For sale: a beautifully restored vintage French-made Selmer Centered Tone professional Bb wood clarinet. Body is stamped with the serial number Q93xx, which indicates the year of manufacture to be 1957. This model was the top of the line professional clarinet offered by Selmer Paris since 1952. This highly sought after model was a pinnacle of Selmer's "Jazz" clarinet made famous by Benny Goodman, who used it extensively.
There are several reasons why Centered Tone is such a popular model even to this day. First of all the design: with the combination of the large bore and large tone holes, these clarinets are extremely free blowing, allowing the player to put as much air as they want, with the mouthpiece being the point of resistance. As a result, the projection on these horns is outstanding, which gives the player a great advantage in the situation when you need to be heard (e.g. a jazz band, concert band). Then there is Selmer’s excellent key mechanism – very tight, stable and solid as a rock. But perhaps what’s most important is that these clarinets have a wonderful full, deep, woody tone, with all notes being clear from top to bottom – including the upper register through altissimo. Centered Tone model is perceived as mostly a jazz clarinet, but the reality is that this is a very flexible instrument, with a wide range in tone and is perfectly suitable for a variety of playing styles.
Another reason why the vintage pro-level Selmer clarinets are coveted and sought after by the players is the quality of the grenadilla wood these instruments were made of: the wood was allowed to air dry for 20 years or more to ensure that the clarinet won’t crack and was of the finest grade, very hard, dense and naturally dark with the lovely play of color to it. The superb quality of wood and exceptional craftsmanship is not something you will find easily with the modern horns and certainly not in this price range.
The clarinet was just completely overhauled using the highest quality materials available to achieve longest life, a perfect seal and the best sound reflection. The overhaul restoration process was done by one of the finest repairman in the business, John Butler of JB Winds.
The overhaul included:
• Clarinet taken apart, body cleaned, sanitized and treated with all natural Grenadilla oil, then waxed and polished to bring out the beauty of the wood
• Tone holes resurfaced as needed to ensure a perfect seal
• All keys and rods cleaned and hand polished, key pivots and hinge tubes straightened, cleaned and lubricated
• Key cups centered and leveled
• The keys swedged and adjusted to ensure smooth, tight fit between posts and on rods
• The springs replaced as needed and adjusted for a light, balanced playing touch
• All new professional AAAA grade cork pads installed.
• Tenon corks and key bumpers replaced.
• The gilding on the logos cleaned
• The instrument properly adjusted and play-tested in all keys
The instrument has excellent intonation and plays very well in tune with very little effort on player’s part. The keywork is solid and the action is very tight – it is obviously is built-to-last. I was very surprised with the sound of this Centered Tone. I expected a typical brash and bold sound that one might expect from a large bore Selmer, but this clarinet sounds very much like a good R13 – it has a beautiful dark, mellow and complex tone that wouldn’t be out of place in any orchestral setting. At the same time, it has great projection, is extremely free blowing and easy to play, making it perfect for a woodwinds doubler as well as for jazz playing and pit orchestra.
The cosmetic condition is excellent – it appears that it has seen somewhat limited playtime. The tenons are nice and sharp and it is evident that the clarinet was well cared for before the restoration.. The wood is very dark and tight grained, but has a lovely play of color to it. There are no scratches or dents on either body section, barrel, or bell, and the plating on the keys and posts is completely intact and polished nicely.. Please refer to the pictures for the additional details about cosmetic condition. No cracks were present as indicated by Mr. Butler and one tiny imperfection in the inner bore of the upper body was smoothed during the process.  Included; New Pro-Tec Custom Case
Please take note that the full payment is required within 24 hours of your purchase, otherwise the transaction will be cancelled and the item re-listed. I usually ship within one business day of receiving a cleared payment. I will accept return within 14 days if you are not satisfied with this beautiful instrument: If you wish to return it, please contact me as soon as possible and let me know.
Important! In case of return, the buyer pays for shipping and return shipment and the horn must be in the same condition, as you will receive it – meaning no damage/flaws to the instrument, other than that documented in the pictures and description above.