[Dixielandjazz] Mazzeo System Clarinets

[william crist]

I recently purchased a soprano sax and the fellow I purchased it from
showed me a clarinet and wanted to know if I was interested in buying..
It was a Selmer Signet Mazzeo model. I had never heard of it and told
him I would get back to him.
I did some googling and found out that a man named Rosario Mazzeo had
invented a new fingering system that he patented and licensed to Selmer
in 1959. I think that Selmer started to manufacture them in Elkhart. In.
in 1961. I can't find serial numbers for this series anywhere , so I
don't know exactly when it was manufactured.
My question is, do any listmates play (or played) a Mazzeo system and
what do they think about them.  Is there any advantage to them and are
they more difficult to play.

TIA
Bill Crist