the paris firm . for the american firm see conn selmer . this article may be in need of reorganization to comply with wikipedia s layout guidelines . please help by editing the article to make improvements to the overall structure . june 2013 learn how and when to remove this template message henri selmer paris industry musical instruments founded 1885 founder henri selmer headquarters paris france area served worldwide key people patrick selmer products woodwind instruments saxophones clarinets and mouthpieces website www.selmer.fr henri selmer paris company is a french based international family owned enterprise manufacturer of musical instruments based at mantes la ville near paris france . founded in 1885 it is known as a producer of professional grade woodwind and brass instruments especially saxophones clarinets and trumpets . the selmer paris brand has been used by many well known saxophonists such as marcel mule claude delangle frederick hemke charlie parker 1 john coltrane paul desmond herschel evans zoot sims 2 michael brecker sonny rollins and coleman hawkins . among famous selmer clarinet players is benny goodman in his early career . contents 1 history 1.1 timeline 1.1.1 1885 1899 1.1.2 1900 1999 1.1.3 2000 to the present 1.2 selmer uk 1.3 selmer guitars 2 historical list of selmer instruments 2.1 saxophones paris 2.2 clarinets paris 2.3 guitars 2.4 brass instruments 2.4.1 trumpets 2.4.2 trombones 2.5 other instruments 3 see also 4 references 5 external links history edit timeline edit 1885 1899 edit 1885 creation of the selmer paris company henri selmer begins manufacturing reeds and mouthpieces . from 1898 with the help henri selmer starts manufacturing clarinets and settles his workshop at 4 place dancourt paris . the same year his younger brother alexandre b. 1864 joins the boston symphony orchestra as a clarinetist remaining until 1901 . 1900 1999 edit 1900 henri wins his first bronze medal in the paris exhibition . 1904 the selmer paris clarinets are presented for the first time at the international saint louis fair usa where henri wins a gold medal . during this period alexandre selmer henri s brother has been first clarinetist in the cincinnati symphony orchestra for two years . from 1903 he plays the clarinets his brother is manufacturing in france . this will strongly contribute to the development of their sales in the us . 1905 paul lef vre and his son henri who had been working for maison robert a clarinet manufacturer join henri selmer s team . henri takes over the barbier company a flute manufacturer rue du faubourg saint denis in paris . the following year alexandre officially establishes himself in new york usa where he starts selling the selmer paris clarinets . this first structure will later become the h & a selmer usa company . 1909 alexandre selmer joins the new york philharmonic orchestra as first clarinetist . there he has the opportunity to play under the conductor gustav mahler . 1910 maurice lef vre paul lef vre s second son joins the selmer paris team . alexandre after having opened his first shop in the united states decides to return to france entrusting the management to one of his students george bundy . 1919 opening of a new factory in mantes whose technical direction is headed by maurice and henri lef vre both son in laws of henri selmer . other saxophone manufacturers like dolnet and evette scheaffer are already established in this city . 1922 31 december 1922 the first selmer saxophone is finished a series 22 alto . the series 22 makes way for the model 22 . the whole family is offered including a c melody saxophone . selmer then counts 50 instrument makers who manufacture 30 saxophones per month . 1923 24 extension of mantes factory . three new workshops are constructed one for reeds two for saxophones . the workshop at place dancourt is reserved for welcoming musicians . 1926 a new logotype henri selmer paris is adopted the laurel wreath replaces the lyre . engraved on all selmer paris instruments this original logo is still used today as the seal of authenticity for the original henri selmer paris . saxophone model 26 introduced . around 136 workmen work at selmer . 1927 metal clarinet comes out . grand prize at the international exhibition of geneva for the production as a whole . george bundy buys the store from the selmers changing the name to h. & a. selmer inc. there was no remaining financial connection between the selmers in paris and selmer in america . bundy was appointed the sole distributor for selmer paris instruments in the united states . 1928 creation of the company h. selmer & co in s.a.r.l. form . model 28 saxophone introduced featuring a unique and unsuccessful mechanism for the d key . creation of selmer canada . 1929 purchase of the almost bankrupt workshops of edouard sax direct descendant of adolphe sax . production of the adolphe sax model saxophones continues under selmer until 1935 . release of the new largebore model saxophone establishing the fundamental design of the super series . creation of selmer london . presentation of a special model of saxophone no. 9909 with 12 amethysts for the barcelona international exposition . 1930 manpower rises to 175 people who manufacture 300 instruments per month . grand prize at the exhibition of liege . variant of the super saxophone released nicknamed the cigar cutter because of a slotted plate on the octave mechanism that resembles a cigar cutter . 1931 acquisition of millereau a brass manufacturer . 1932 selmer branches out into guitar manufacture in partnership with stringed instrument maker mario maccaferri . they run a workshop where the selmer maccaferri guitars are made that were immortalized by django reinhardt . 3 octave mechanism on the super model saxophone changed towards the end of the year ending the cigar cutter designation . production of this model continued through 1938 with variations in engraving . 1933 release of the armstrong trumpet model later known as balanced and of the model harry james . 1934 radio improved variant of the super model distinguished by engraving . selmer trumpet and mouthpiece given to louis armstrong by king george v of england . 1935 jimmy dorsey variant of the super model distinguished by engraving . 1936 selmer paris revolutionizes the mechanics of the saxophone with the new balanced action model . france encounters social troubles and the factory is occupied . 1939 coleman hawkins returns to the usa from europe using selmer paris tenor saxophones . tremendous popularity of hawkins following his recording of body and soul establishes the brand strength of selmer saxophones in the usa . 1941 disappearance of henri selmer . maurice selmer becomes president of the selmer company . release of saxophone n 30 000 . 1946 by the end of the war manpower had fallen to 80 people but from 1946 the production went up to 250 instruments per month . 1948 release of the super action saxophone often referred to as the super balanced action model to avoid confusion with the later super action 80 models . the saxophone featured offset left and right hand stack keys establishing the basic layout of the modern saxophone . 1950 the production rises to 650 instruments per month . 1951 release of the soloist mouthpiece . 1952 production of the selmer maccaferri guitars is stopped . in united states a new promotional campaign is launched for the super action . 1953 death of alexandre selmer . jacques selmer youngest son of maurice selmer incorporates the company . the third generation of selmers jean george and jacques are in place . 1954 an exceptional season with the release of three legendary models mark vi range of saxophones developed with marcel mule the centered tone b flat clarinet and the k modified trumpet . the same year selmer also starts to market the clavioline constant martin . 1955 annual production of the mark vi is over 4000 instruments . same period of time italy europe arta produced gabanna romania saxophone rages . they were in same factory but after 1965 they got independent factory in italy and germany . 1958 transformation of the company from s.a.r.l. to a public company . 370 employees manufacture 1000 instruments per month . 1960 release of the b flat and a clarinets model series 9 and series 9 1961 henri lef vre is named president . 1962 release of the deville brand for brass . the bolero and largo trombone models developed with gabriel masson are also put on the market the same year . saxophone n 100 000 is produced june 28 1962 . annual production of the mark vi is over 7000 instruments . 1963 exclusive distribution rights obtained in france for vincent bach u.s.a. brass . 1964 release of a microphone especially intended for the amplification of woodwinds saxophone clarinet and flute 1965 installation of a new head office rue de la fontaine au roi in paris 11th district . selmer paris takes over exclusive distribution of premier percussion instruments in france . annual production of the mark vi is over 10 000 instruments . 1966 production of series 10 alongside series 9 and 9 clarinets 1968 death of henri lef vre . georges selmer is named president . release of the trumpet model radial 2 . 1971 release of the clarinets b flat and a series 10 model in the usa 1974 release of the mark vii alto and tenor saxophone models developed with the assistance of michel nouaux and frederick hemke . 1975 release of the marchi system clarinets in collaboration of joseph marchi . 1977 release of the clarinet model 10s and the trumpet series700 . brigitte selmer daughter of george selmer enters the company the following year . 1981 release of the super action 80 saxophone model replacing mark vi and mark vii models . the myrha street factory is closed and brass manufacturing transferred to mantes . the following year jerome selmer son of jacques starts at the company . 1983 in collaboration with the instrument maker ernest ferron selmer launches variospec an impedance variator . 1984 release of the recital clarinet developed with the assistance of guy dangain . 1986 launch of the alto and tenor super action 80 series ii saxophones 1990 release of the series 1100 and series 1200 tenor trombones . 1993 launch of the b flat clarinet prologue and 10s ii . the super action 80 series iii soprano is presented at the 10th international saxophone congress in pesaro italy . saxophone n 500 000 comes out of the selmer paris workshops on july 19 1993 it is a super action series ii alto saxophone gold plated and engraved . bill clinton and his selmer paris saxophone enter the white house . 1994 the bass clarinets evolves the models 23 ii and 25 ii replace the 23 and 25 . 1995 release of the b flat trumpet chorus 80 j model . the series iii soprano replaces the sa 80 series iii . 1997 release of the series iii tenor saxophone . 1998 after georges and jacques selmer s retirement the baton is passed to the fourth generation patrick selmer as president ; brigitte dupont selmer as vice president ; j r me selmer as general manager . opening of the new factory 3 000 m the mantes production site now extends over a 20 000 m area . release of the signature clarinet developed with jacques di donato . 1999 release of the series iii alto saxophone . presentation of the 53 m bassoon developed with philippe hanon . launch of the super session soprano mouthpieces and the cp100 clarinet mouthpieces . 2000 to the present edit 2000 a limited edition available in three instruments for the year 2000 the signature clarinet gold plated the series iii alto saxophone and the chorus 80 j trumpet sandblast silver plated . 2001