 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: JakeLester9
Date: 2011-12-26 21:39
First off, thank you for any help you can provide.
I am in the process of cleaning out the garage and came across my clarinet from high school/college. I would like to get it into somebody's hands that will actually use it, but I know nothing about its age or value.
It is an older Selmer Centered Tone clarinet with the serial number Q7884. I have searched through Selmer's website trying to match the serial number - to no avail. So I thought somebody on this board may be able to offer some assistance.
Again, thank you for any insight you can provide.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-12-26 23:01
That serial number puts the manufacturing date of your clarinet at sometime in 1957. Value is hard to judge without seeing the instrument. The Centered Tone models have held there value better than most vintage clarinets. Judging from recent sales on e-bay the average 17 key, 6 ring Selmer CT in as found condition will sell for $250-$500 depending on condition and what is included.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-12-26 23:04
Attachment: selmer ct r4430 001.JPG (775k)
Attachment: selmer_ct_804 001.JPG (790k)
These are great clarinets! They were Selmer's only pro model at the time from the early to mid '50s to early '60s as Selmer (Paris) only produced pro level instruments - they're the clarinet equivalent of the MkVI saxes and officially launched in 1954 (although there were CTs made before this year bearing the words 'Centered Tone' on the top joint below the logo).
As for their value, it all depends - they're worth more to those that desire them than they will be to most players of narrow bore instruments, so selling them on commission through a general music shop or advertising them locally won't often get much interest unless there's a player who is set on having one.
My first set of pro model clarinets were an N-series Bb (transitional model) and a P-series A CT, both having 19 keys 7 rings. Then I bought a standard model from a local player's widow, her husband bought it brand new back in 1954 so I knew all the history of it, but I sold that back in 2000 to a sax player who was desperate to have one as he played an Artley, but since he passed on I don't know where it went after that or who owns it now.
I recently sold an early one (an N-series with 17 keys, 6 rings) which I'd had for a while to a fairly local player who wanted something better than her plastic Bundy, so I let her try it out and then take it home for a weeks trial, then after that week she called me to say she'd totaly fallen in love with it and decided to buy it off me for the full asking price.
Then more recently I acquired and rebuilt a P-series one with articulated C#/G# and forked Eb/Bb (18 keys 7 rings) and listed it a couple of times on eBay but didn't have any takers even though there was a reasonable amount of interest. Then a player in the next county called me out of the blue one morning as he was looking for a better instrument than his Yamaha 450 to play in a Big Band with, again he visited to try it out and paid the full asking price for it only after around half an hour of playing it in my workshop.
Both of these had split and pinned top joints, but they had been repaired a fair while back (prior to me getting them) and they hadn't reopened, but as they both had repaired cracks I sold the N-series for £650 (GB£) and the P-series for £750 - less than the cost of a new Buffet E11 or Yamaha YCL-450.
I've only very recently completely rebuilt an R-series full Boehm (1958) including having all the keys, rings and pillars silver plated which I'll be using as my main clarinet from now on - attached is a photo of it in its original case. The other photo is of the P-series one in its original Selmer London case - this one, like most CTs, has unplated nickel silver keywork.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2011-12-26 23:13)
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