Selmer Muse 18/6 Eb Clarinet
Eb Clarinet
- Boehm System
- Tuning: 440/442 Hz
- 18 Keys
- 6 Rings
- With Eb lever
- Body: Grenadilla wood
- Silver-plated key system
- Natural sound
- Balanced intonation
- Rich in overtones
- Easy and comfortable to play
- Adjustable thumb rest
- Improved ergonomics of the left hand, D# and A# keys
- Incl. 2 barrels (43 and 44 mm), C85 mouthpiece, cleaning accessories and case
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Available since August 2023
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Item number 572879
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Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
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Keys 18
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Number Of Rings 6
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Body Grenadilla
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Colour of Wood Natural
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Incl. Mouthpiece Yes
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Incl. Case / Gigbag Yes
Innovation in practice
As the highest voice in the orchestra’s clarinet section, the E-flat clarinet is a distinctive element of countless symphonic works. Certainly, Henri Selmer Paris considered it important to bring its latest advances in acoustics, ergonomics, and aesthetics to bear in making this unusual instrument. As such, the E-flat Recital, designed in the 1980s, was discontinued to make way for this Selmer Muse 18/6 Eb clarinet. The new model draws directly on its predecessor and retains its acoustic qualities, while incorporating the latest improvements in pitch accuracy, ergonomics, and mechanics. Selmer's development team spent a full four years working on this professional-grade instrument, with selected orchestral clarinettists from a range of countries. Bore, outer diameter and intonation all benefit from this careful development work.
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Clearer definition
Compared with its predecessor, the keys and tone-hole layout on the Selmer Muse 18/6 Eb clarinet have been redesigned, the thumb rest made lighter, and the overall design refined. The padding is new too: Apart from four leather pads for the low notes, the instrument is fitted with cork pads. The result is easier response, more precise playing, and better tonal definition. Added to this is the body of selected grenadilla wood, which further supports the instrument's rich, strong, and sustaining sound.That’s especially notable in that the E-flat clarinet's high register typically gives it a reputation for a bright sound that cuts through a full orchestra – but can also turn shrill. Orchestral clarinettists, by contrast, describe the Muse's sound as surprisingly warm for such an agile little instrument.
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Professional ergonomics
The Selmer Muse 18/6 Eb clarinet is aimed primarily at professional orchestral musicians and soloists, but also at accomplished amateurs looking for an instrument that speaks exceptionally directly. Indeed, producing a tone feels like a natural extension of the breath. Beyond the sound, Selmer has also fine-tuned the silver-plated keywork: New features include an adjusting screw for the C lever, an optimised mechanical response from the little-finger keys, and a new position for the E-flat lever. Further technical improvements can be found on the rods and the rounded posts along the ring keys. Overall, the ergonomics follow those of the B-flat Muse clarinets, so players feel at home quickly while enjoying a highly sensitive response. That's a real advantage for orchestral clarinettists who switch between B-flat and E-flat clarinets: Selmer's Eb Muse is a familiar member of the family.
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About Selmer
Henri Selmer Paris, founded in 1885 by Henri Selmer – a clarinettist and graduate of the Paris Conservatoire – is a legendary French manufacturer of wind instruments. Initially producing clarinet mouthpieces, the company soon expanded to full clarinets and gained global recognition for its craftsmanship and quality. Selmer became particularly renowned for its saxophones, which have been favoured by countless jazz musicians since the 1920s. Beyond saxophones and clarinets, Selmer also crafts trumpets, trombones, and horns, continually refining its instruments through collaborations with leading musicians and the use of premium materials.
Flexible playing and tuning
The left-hand ergonomics in particular have been noticeably improved on the Selmer Muse 18/6 Eb clarinet, thanks in no small part to the E-flat lever for the left little finger, in addition to its 18 keys and 6 rings. The lever makes virtuoso and, above all, fluent playing easier by enabling alternative fingerings. It also allows quick changes in complex note sequences, without the little finger having to slide awkwardly back and forth. This pays off in chromatic runs, for example, which can be played more cleanly and with less stress thanks to this detail. The clarinet is flexible when it comes to concert pitch, too: It comes with two barrels of different lengths (43mm and 44mm), so it can be matched to orchestras tuning anywhere between A = 440 and 442Hz. The longer barrel lowers the pitch. The package is completed by a C85 mouthpiece, cleaning accessories, and a case.
