Selmer Présence Bb/A Clarinet - EVO
Selmer Présence Bb/A Clarinet - EVO
Originally branded "SeleS" back in 2014 (a sub-brand Selmer created for more affordable professional-grade instruments), the Présence shares acoustic DNA with the Privilege but costs significantly less. Selmer achieves this through more automated production — CNC machining handles operations that would be hand-finished on the Privilege.
The Présence was designed from the ground up for the SeleS line, not "dumbed down" from existing models. Selmer's proving that machine precision can approach hand-craftsmanship at scale.
Full transparency: I had not planned to carry the Présence, but Selmer accidentally sent me two and I figured, might as well try them. Katherine and I were both surprised. It has a delightful, tight core of a sound that can fill a room. It's just a happy-sounding clarinet. (I guess that means if you're going to play something that's a bit of a downer like Max Reger, you may want something more somber. Sorry Alan Kay — while you're one of my top-ten favorite clarinetists, I'm not a Reger fan. I still love you though.)
How it plays
"With great power comes great responsibility." -Spider-Man
The Présence is super flexible. But with that flexibility comes pitch instability. Without compensating, the Présence drops the most pitch going from soft to loud of any clarinet I've measured. Push more air and the pitch follows it down, so the horn needs a stable embouchure to stay in tune when you lean on it. It's the flip side of how open it blows — the same freedom that hands you a wide color palette is what lets the pitch move.
Resistance: 5/10, Medium
The Présence pushes back a little, but not much. Most of the color range comes from that openness, and so does the pitch movement above.
Want to hear how it handles air and dynamics? In the audio player below, listen to the Weber first (wide dynamics, wide color), then the Berlioz (wide dynamics, narrow color), then the Gershwin (narrow on both). You can hear how the timbre responds to me as a player... warts and all.
Before you decide
If you're cross-shopping in this range: the R13 is the industry standard — though it's brighter and a little freer-blowing. The Polaris has a similar resistance to the Présence but with a darker timbre. The Uebel Rêve is German-engineered with much tighter twelfths. The Backun Q is the boutique option — more resistant, very focused, and more in tune than all of the above (but I often hear that the Q "feels weird" in some hands). Try them side by side if you can.
View & compare detailed tuning, articulation and timbre data for every clarinet we carry.
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66.5mm barrel
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Valentino Synthetic pads
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Silver-plated keywork with adjustable thumb rest
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Présence case
FAQ
EVO is Selmer's new method of reducing upper-joint cracking. Here's what it is, and what they do to achieve this feat (which results in a 10-year warranty. Holy crap!)
The Selmer EVOLUTION system (or "EVO" to us cool kids) is a manufacturing process used on Selmer's pro model clarinets that stabilizes the instrument without changing its sound. During production, a BPA-free resin is integrated into the upper half of the bore, making the clarinet more resistant to cracking and less sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. Because the resin conducts heat better than wood, the instrument warms up and reaches pitch more quickly, which is especially useful when switching between Bb and A clarinets. Blind tests — and my personal experiences — have shown no difference in tone compared to traditional all-wood models, so you get the same sound but it's much more reliable. No, I still wouldn't take it out marching in sub-zero weather, because why tempt fate? EVO clarinets are marked with a small star (★) near the serial number, so you can verify yours is (or isn't) an EVO clarinet.
B-Stock instruments are clarinets that Selmer offers to dealers at a discount. They end up in B-Stock for benign reasons.
Sometimes an instrument went out on trial to a professional player and wasn’t chosen. Sometimes it was displayed at a trade show and the case picked up a scuff during repacking.
B-Stock clarinets do not have mechanical or structural issues. They’re brand new and come with the full Selmer warranty.
I spend a lot of time shopping Selmer’s B-Stock aisle because it lets me buy great instruments at a discount—and pass that savings along to you. As with every clarinet I sell, each one is inspected, set up, and play-tested by me before it ships.
B-Stock instruments are a great value and tend to move quickly.
You won’t always see one listed, but I try to keep one around when I can.
Short answer: All earspasm instruments come with a 7-day trial. Please read my trial policy before pulling out that credit card.
Medium answer: You have 7 days from the date of receipt to try the clarinet. If you don't like it, that's fine (my feelings aren't hurt!) — just let me know and I will send you a return label. Box it all up and send it back. We keep 5% to cover credit card transaction fees and a (hopefully!) brief round trip back to Miles or John — my technicians — to do a reset on the horn.
Long answer: Read my trial policy :)
Yes, it comes with the Selmer Warranty against cracks, etc. If you ever have any problem with the instrument, I’m your quarterback. I’ll take care of the whole process, just let me know you need help, and I’ll take it from there.
Inspect the package before you sign off at delivery! If there are any issues resulting from shipping, we have taken out an insurance policy to cover damage (and loss). But we need you to document this damage or we can't do anything to help. Please read my trial policy for how to handle this issue, should it arise.
Not if you live in the Continental US! Because I want you to find the right instrument for you, and doing so online is harder than doing so in-person, I will cover the return shipping. Please read my trial policy for trial and return rules.
Yes. You can add your shipping address when checking out to see what the shipping costs will be before taking the plunge. Note that VAT and Customs Duties are not included in this cost.
Contact me to set up an appointment, and let's do it!
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