Selmer Recital Bb/A Clarinet - EVO
Selmer Recital Bb/A Clarinet - EVO
We affectionately call the Selmer Recital clarinet "The Log".
Why? Because it is a huge chunk of wood. Selmer's reasoning — as I understand it — was that more wood means a darker sound, so they increased the diameter of the wooden body by 2mm. Sounds like a minor change, but damn, you can really feel the difference in your fingers… and biceps.
It is dark — I notice it most when playing quietly — though not the darkest thing on my shelf, which tells you the extra wood isn't the whole story. What it does have is a gorgeous French ping that opens up with a little more air, and a tight core underneath it. It's hard to describe. It has a tone that can really fill up a hall, but isn't ever "syrupy."
You'd think that the Recital, with its extra wood, might be less responsive, or more resistant, but it really isn't. It plays like it's a welterweight, but sounds like a heavyweight. It's the Muhammad Ali of clarinets.
The Recital launched in 1984 and is still in production. It doesn't blend easily; it anchors a section or sits on top of one. Some players find it heavy and inflexible; others won't play anything else.
How it plays
Articulation is quick — the fastest of any Selmer I carry except the Signature. The timbre's even too, more even than any other Selmer on my shelf; all but a couple of notes hug the line on the timbre chart. Check the dashboard and you'll see what I mean.
The low throat tones run flat. That's controllable with the right mouthpiece: I played this one on a BD6, which is clearly too open for the instrument. Close up the setup and most of that goes away.
The bottom of the horn is the thing to actually watch. Play soft down there and it sits sharp; push into it and it drops away underneath you. Widest swing on the instrument. Nothing a decent player can't manage, but you're managing it.
Resistance: 5/10, Medium
For all that wood, it doesn't fight you — dead in the middle of the scale. It feels similar to the Buffet Festival. Hear how it responds to volume in the audio player below — Weber first (wide dynamics, wide color), then the Berlioz (wide dynamics, narrow color), then the Gershwin (narrow on both).
Before you decide
Nobody's neutral about this instrument, and most of the arguing gets done by players who've never had one in their hands for more than five minutes (if at all). So put in an afternoon — in person preferably, or with a trial — before you join a side.
Play or listen to the Muse first. Selmer built it off this bore — their own attempt at a Recital you don't have to haul around. Lighter, brighter, and its twelfths line up better than anything I carry. If the Recital's sound is what you want and the Recital's body is what you don't, that's the horn.
If you're after the darkness ("Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." — Yoda), the Backun Essence in cocobolo goes darker than this, tunes better, and stays put when you get loud. But it doesn't ping, and the ping is half of why anybody likes a Recital in the first place.
Want a Selmer that blends into a section instead of sitting on top of it? The Privilege. Want the fastest articulation in the room? The Signature.
...then come back to the Recital if it's still the one.
View & compare detailed tuning, articulation and timbre data for every clarinet we carry.
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62.5 & 64.5mm barrels
These are smaller than most, because of how the clarinet is designed. Don't let it freak you out!
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14.35mm bore
(Bb, cylindrical section)
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White leather pads
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Silver-plated keywork with adjustable thumb rest
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PRiSMe case
(Bb single; A double)
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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