Klarinet Archive - Posting 000336.txt from 1995/06

From: Luuk van Buul <vanbuul@-----.NL>
Subj: American vs. US clarinet market.
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 06:20:50 -0400

Recent discussions on this list mentioned differences between the American and
European clarinet market supply.

As an amateur band player in the south of Holland I've played, seen or heard of
the following types of Bb clarinets (from memory; don't quote me):

Buffet Crampon
- RC Most widely used, by amateurs and professionals, but ongoing
rumours that new ones are notoriously bad and you have to try ten
or more to find one good. (Price about $3000)
- RC Prestige Same as above
- E11 Cheapest wooden model of Buffet ($1000)
- E13 I've seen them but don't know anything about
- Festival Recently introduced; I've seen two new ones in one year. Both
were bought by ex- RC players. (about $4000)
- Elite Most expensive model. The last time I asked somebody: $6000.
Only used by some profs. Looks very nice, without any rings on
the outside.
- ? I've seen several plastic Buffets but don't know the type.

Evette Mid price Buffet type of clarinet.

LeBlanc
- LL Was widely in use (sixties and seventies).
- L300 Only several years available (about 1980 - 1985)
- LX Only several years available (about 1985 - 1992)
- LX2000 Only one (?) year available
- Concerto Available for the last four years. ($3000?)
- Opus Most expensive LeBlanc ($4000?)

Vito
- plastic model, used for outdoor playing.

Wurlitzer
- both with Bohm and Oehler system. German bore. Almost exclusively but widely
used by professionals. $6000 and up.
(The Oehler system is not used very much anymore but it was thirty years ago.)

Uebel
- only seen one or two, German bore with Oehler system.

Selmer
- Series 9 I've seen only two in ten years

Yamaha I've seen only one

What I've never seen:
R13 I asked someone working in a woodwind shop and he had never heard of
this clarinet; this seems an exclusively american market instrument.
Bundy From what I've learned from this list we should be glad we don't
know these in Holland
All these mouthpieces you're discussing. I only know of Selmer, LeBlanc,
Vandoren, Buffet, Wurlitzer, Piet Jeegers (Dutch). No American mp.
Reeds: Vandoren traditional, Vandoren V12 (these are the most widely used);
Rico; Walter Boeykens.

I've not seen any mentioning of the Buffet Elite clarinet on this list. Don't
you Americans know them or do you find them too expensive for normal humans to
speak about? :)

Is Prestige a (selected?) good clarinet of a type like RC or is this a different
design?

Maybe somebody from LeBlanc or Buffet can shed his/her light on this strange
diversion in marketing between the Old and the New World?

Greetings

Luuk van Buul