[zxcvbnm]

I have a Selmer Paris clarinet, serial L506X which seems to date it to 1934. Can anyone tell me about these horns? Are they good, and how much do they sell for?

 

[milandro]

well I am no expert but I have bought and sold a few clarinets.

Take a look here for more info

https://www.woodwindforum.com/clarinetperfection/galleryclar/SelmerParis/Ads/1936/Page12.jpg

Selmers are , yes, sought after, but that concerns mostly German System ones for the people who play klezmer or traditional jazz or later models such as Center Tone, series, 9 and 10

Also, for some reason Buffets seem to have a higher popularity, especially in Europe, then there is the untrue story of clarinets being " blown out" it al;l adds up to not expecting to sell one of these for more than €500

 

[Tharruff]

I had an L45XX which was a 'Balanced Tone'...had 'BT' stamped below the Selmer logo. But it was a fixer-upper that I never got around to fixing up. I sold it off as-is and never played it so I can't comment on playability.

Is yours marked 'BT' ? I think that there are people who like the Balanced Tone series.

My Clarinet is a 'Series 9' which I like very well.

As has been mentioned, most Clarinet players seem to prefer Buffets over Selmers. If I play a Clarinet book in the local community band (usually play Tenor Sax but sometimes cover other parts) I can almost guarantee that I will be the only Clarinetist playing a Selmer.

 

[lomaserena]

They can be good for certain types of music, but it depends on the particular instrument and the condition. It's difficult to give you a value without knowing more about the clarinet.

 

[Tryptykon]

I have two Selmer L series clarinets in the 4000 serial number range . Both stamped "BT" for the so-called Balanced Tone model .
Great instruments for playing the kind of Jazz of that period - at least that's why I acquired them .

I also have an earlier K-series Selmer made in 1929(?) and a Selmer Centered Tone made in the mid-50's great instruments .

As to value, maybe look at some completed listings on eBay or Reverb for some general ideas but people tend ask a variety
of prices, I've noticed .

Nice article here if you're interested in playing it as opposed to possibly selling it

http://thejazzclarinet.blogspot.com/2012/12/jazz-clarinet-gear-review-1944-selmer.html

 

[paulwl]

There's a preponderance of opinion that you can't play every kind of music on every kind of clarinet. Not even every kind of good clarinet. And the B-T is an unusually good clarinet - I own two of them.

What it isn't is an R-13, or a descendant of the R-13. The R-13 really was a revolution in the '50s. It created a new standard as to how a clarinet should sound. Since then, for many kinds of music, a clarinet should sound like that.

Earlier clarinets will always have that "big bore sound" - somewhat more plangent, especially into the altissimo, with a subtle limit to the round liquidity of the tone. They'll tune a certain way, too. Now what sound is appropriate or inappropriate in what context - that's another question. Or many questions. But the preponderance of opinion is what it is.

 

[zxcvbnm]

There's a preponderance of opinion that you can't play every kind of music on every kind of clarinet. Not even every kind of good clarinet. And the B-T is an unusually good clarinet - I own two of them.

What it isn't is an R-13, or a descendant of the R-13. The R-13 really was a revolution in the '50s. It created a new standard as to how a clarinet should sound. Since then, for many kinds of music, a clarinet should sound like that.

Earlier clarinets will always have that "big bore sound" - somewhat more plangent, especially into the altissimo, with a subtle limit to the round liquidity of the tone. They'll tune a certain way, too. Now what sound is appropriate or inappropriate in what context - that's another question. Or many questions. But the preponderance of opinion is what it is.

Yes, I have noticed that it is more free-blowing and has a bigger sound than other clarinets. Really interesting that clarinets went through a similar evolution as saxes into the modern age!

 

[paulwl]

But the vintage clarinet user community is still much smaller than that for saxophones, and it is not as diverse - fewer styles and less crossing over between them.

 

[zxcvbnm]

But the vintage clarinet user community is still much smaller than that for saxophones, and it is not as diverse - fewer styles and less crossing over between them.

Seems to me that no other wind instrument's community is as online or as passionate about vintage instruments as saxophones. Maybe string players are comparable?

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

There's a preponderance of opinion that you can't play every kind of music on every kind of clarinet. Not even every kind of good clarinet. And the B-T is an unusually good clarinet - I own two of them.

What it isn't is an R-13, or a descendant of the R-13. The R-13 really was a revolution in the '50s. It created a new standard as to how a clarinet should sound. Since then, for many kinds of music, a clarinet should sound like that.

Earlier clarinets will always have that "big bore sound" - somewhat more plangent, especially into the altissimo, with a subtle limit to the round liquidity of the tone. They'll tune a certain way, too. Now what sound is appropriate or inappropriate in what context - that's another question. Or many questions. But the preponderance of opinion is what it is.

It's all personal opinion about the R-13 and how clarinet "should sound". I'll take a big bore clarinet any day over the R-13. That's why I play a Selmer Series 9 and a Leblanc Dynamic 2. I've owned an R-13 and played others R-13s. No thanks. There is quite a bit of clarinet snobbery out there, I think worse than other instruments. I was falsely indoctrinated at a young age as a high schooler into thinking you HAD to have an R-13 because this guy or that guy says so and they play R-13s. Ever play a late 70's R-13? What a horribly resistant, small bore, small tone hole, small and shrill sounding piece of firewood. Buffet has tinkered with the R-13 formula from first inception and not always for the better. I wasted years thinking that was the way a good clarinet played and sounded. Look, if you want to play an R-13, have at it. But that is not necessarily how a clarinet "should sound". Yeah, I'm not a fan of clarinet snobbery. Big bores can be focused or played "wide open", depending on the mouthpiece. Small bore clarinets are limited in that respect.

 

[lomaserena]

It's not so much that you can't play every type of music on every (good quality) clarinet. It's a matter of how difficult it is to do so and if the clarinet in hand can do what the player intends.
Small bore clarinets (like the R13 and similar) are more prevalent in certain types of music for a reason, and R13s and similar have been the standard instrument for "classical" players for over 60 years. They had the desired sound (although the "desired" sound is always evolving), and more consistent tuning than large bore clarinets.
I'm sure there are a lot of players out there who own and promote R13's without fully understanding the reasons for choosing a small-bore clarinet, and there certainly are players who can't understand a preference for a clarinet that it isn't as free-blowing as a big bore instrument. Most of my playing is chamber groups and playing second clarinet in my primary orchestra. Playing second part involves LOT of pitch adjustment, and a large bore clarinet has pitch anomalies inherent in its design that make playing in tune even more difficult.
It's not "snobbery" to use the right tool for the job.

 

[Lambros]

It's not so much that you can't play every type of music on every (good quality) clarinet. It's a matter of how difficult it is to do so and if the clarinet in hand can do what the player intends.
Small bore clarinets (like the R13 and similar) are more prevalent in certain types of music for a reason, and R13s and similar have been the standard instrument for "classical" players for over 60 years. They had the desired sound (although the "desired" sound is always evolving), and more consistent tuning than large bore clarinets.
I'm sure there are a lot of players out there who own and promote R13's without fully understanding the reasons for choosing a small-bore clarinet, and there certainly are players who can't understand a preference for a clarinet that it isn't as free-blowing as a big bore instrument. Most of my playing is chamber groups and playing second clarinet in my primary orchestra. Playing second part involves LOT of pitch adjustment, and a large bore clarinet has pitch anomalies inherent in its design that make playing in tune even more difficult.
It's not "snobbery" to use the right tool for the job.

Excellent points and it's not just the bore changes over time but just as importantly, Buffet's experimentation with tone hole undercutting. It too has become standard.

 

[dirty]

What are the "big bore" clarinets that people like? Series 9, Centered Tone, Balanced Tone, what else? I'm an R13 player and I love my clarinet, but I am always curious to know more about other types of clarinet.

I have an older Buffet (pre-R13) that has a cylindrical bore, which is different, but it's not a large bore.

What would we consider to be the diameter of a large bore instrument, measured at the top and bottom of the lower joint (since they are easy to measure there)?

Do any of the older Conn clarinets provide a good example of a good large bore instrument? I need another clarinet like I need a hole in the head, but I do love learning about and experiencing these pieces of musical history.

 

[Lambros]

Leblanc. too but I don't know if the bore of the later Pete Fountain line are similar to what is now the 'Big Easy' model; the LL line, too are just a tad smaller as well.

 

[Dr G]

What are the "big bore" clarinets that people like? Series 9, Centered Tone, Balanced Tone, what else? I'm an R13 player and I love my clarinet, but I am always curious to know more about other types of clarinet.

I have an older Buffet (pre-R13) that has a cylindrical bore, which is different, but it's not a large bore.

What would we consider to be the diameter of a large bore instrument, measured at the top and bottom of the lower joint (since they are easy to measure there)?

Do any of the older Conn clarinets provide a good example of a good large bore instrument? I need another clarinet like I need a hole in the head, but I do love learning about and experiencing these pieces of musical history.

It has been about 15 years since I had one, but I recall the Conn 444N was considered a large(r) bore. I don't know the diameter values.

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

It has been about 15 years since I had one, but I recall the Conn 444N was considered a large(r) bore. I don't know the diameter values.

As I recall, the 444N bore was 0.60" or just shy of it.

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

Leblanc. too but I don't know if the bore of the later Pete Fountain line are similar to what is now the 'Big Easy' model; the LL line, too are just a tad smaller as well.

Yes, the bores ( I'm almost certain) were the same from the Dynamique up to the Big Easy

 

[Airflyte]

What are the "big bore" clarinets that people like? Series 9, Centered Tone, Balanced Tone, what else? I'm an R13 player and I love my clarinet, but I am always curious to know more about other types of clarinet.
Do any of the older Conn clarinets provide a good example of a good large bore instrument? I need another clarinet like I need a hole in the head, but I do love learning about and experiencing these pieces of musical history.

If "resonite" doesn't turn you off, a Boosey & Hawkes 1-10 might be a good way to test the big bore waters.

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

If "resonite" doesn't turn you off, a Boosey & Hawkes 1-10 might be a good way to test the big bore waters.

Note that different make big bore clarinets don't have the same tone. Leblanc is different from Selmer, for example.

 

[Arundo Donax]

My 1929 Selmer Paris silver clarinet has a 15mm (0.591") bore. A bit of a surprise, since I thought it was narrower. Being metal, the overall diameter is, of course, narrower.