploads/museum/80/11080_811_1200.jpg
Pictured here: https://www.saxophone.org/uploads/museum/82/11082_839_1200.jpg
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2020-08-04 01:15
Interesting! I don't see a forked Eb/Bb, does the left hand third finger plateau closes only the hole under it (so without closing other holes)?
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2020-08-04 04:04
This may be a real find. N-series clarinets were made by Selmer right after the end of World War II. They were large bore instruments with large register vents. The repair techs Lohff and Pfeiffer say that "all clarinet makers in the 1930s offered them" (plateau clarinets) but they are rarely seen today. Lohff and Pfeiffer do convert regular clarinets to plateau instruments, especially for doublers, players with small hands, and players with physical problems in the hands. Is it possible that your find is a regular N series Selmer that a skillful tech converted to plateau? My biggest surprise was to see that Uebel has very recently added a plateau Boehm clarinet to its top "Superior" line, so we may soon be seeing more of them: https://www.viennamusicus.com/products/superior-plateau-system. Plateau clarinets would be more forgiving in many technical passages than open hole instruments. Uebel even goes so far as to say plateau instruments have a distinctive voice of their own. I hope to hear a good player on a Uebel plateau to sample that voice. We could use more variety in clarinet playing.
Post Edited (2020-08-04 21:46)
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2020-08-04 07:44
I have a plateau clarinet. I bought it when arthritis threatened to bring my playing to an end and it worked miraculously. Fortunately the arthritic problem responded well to treatment and I've gone back to my conventional instrument, but the plateau clari remains in the cupboard for when the problem returns.
Tony F.
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Author: Djudy
Date: 2020-08-04 16:47
Thank you for all of these good suggestions, I'm going to have a long study of this instrument with my luthier after vacation to see if it can be brought back to good playing condition. How mighht one tell if it's a converted N? (I just happen to have an N in the 'gunna' box that I could compare it to :D )
I should have mentioned that the back register key tube has a pre-CT type plate, kind of oval and raised with 2 points on opposite sides as if to allow for the piece to be pinned (not screwed). I'll have to look into which of the other Selmer have this feature (RI, BT ?).
I don't need this instrument but I'm hopeful it will prove interesting to play, especially after the suggestions that the plateau type has it's own sound.
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2020-08-04 17:25
Djudy wrote:
> I should have mentioned that the back register key tube has a
> pre-CT type plate, kind of oval and raised with 2 points on
> opposite sides as if to allow for the piece to be pinned (not
> screwed). I'll have to look into which of the other Selmer have
> this feature (RI, BT ?).
Then it probably a Model 55, these had the donut register hole:
https://www.clarinetquest.com/uploads/images/products/gallery_view/13668M6457SelmerClarinet%20(7).jpg
Fine clarinets with usual very good intonation but can be quite resistant as opposed to the BT from the same era.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-08-04 17:46
It's a Balanced Tone and the model immediately before the Centered Tone. I have both late (N series) BT and early (N series) CT clarinets and the main difference being the speaker bush on them - the BT has the two part one with large screw-in cup (with the two holes to fit a removal tool in there) with a push-fit speaker tube and the early CTs have a wide diameter hexagonal head speaker bush.
With plateaux clarinets, all the fingerplates are independent and perform exactly the same function as putting down any given finger, so LH3 will be completely independent and not close the E/B vent. There are plateaux clarinets built to full Boehm spec where LH3 will close the E/B vent to give forked Eb/Bb and will have the small vent key to compensate for its closure when using the forked fingering.
Selmer maybe made it to special order as there are the odd Selmers with gadgets fitted that aren't listed in catalogues - I've even seen a Recital with an articulated C#/G# key which means having a longer lower joint socket and also an N series Selmer C clarinet with full plateaux keywork (and hexagonal speaker bush): http://www.clarinetsdirect.biz/SelmerCPlateau.html
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: tyleman
Date: 2020-08-04 21:31
Djudy: pardon my curiosity, but did you find your plateau clarinet on the French website leboncoin.fr? I just saw one there recently which I considered trying to buy.
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