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Clarinet manufacture

The stages of manufacture

From grenadille piece to clarinet body…

The stages of manufacture

From grenadille piece to bell…

Rough turning

Ebony arrives in the workshops in the form of narrow rectangular blocks of wood for the bodies or pyramidal shape for the bells : the billets. Work is begun on the outline of the exterior shape immediately.

Rough turning

[VIDEO] The interior is roughly drilled at the same time.

Wood drying

The rough pieces : in order to stabilize the wood enough so that it can be properly worked, the barrel, upper joint, lower joint and bell are stored for 3 years in a room with controlled temperature and humidity.

Wood treatment and drying

Two precious woods are used in the manufacture of the clarinets, ebony (Dalbergia melanoxylon) and rosewood (Dalbergia Spruceana). They are particularly appreciated for their machining qualities (hardness, tight fibres, dimensional stability) and for their acoustic return.
The ebony is from Mozambique, while the rosewood comes from South America. Their use, regulated by the Conference on Precious Wood, is regularly called into question. It takes on average 70 years for these two species to become mature enough for proper use. Before even arriving at the factory, the raw wood is dried by the forest operator over a 5 year cycle
Other species are also used in instrument making : grenadilla wood from Madagascar (Diospyrus Perrieri), from Gabon (Diospyrus Crassiflora) or from Macassar (Diospyrus Celebica)

Wood turning

[VIDEO] After seasoning the wood is turned again to give it its final dimensions.

Wood treatment and drying

The clarinet's roughed body undergoes further processing to prevent possible splits in the ebony.

Wood treatment and drying

The bodies undergo a pressurised linseed oil treatment for 12 hours, in an autoclave.

Wood treatment and drying

The various parts of the instrument are then dried out in a drying oven for several days.
Finally, after all these years of treatments and drying, the crafting of the wood can begin.

Wood turning

[VIDEO] The dents constituting the sites of the tone holes are marked.

Wood treatment and drying

The wood pores are stoppered and the body undergoes a careful manual scouring with a fine abrasive.

Wood treatment and drying

The marking of the dents is finished by hand.

Wood treatment and drying

Metal linings can be assembled on the tenons, depending on the model.

Wood drilling

Next, the sites for the keys and tone holes are bored. Those are conically milled, at their base by the interior of the borer. This is a critical operation in the acoustic definition of the clarinet.
These operations are all carried out on digitally controlled machines, equipped with tools formed from carbide ensuring precision and stability in creating the dimensions.

Wood joint finishing

Once the final calibration of the bore has been carried out, the tenon corks are fixed and ground.

Wood joint finishing

The logo is then engraved in the wood using a digital machine.

Wood joint finishing

[VIDEO] The engraved logo is then hand-gilded.

Wood joint finishing

The body is now ready to receive the keywork.

Assembly

The posts - on which the keywork of the instrument will be mounted - are screwed manually into the bodies.

Assembly

They are milled, drilled and threaded.

Assembly

The various rods and hinges (axis of rotation for keys) are cut to length and individually checked on standard assemblies.

Mechanical operations

At the same time, the various elements of the keywork are made : the primary parts (keys, posts, mechanics) are machined in nickel silver and less frequently in brass. These, in turn, are variously cut, drilled, bevelled, stamped and milled. They are then inspected and stocked in a specialized store.

Mechanical operations

The primary parts are assembled by silver soldering on positioning mounts.

Mechanical operations

These sub-assemblies are then inspected and put into storage. They make up the entire keywork of the instrument.

Polishing and silver plating

After having been prepolished in a revolving drum of abrasive pellets, the keys are hand-polished on a lathe.

Polishing and silver plating

After dry cleaning and shining, they are checked for uniformity of aspect.

Polishing and silver plating

The keys are then silver plated by electrolysis.

Finishing

During the finishing phase, the needle springs are attached to the posts and the keywork assembled along the instrument.

Finishing

After final boring of the rods and hinges the pads are attached in the caps.

Finishing

Corks and felts are sized and attached on the heels of the keys.

Finishing

The completed keys are set to their final position on the instrument.

Finishing

This phase of manufacture requires expertise and meticulousness.

Quality check

At the end of the production cycle the instrument undergoes inspection of its form and function. SELMER PARIS QUALITY
Since 1998, the approach to quality has been strengthened and a number of actions taken to sensitize the personnel to the exacting requirements mandated by the world class position occupied by Selmer Paris saxophones.
Many quality controls are carried out throughout the production cycle, according to very precise criteria. A specific SQA (Selmer Quality Action) corresponds to each phase of manufacture. If the SQA is not good, the instrument is not allowed to continue in the production line. This allows any deviation in manufacture to be avoided, even from very early on in the process.

Quality check

Each instrument is then blown by play testers who check the acoustics in sound-proof cabins.

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