CLARINETS DIRECT

020 85811113 or 07787 770071

SELMER PARIS PLATEAU C CLARINET, £2495

A unique and ultra rare plateau Selmer C clarinet. This instrument has an impressive provenance: It was originally purchased by Mark Walton from Edward [Ted] Planas, who was the main agent for Selmer in the UK at that time. According to Mark, this clarinet was one of 3 manufactured by Selmer, possibly the shortest production run of any clarinet made by Selmer Paris. The instrument then passed into the ownership of Alan Hacker, who improved the tuning. The customisation extended to shortening the barrel to 50mm, so that the instrument could be played with a large bore m'piece, B&H 1010 bore, fitting a new very comfortable wooden thumb rest, and adapting a Thibouville bell with a vent to tune the low E/b twelfth. This clarinet has been used extensively by Alan for recital and solo work and has also been recorded on by Tony Coe. However also supplied is an original Selmer C clarinet barrel of 53mm which will tune this instrument well with standard bore French m'pieces. Most recently the instrument has been professionally owned and played this way by Mandy Burvill, ex-RLPO.
The instrument has mainly white leather pads in excellent condition, but 2 on the upper joint have been replaced, by Eddie Ashton, with his superpads, these holes, LH 2 and the side Eb/Bb key, are prone to filling with water, and Mandy Burvill felt this choice of pad solved the problem. The German Silver plateau key work is in very good condition, as is the wood, which is crack and repair free. Unlike most volume manufacturers' plateau instruments, which are modifications of existing designs, this Selmer has been designed purely as a plateau model, with large tone holes, and unique keywork mechanism. The result is a superbly in tune and free plateau instrument, with intonation superior to most other C clarinets. The matching S/N R8878 dates to 1959. The case is a modern Buffet hardshell model, in excellent condition, as is the supplied BPO2 Portnoy m'piece.