 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: MathClassWarfare
Date: 2017-01-16 20:29
I just bought an old Selmer B flat clarinet and I am trying to learn more about it. The serial number is M5796. The logo on the upper joint says Depose above the "Henri Selmer Paris" logo and below that it says France. The lower joint and barrell have the logo. The bell has the logo and "Made in France" below that but nothing else.
It looks like the clarinet has most (or all, I can't tell) of the features listed on page 12 of a 1938 catalog description of the Balanced Tone clarinet, but there is not a "BT" logo. The catalog is here: http://www.saxophone.org/museum/publications/id/702
It also has two little screw holes on the register tube, if that means anything.
I don't know how to measure the bore, but it does not seem very wide. My swab keeps getting caught on part of the register tube that sticks out.
Based on serial number charts I guess it was made in 1944 or 1945. (I am so curious to know how they were making clarinets in France during WWII.)
Anyway- if you have any thoughts, I will appreciate it!
(Edited to fix link)
Post Edited (2017-01-16 20:34)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-16 23:42
I've got a 1948 BT with standard keywork which I bought fairly recently (it has a flat spring on the C#/G# key) and my first set of pro Selmers were an N series BT Bb paired with a P series A (both 19 keys and 7 rings).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2017-01-17 01:42
MathClassWarfare wrote:
> It also has two little screw holes on the register tube, if that means anything.
That means that it is probably a "Model 55". A special model made when Selmer existed 55 years. Also the M serial number fits.
They play quite different then the BT model with some more resistance. Intonation can be surprisingly good.
I've seen a lot of Selmers without a model logo. Even up to late Series 9 clarinets made in the eighties of last century.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-17 01:51
The two part push fit speaker tube and screw in cup (with the two blind holes) was used right up until the CT which had a wide hexagonal bush - early ones with the same wide diameter thread as the BT had and later ones (and also seen on the Series 9 and 9*) with the same size hexagonal head but with a considerably narrower diameter thread.
There is a patent showing a cross section diagram of the BT style two part speaker bush.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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