 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2009-06-26 17:43
Dear Selmer Privilege players,
I have been going in circles trying new horns. I am presently playing Yamaha CSGs but want to see what Selmer has to offer. My first attempt was a two hour trip to a Selmer Pro Shop to try a new Signature. To me the horn had the same response characteristics of a Leblanc Concerto II. This is not necessarily bad, but it is smaller and has a less nimble response than my current horns.
So now the Selmer shop assures me that the heretofore unavailable Privilege is significantly different enough to warrant another two hour drive out to try one. They feature leather pads at the bottom with "resonators," gortex pads at the top and the company line is that the low "E" and "F" are perfectly in tune due to unique bore and undercutting configurations that don't effect the clarion..................hmmmmmm.
So ask you, are the playing (and tunning) characteristics wildly different from the Signature? Or, as the latest advice I got from the shop suggest, does it really play more like a Buffet Tosca?
Any subjective, objective, offhand comments regarding these horns is GREATLY appreciated.
..........thank you,
....................Paul Aviles
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Author: Dileep Gangolli
Date: 2009-06-26 22:19
An adult student of mine recently bought a Privilege and it is a fine instrument.
I would suggest you make the 2 hr trip to try one if available.
Even if you don't buy it, you may sleep easier.
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Author: aero145
Date: 2009-06-27 07:23
I have tried the Privilege and the Signature, and somehow, neither of the instruments had the nice sing the Recital had. Maybe your opinion differs, but that is at least what I felt.
:)
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Author: stlclardr
Date: 2009-07-01 17:13
Hello Paul,
Last summer at the clarinet festival in KC, I extensively play tested LOTS of clarinets with the intent of purchasing a new matching Bb and A. I was playing on an older set of R13's from the late 70's and wanted to see what else was out there. In any case, by far, I was most impressed with the sound and feel of the Recital clarinets compared to all of the other Selmers. However, I couldn't bring myself to change my technique due to the shear weight of the instrument, ie. add a neck strap or different type of thumb rest, etc. To make a long story short....I ended up with a matching set of Yamaha SE-V's....absolutley love the feel, the sounds and the impeccable intonation...even liked them more than the CSG's, which I truly thought that I would end up purchasing! So...I hope that this helps!
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-07-01 18:24
Perfect intonation in the low register, or anywhere else for that matter? I'm a Selmer performing artist, Selmer Signature Bb and bass, (Buffet A and Eb), and I don't believe any instrument can honestly make that claim. First of all, so much depends on the way the player voices. There are so many factors involved in obtaining "perfect" intonation but the bottom line is that the player gets it not the horn. Or at least as close as possible. Even the above comment about the Yamaha getting impeccable intonation. What it boils down to is that player is able to play that instrument well in tune.
I bought my Selmer Signature three years ago while helping a student choose a Buffet R13. I decided to try the Selmer's just to see how they were. I didn't care for the Recitals, to heavy and I didn't like the tone I got with them but when I tried the Signature I was in love. I tried five but always came back to the same one. I've never tried the privilege so I can't speak to it but it's worth a two hour trip to see. The other thing you can do is to contact some of the mail order stores and see if they will send you a couple on approval. Remember though, every clarinet is different in the same make and model so if you like something about it you should try at least four or five. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2009-07-02 18:10
All:
Thanks for your valuable input. To save my sanity I will be making the field trip tomorrow morning. I will apprise y'all of my findings.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2009-07-03 19:53
WONDERFUL HORNS !!!
Of course I started off loud just blowing to check the "sheer enjoyment factor." The Priveleges take all your air and more, playing with great sonority and wonderfully even intonation. An additional perk that I never thought I'd run into outside of Wurlitzer, is that the sound and resistance was perfectly even all the way up through the altissimo (rather than that old tired three clarinets in one feel that we muddle through on Boehm systems).
The "A" and "Bb" clarinets have very similar resistances, unlike the R13 crowd of clarinets; more like the Yamaha CSGs I know and love.
The down sides are few but worth noting: Unlike the Selmer Brochure claims, the physics of the Boehm still keeps the low "E" and "F" low and the clarion "B" high, though maybe does smooth this out some (too close to the CSG solution to tell them apart).
The adjustable thumbrest is set farther up on the lower joint (I guess Selmer is listening to the majority of you on this but I find it unusably high).
And the kicker for me is that there tends to be an overall "choke point" when playing very soft to moderately soft. I don't know how to describe this other than to say it feels as though the reed has just gone soft and collapsed. Switching back to my horns the feeling was gone. This is the same effect I experienced on the Selmer Signature and the Leblanc Concerto II.
This last issue may be one of voicing (getting used to the response characteristics), but I need to work out a solution for myself on the Concerto II before I sink nine grand into a set of horns.
For those of you who already play Selmers or play Leblancs, these are INCREDIBLE horns and may even be INCREDIBLE for the rest of us.
......still mulling,
.....................Paul Aviles
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2009-07-06 14:36
Left out two important items.
I was told Richard Hawkins just bought a set for himself (can anyone confirm this?).
AND
On the way back from the "audition" I stopped at a local McDonalds and had the relatively new Angus Burger.................PHENOMONAL !!!!
.....................Paul Aviles
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Author: Dm Zisl
Date: 2015-01-25 01:48
I know this thread is super old. But if anyone's interested, I have recently switched from Buffet Festival Bb to Selmer Privilege Bb, got a pre-2014 (Mark I) iteration of it. I cannot put it down. It is such a live, vibrant, breathing horn that effortlessly plays in tune across its entire range! A noticeable difference with Buffet Festival in altissimo (including b6 - c7). Thanks to the metal resonators on the low keys (or whatever else) it projects amazingly well, without "screaming." Extremely versatile instrument. With one and the same setup you can play a wide variety of genres and styles, just changing your embouchure.
For the sake of clarity, I play mostly klezmer, do a lot of music theater, also classical, jazz, fusion, Balkan/ klezmer brass band.... in other words, I am using it with different setups in all kinds of situations.
Finally, there are some of these horns in NOS (new old stock) available for sale at bargain prices. Look up Thomann, the Bay of E, Matthews, and even your local Craigslist. To each his own, but many of you, once you adopt the Privilege, will never look back, like myself.
PS. Currently looking for a bargain Privilege in A. I know they are somewhere around...
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-01-25 05:17
WOW !!!!!
Great news about the "New Old Stock!"
The latest iteration of the horn is .............a DOG. What was Selmer thinking. Almost non of the earlier attributes are present, particularly the rich resonance that you can push against until the cows come home. If you are a Buffet player, the older Privilege would make you swoon. The new one, not so much.
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: CocoboloKid
Date: 2015-01-29 09:27
Paul, I am in 100% agreement about the Privilege II. I absolutely ADORED the original version, and the new one has none of what I loved about the old one. I can't imagine what they were thinking.
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Author: Kenton153
Date: 2015-03-02 03:04
i disagree about the second generation privilege. I played the two back to back (new vs. old) and found that the newer ones had a much more controllable range. I believe i was able to manipulate the instrument easier, and it seemed more comfortable doing so. I play with A LOT of air, and i think the newer one held together easier than the older one. The new instrument is truly superb.
I got them about 7 months ago, and i believe my pair was one of the first to enter the states. I am told they were handpicked at the factory, because my dealer (washington music center) had to contact conn-selmer to order them from france. They took a few months to arrive, i originally started the endeavor about a year ago which was right when they came out.
I will stand by the new ones to be improved, and to be totally honest, weren't actually that different.
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Author: Dm Zisl
Date: 2015-04-10 06:43
"If you are a Buffet player, the older Privilege would make you swoon. The new one, not so much." - That's what happened to me. That resonance, presence, omg... I mean, I did love my Buffet Festival a lot.. but Privilege Mk I.. this is something else.
I am on the fence now. I come from the classical neck of woods but over the past 6 years I have mainly played B'way / off-B'way, big bands, klezmer, Balkan, a bit of jazz, etc. And now I am torn between an opportunity to buy a pair for my Bb Privilege and – a bari sax, which, at this price point and for what it is, will bear minimal resale value after a couple years. Just a good Chinese copy of Selmer Series II bari that I won't ever, ever, ever afford to buy in its original form, so to speak. I have barely done a gig or two on the A clarinet last year, and getting a bari seems to make a bit more sense, at least in theory... but my heart belongs to that beautiful A Privilege...
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Author: hammerclarinet
Date: 2015-04-10 20:35
Where can one buy the old version of a Bb Selmer Privilege? Any dealers around Chicago that still carry it?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-04-10 20:52
I don't know what the situation MAY be on "new, old stock," but dealers are selling the new versions as new horns. It may be better to hunt down a used horn.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: Dm Zisl
Date: 2015-04-10 22:26
hammerclarinet, please PM/ email me, I might have one for you.
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Author: Dm Zisl
Date: 2015-04-11 08:26
Sorry about that! Now it should be visible on my profile. dimikl (at) Gmail
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