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, focused 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 — a 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 several newer models that came and went. The EVOLUTION bore lining now comes standard.
How it plays
Articulation is the headline. It's the quickest-tonguing clarinet I've measured — tied at the top with a couple of Uebels, ahead of every other Selmer. If you play Mendelssohn Scherzo for a living, this is the horn.
What you'll need to manage: the color varies more note to note than a lot of horns. Some players hear that as character, some don't. I can attest that it's manageable, but play it and find out which side of the fence you land on.
Resistance: 4/10, Medium-Light
The Signature sits on the freer-blowing end, but you barely feel the tradeoff. Most of the horn holds pitch beautifully under air pressure — the clarion and altissimo barely budge no matter how hard you lean into them. Where it does demand some control is in the low register when you push it: the pitch drops a bit without proper embouchure control (corners-in people!). But it's not a deal-brearker — at least I have been able to handle it without too much trouble.
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
I play one, so take all this with the appropriate grain of salt.
If you want a super warm, dark sound, this isn't it (if you want a big helping of French "PING!" it is). But yeah, if you're after something with more wood in the tone, play the Recital or a Backun Essence.
If you want a similar sound with more even color from bottom to top, the Yamaha CSVR holds its color more consistently with a similar scale. (And it's cheaper!)
But if you want a light, French sound, with a super quick response, I haven't found one netter. That's part of the reason I've played mine since 1997.
View & compare detailed tuning, articulation and timbre data for every clarinet we carry.
-
62.5 & 64.5mm barrels
These are smaller than most, because of how the clarinet is designed. Don't let it freak you out!
-
14.5mm bore
(Bb, cylindrical section)
-
Metal tenons and sockets
(great design IMO)
-
Cork and white leather pads with boosters (lower joint), gore-tex pads (upper joint)
-
Silver-plated keywork with adjustable thumb rest
-
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!
Couldn't load pickup availability
