 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: selmerplayer
Date: 2009-05-14 02:09
Hello all I ordered a Selmer Recital Bb clarinet from WWBW and I would like to know if WWBW sets up the instruments before they ship them. Or will it already be setup good from the factory?
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2009-05-14 03:06
My experience when trying many instruments at WW&BW (only a couple of those were Selmers) is that some are set up ok and some are not at all. I don't have much exeprience with factory setup of Selmer clarinets (they are very uncommon here) but their saxophones usually vary from almost ok to bad. Their bass clarinets I've seen varied from pretty good to terrible setup. Soprano clarinets are a bit easier to get to a decent setup so it's a bit more likely. I would say it's probably a matter of chance both with Selmer and WW&BW........
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Author: crnichols
Date: 2009-05-14 03:11
I think Selmer does a decent job for the most part setting up instruments at the factory, although they still need some fine tuning.
I don't think WWBW sets up instruments...although they say they do. You haven't "set-up" an instrument if it arrives in the original plastic in the original Buffet factory box...
Christopher Nichols, D.M.A.
Assistant Professor of Clarinet
University of Delaware
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Author: selmerplayer
Date: 2009-05-14 12:59
Well this particular clarinet is one of the more expensive of the Selmer brand. I would think Selmer would give them more attention since it is supose to be a professional clarinet but maybe not.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2009-05-14 14:06
Just to clarify, in my post I was referring only to their professional models. Actually I don't think Selmer Paris makes any non-professional models of clarinets or saxophones.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2009-05-14 14:25
These days you can't even be sure to get an untouched/new model rather than one that has been gone through some customers' trial periods <cough>...
--
Ben
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-05-14 14:40
The Recital has a larger outside diameter than Selmer's other models. According to the late Ralph Morgan, the designer should have redesigned the keys, making them slightly longer to compensate for the larger diameter, but failed to do so.
This means that the keys approach the tone holes at a slight diagonal rather than vertically. Thus the seating of the pads is more critical than on other Selmer models, and they need to be installed at a slight angle. Thus the final setup for the Recital needs to be carefully tweaked to make it play its best.
At a Selmer demo a couple of years ago, Ricardo Morales was playing a Recital (with a Backun barrel and bell). He said that with the Recital, it was important to get the auxiliary mechanism that connects the register key to a small vent on the lower joint to correct the intonation between the registers.
Ken Shaw
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Author: selmerplayer
Date: 2009-05-14 15:23
It has a larger outside diameter? Is that also true for the Selmer 10S II? Both models have the same bore size I think.
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Author: atasic
Date: 2009-05-16 20:48
I totaly agree with Ken! I play Recital clarinets for almoust 5 years now, and I had to do adjustments exactly as R. Morgan suggested.
I didnt put the register key conecting mechanism, I did some correction on the bell, and also small adjustements on the lower part of the barrel to correct intonation.....
in my opinion if this particular model suits you well, it is the best clarinet ever!
Post Edited (2009-05-16 20:54)
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2009-05-18 13:34
The Recital has a smaller bore size than the 10S II but a larger outside diameter because of the thick-walled body.
It is not really a 'standard' size instrument... in fact it is quite extreme.
If you like them there is no alternative!
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2009-05-18 14:31
>> This means that the keys approach the tone holes at a
>> slight diagonal rather than vertically. Thus the seating
>> of the pads is more critical than on other Selmer models,
>> and they need to be installed at a slight angle.
I think the seating of pads is always critical in that they have to seal with a light touch, regardless of model. But if that's the case for the Recital, how about using thinner pads. The Recital I recently saw (used but still with original pads) didn't have a problem with the pads not sealing at all. I assume, if the keys are actually the same, at least they consider it for post positions (if the posts are even the same too), etc. or else the keys would be e.g. too short.
BTW, I recently saw several Selmer models, I don't remember the specific model, but at least some (maybe all) had what I would call raised tone holes. The tone holes were sort of "hills" compared with usual clarinets. I'm wondering if that was a way to fit the same keys on different wall thickness models.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-05-18 15:40
clarnibass -
The Selmer Signature is the one with the raised hole for the left ring finger.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Samuel
Date: 2009-05-18 17:03
What is exactly the difference between the Signature and the recital? Is this only the narrower bore and a darker sound for the recital or play they really different?
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Author: selmerplayer
Date: 2009-05-18 20:52
The Recital has a smaller bore size than the 10S II but a larger outside diameter because of the thick-walled body.
It is not really a 'standard' size instrument... in fact it is quite extreme.
If you like them there is no alternative!
Are you sure the Ricital has a smaller bore? I have read the specs on both instruments and they had a bore of .563"
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2009-05-18 21:56
I'm quite sure about the bore size but can't find specs on the 10S anymore.
The actual specs on the french website show 14.35 mm (0,565 inch) for the Recital and 14.50 mm (0.571 inch) for the other instruments as Odyssee, Signature etc.
The 10S has been discontinued for a while and would almost certainly have a more traditional bore size, at least 0.571 inch (I would expect).
Never mind about bore size by the way, the clarinets are just different.
I think it was some 15 years ago I started to play on a Recital.
I was not satisfied with the Buffet RC and tried a lot of different models.
By then the 10S II was the more standard Selmer model and the Recital was top of the bill. (The Signature and other new models did not exist yet.) The Recital has a much more centered tone and more resonance than the 10S. That's why I choose the Recital. In the following years the Recital has helped me to create a beautiful centered sound with lots of resonance. After some years (around 7) I changed back to Buffet RC because I wanted a larger tone that I couldn't make on the Recital with the mouthpieces I then played. The Recital is certainly a special instrument with some outstanding features. Have you read also the articles by Sherman Friedland?
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Author: selmerplayer
Date: 2009-05-19 00:45
> read also the articles by Sherman Friedland?
Yes I have and he has an outstanding website. I just got the recital today and I am going to make a new post about it because it has a serious problem. Stay tuned.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2009-05-19 15:57
>> The Selmer Signature is the one with the raised hole for the left ring finger.
To clarify, I wasn't talking about a raised left ring finger hole. I meant generally higher tone holes on the clarinet. I don't remember what models had them (could be all models).
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Author: aero145
Date: 2009-05-19 18:27
Ken: Signature A and B and the A-clarinet Privilège.
Nitai: Do you mean, for example, the raised C#/G# on the right underside of the Selmer Privilège?
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