Klarinet Archive - Posting 000135.txt from 1995/06

From: thehat@-----.ORG
Subj: clarinet shopping
Date: Sat, 10 Jun 1995 12:55:10 -0400

IT> The difference between R13 and Prestige is silver plating on
IT> Prestige keys. Period.

This is not true. I have owned a prestige R-13 b-flat clarinet. A prestige
includes an a-flat/e/flat lever, an adjustable thumb rest(whoopee) and
metal rings on the ends of the tenon joints (a mixed blessing).

My prestige clarinet weighed a lot more than an R-13. Perhaps the siver
keys (not plated as suggested above) were part of it. At the time I bought
my prestige, I tried about 30 clarinets, 15 R-13, 15 R-13 prestige. At the
time (1991), quality control for Buffet was not great among the R-13s
(luckily, this has improved). The prestige clarinets had visibly denser
wood. Mine had a lovely brown tint to it, suggesting it had not been
stained, unlike the R-13s which are all stained. The prestige clarinets
played much more consistantly regarding pitch, tone quality and evenness,
suggesting much more careful quality control at the factory.

I replaced the clarinet earlier this year with a regular R-13. Sadly for
me, the bore at the top of the upper joint had constricted slightly
(possibly due to the metal tenon ring), making the upper register slightly
flat, an unacceptable condition for me. When I tried clarinets this year,
I tried about 40 R-13s and 6 Festival clarinets. The R-13s were actually
quite good overall compared to 1991. Rene Lesieux, the new technician at
Buffet, is really improving things.

Hope this clears up some misunderstadings.

-David Hattner

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This copy of Freddie 1.2.5 is being evaluated.