So close I can taste it...

SOTSDO

SOTSDO

Old King Log
Staff member
CE/Moderator
I have just lucked into a Selmer professional quality Mazzeo system clarinet. It belongs to a professional musician father of a friend of mine, and he is liquidating all of his non-plateau clarinets due to his suffering from the shakes and his inability to securely seat his fingers on the tone holes.

From the photos, it looks to be of Series 9 vintage, nickel plated keywork with some wear, but no cracks or other damage. It is not the "full Boehm" version (you see those occasionally, and they command high prices), but (most importantly) it has all of the parts for the "clutch" that I have always found missing on other, cheaper Mazzeo horns. And, based upon the condition of the other instruments in his collection (some of which I have played), it's going to be in first class order.

Jim, the sax playing son of the owner, has played it and really enjoyed the regularity of the throat tones. He said they were the best he has ever heard from a clarinet. I point out to him that he too can have a clear and strong Bb if he would only use the side key for those notes when feasible. He scoffs at the idea, but he is (after all) a bassoon player by training, so what can you expect?

Once it's here, I'll play it for a week or so, and then send it off to Marvin at St. Louis Woodwind and Brasswind for an overhaul and silver plating of the bright work.

Another holy grail off of the list...
 
You will have to let us know how it turns out. Sounds exciting!
 
It arrives tomorrow!

Good ol' USPS tracking system hasn't let me down yet. Arrival date is tomorrow, via Registered Mail.

(I lost my son's car title when I sent it to him via Certified Mail in a Priority Mail box (with a batch or two of cookies - the larger box is harder to lose than a letter sized package). It was allegedly delivered to his apartment on a Federal holiday, and he never saw it. They searched all three of the metro post offices in Hoboken, but never found a trace. For those who don't know about Texas, you don't ever want to lose your car title. Since that event hard to replace stuff always goes by Registered Mail, insured for the full replacement value.)

Too bad that they never made any of their bass clarinets with the Mazzeo system. I just finished off a production of Guys & Dolls, and the bass clarinet portion of Book V spends almost half of the time hovering around the throat tones and break. I get tired of dropping down the right hand every third note, just for the resonance of it all. Running over the break is a little different, since with the Mazzeo system, right hand down acts "funny" if you lose track of which horn you are using.
 
As good as can be expected...

...of a clarinet that's been out there being used for about fifty years is the initial verdict. No cracks, no dings or other superficial damage, and well padded as you might expect of a horn that's had weekly use for the last half-century. It plays well through the scale, and (as previously advertised) the tones over the throat and break are particularly "sweet".

The Mazzeo mechanism is there and intact, the first one of these that I've been able to do more than look at that was in that condition. Old F.W. took good care of all of his other horns, and this one was no exception.

(He gave his granddaughter a "Typewriter" tenor, and it plays every bit as well. Lord knows what else he has up there in Oregon.)

The box is a bit worn, but that's to be expected as well. The only "defect" is that the plateau thumb key has the nickel plate worn from one edge (plus some minor wear on the octave as well). All of that will come out in the wash once I get the overhaul and silver plating done.

This is my first "non-fixer up" horn purchase in quite a few years, and it is well worth the money spent. Now, if I only could get another fluted barrel to fit my metal Selmer, I'd be making out like a bandit. Get on the stick. Chris...
 
Same-same, GI

That's the exact same model that I have; fluted barrel, auxiliary Bb/Eb, articulated G# key, no low Eb or LH Eb lever...

...only someone took a Vice Grips to the barrel on mine to get it unstuck from the top joint. Maybe that's why mine only cost a C note.

All I'm looking for is a barrel; is that too much for me to ask?
 
SOTSDO said:
...only someone took a Vice Grips to the barrel on mine to get it unstuck from the top joint. Maybe that's why mine only cost a C note.
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You still got the Gripped Barrel? Bring it to a goldsmith, I'm sure the jaw traces can be eliminated just fine.
 
Aside from the fact that such folks are thin on the ground here in the New World, this damage is well beyond a scratch or two. Think shredded edges and a bit of crushing and you'll get the idea.

Someday when I have the time, I'll fish the horn out of storage in the Music Room and take a photo or two, and then go through the cumbersome upload process. For now, just take my word on it.
 
SOTSDO said:
Aside from the fact that such folks are thin on the ground here in the New World, this damage is well beyond a scratch or two. Think shredded edges and a bit of crushing and you'll get the idea.
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Nonetheless - a reasonably skilled craftsperson should be able to make it like new. At what cost, well, that's another issue...
 
tictactux said:
Nonetheless - a reasonably skilled craftsperson should be able to make it like new. At what cost, well, that's another issue...
Click to expand...
Yup, a craftsman can do amazing things given enough information.
 
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