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help with Mazzeo mechanism on early Bundy and Selmer Signet Sepcial clarinets

Author: Leonard D
Date: 2025-12-13 02:35
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Hello All,

Having been a brass player most of my earlier life, in my retirement I have been learning clarinet the past 4 years. I also have a small collection of Selmer USA Mazzeo clarinets (about which I have read much in this forum).

I understand how the later Mazzeo mechanism works: this is the variant with the small coil-sprung "piston" that engages the 3rd trill key when the second finger of the left hand or right-hand rings are depressed with the left thumb off. I have working examples of these (a 70s era Buescher Mazzeo with no clutch mechanism and a late 60s example of a Selmer USA Signet Special with the cylindrical clutch mechanism).

However, I have three examples of what I believe are early 60s Selmer USA Mazzeo clarinets (an unmarked Bundy and two examples of an early Selmer Signet Special that while all labeled as "Mazzeo System" have a different mechanism (with no clutch). There is no coil-sprung piston that opens the 3rd trill key when the left thumb is off. However, there is an odd looking curved key attached to a rod that opens the 3rd trill key (but only when the 3rd trill key itself is pressed and the left thumb is off). The curvy part presses against the pad cup associated with the left-hand second finger, but is not fixed to the pad cup.

My dilemma is that none of the three "early" examples having the curved key and no clutch mechanism seems to function in Mazzeo mode. I do not see any evidence of any parts having been removed, yet there appears to be no mechanism to open the 3rd trill key when the 2nd finger of the left hand or fingers of the right hand are down with the left thumb off!

I hope that someone can provide some help. I am attaching photos.

Post Edited (2025-12-13 04:12)

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