Selmer Signature Bb/A Clarinet - EVO
Selmer Signature Bb/A Clarinet - EVO
The Selmer Signature Bb is one of the clarinets I personally play. Not saying that means it's what you should play, but I like it — a lot.
Why? It's got a clear, bright tone that projects nicely, and it has a feature I especially have come to appreciate: raised tone holes. Don't knock it til you try it — it's amazing to have the added confirmation of touch that you're covering a hole, because you can feel the darn hole. Now, Selmer says, "The Signature uses raised tone holes... which helps provide a more focused tone." Perhaps, but I think it's a combination of the lighter weight (it weighs about a pound less than its PHAT cousin, the Selmer Recital), the keys, which change the dimension of the tone hole, and its bore.
The instrument responds VERY quickly, especially when playing quietly, and has a noticeably crisper articulation than most other clarinets I've tried. The dashboard backs this up — perfect articulation score, the only Selmer to hit 100.
The Signature has been in production since 1997 — which is when I bought mine — and has outlived many newer Selmer models. The EVOLUTION bore lining now comes standard.
Resistance: 4/10, Medium-Light
In general, more resistance in a clarinet design usually keeps the louder dynamic ranges from spreading; the clarinet "holds its core" and focus, but will provide a smaller dynamic range (on both ends, loud and soft) and smaller color palette. A less resistant clarinet typically provides a much wider tonal palette to choose from, but will require more control from the player to control pitch and sound consistency.
When listening for how a clarinet responds to added air pressure and embouchure control, listen to the Weber example (wide dynamic range and color range), then the Berlioz excerpt (wide dynamic range, but narrow color range), and finally the Gershwin excerpt (narrow dynamic range and narrow color range). You will hear how these clarinets respond — for better or worse! — to my input as a clarinet player.
NEW!
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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14.5mm bore
(Bb, cylindrical section)
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Metal tenons and sockets
(great design IMO)
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Cork and white leather pads with boosters (lower joint), gore-tex pads (upper joint)
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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 Buffet 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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