Serial Number Selmer Paris Clarinet
In 1885, following graduation from the Paris Conservatory, Henri Selmer and brother Alexandre began building reeds and woodwind instruments in Paris, France. Used Selmer Paris Series 9 Bb Clarinet serial # S9687. Used but in very good condition, No Cracks. Comes with a Pro Tec case in good condition.
Selmer (Paris) Clarinets Professional clarinets since 1885 The Series: is the letter in the serial number itself and not the model Series. Example: Selmer, Series 10S, #B0478 is a B Series made in 1980.
We have no information on Selmer clarinets made before the L Series Selmer Paris clarinets in various years through the 1980s had markings similar to “Sole Agents, US & Can Selmer New York – Elkhart”. Clarinets with markings similar to these can be identified as clarinets exported to the United States. European and Canadian Selmer clarinets had no markings. A fantastic writeup on the beginning of Selmer Paris from Don Makrill The Bb Boehm system clarinet was first introduced in the Selmer catalogue in 1910 per the. Harmony and Metal clarinets were serialized separately until at least 1930. By the N series all their instruments are serialed together.
Later Metal clarinets had and adjustable barrel with a highly grooved section, earlier models where not adjustable. Date Soprano Harmony Metal 1/1/19 (14) 1000 1/1/20 (15) 2000 1/1/21 (16) 3000 1/1/22 (17) 4000 300 1/1/23 (18) 5000 (300) 1/1/24 (19) 6000 1/1/25 (20) 7000 1/1/26 (21) 8000 1/1/27 (22) 9000 1000 1/1/28 (23) K1000 1/1/29 (24) K2000 2000 1/1/30 (25) K3500 (K3000) 1/1/31 (26) K5000 (K4200) 1/1/27 K5600 1/1/28 K7000 1000 1/1/29 K8400 sn1906 courtesy of Junkdude.com 1/1/30 K9800 900 2000 1/1/31 L1000 Later Metal clarinets had an adjustable barrel with a highly grooved section, earlier models where not adjustable. –>Bb 23xx & A 29xx with adjustable barrel 1/1/32 L2100 3000 1/1/33 L3250 1/1/34 L4300 4000 1/1/35 L5500 1/1/36 L6600 5000 RI – Radio Improved started around K7000 BT – Balanced Tone started around L5000 The modern Selmer emblem starts in 1926, somewhere around K4500. There was also an earlier emblem, up to somewhere in the 4000’s, that has a winged globe over the H SELMER A PARIS oval.
I have heard that the winged-globe emblem indicates the era when Henri Selmer himself still tested and finished the clarinets but that’s purely anecdotal, there’s no reason to assume it’s true, but he was primarily a clarinet player and i’m sure he tested many of the clarinets produced in his factory – why not? Installing Ipplan On Windows here. Wouldn’t you!!
The RI model begins around K7000, the BT around L5000. The articulated G# was not particular to the M-series, it appears in some horns of every model up to even the 10S.
K Foster Year of make Serial number Emblems (click on pic to see larger view) 1885 to 1926 1904 – clarinet launched at the Saint Louis / USA Exhibition no records 1910 Catalog – click the pictures for full screen 1/1/1927 #400 1928 Ads – click on picture for full screen 150x 1/1/1929 #3070 sn#531x 1/1/1931 #9999 Emblem change. The old emblem, pictured right was similar to the Buffet Logo in that H. Selmer is on the top arch, Paris on the lower arch both in an oval. And an emblem of HS is below the oval similar to the BC for Buffet-Crampon. Also above is a music lyre The import/bell emblem was also changed as below in the K series. The two bells here show that the US Import stamp was done separately from the Selmer logo as they are both in different positions – notice the space or lack thereof from the Selmer Paris wreath logo between the two. L Series: Old Selmer Emblem is Buffet-like (many makers had Buffet-like emblems) • Transition during the L series • The saxophone emblem was changed in circa 1926.
The Clarinet emblem was changed in the 1930s • • 12/1/1931 L1000 1932 L2100 1933 L3250 1934 L4300 1935 L5500 Manufacturing Pic – click for full page 1936 L6600 Catalog Pictures – click on each page for full screen 1937 L7750 1938 L8800 1939 L9900 M Series 2/1/39 M1000 1940 M2400 1944 M3400 1945 Selmer 55 1945 only (?) M6000 Emblem of sn # M70xx Below- M 61xx. This shows the large register nut associated with 55s. Also, inside it shows the thread and nut protruding into the bore. This large nut gave the instrument some significant resistance – not my favorite Selmer by a long shot. 1946 M8000 N Series – Later N series were also known as BT – Balanced Tone – both identifiable by a large domed speaker bush (the body octave hole) with two holes to remove it, and a removeable speaker tube.