Klarinet Archive - Posting 000437.txt from 1996/08

From: "Michael L. Smith" <msmith@-----.NET>
Subj: Re: Buffet's Frenchified bore
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 23:35:48 -0400

Jennifer Hefferlin wrote:
>
> Heh, Heh...will the serial number on that particular instrument starts out
> with the letter "F". According to the man who maintains my clarinets the
> "F" indicates that it is a French series bore; a smaller bore that
> produces a lighter and perhaps sweeter tone that doesn't have as much
> darkness to the sound and which is much easier to pick up and play.
> Disclaimer: I have not done any academic research on this said fact and
> simply took his word because it made sense as an explanation for the way
> the instrument played.
>
> On Wed, 14 Aug 1996, Fogle, Bill wrote:
>
> > Jennifer writes about her A clarinet:
> > > just recently found an
> > >older A Buffet, serial #154152 (if anyone can tell me the year it was
> > >made, I'd appreciate it). Oh, and the RC Prestige was and F series,
> > >indicating that it was the "frenchified" version.
> >
> > Jennifer/Klarinetters:
> >
> > What is a "Frenchified" version, if the Buffet instruments
> > are being manufactured in gay Par-ee? I would have
> > said the Buffet bore was as French as a bore (!) could get?
> > Help!
> > ----Bill Fogle.
> >

Dear Klarinet Friends,

I've lurked on this list for the past year or so and learned a great deal. In s
pite of
honest intentions to jump in on any number of occasions, I've not done so. Fina
lly,
here goes, not with any great wisdom, but rather with a follow on to this most
interesting thread:

In 1970, I purchased a set of R-13s by mail from Wichita Band Instrument Company
. The A
is serial number F-107383. Upon inquiring, I was told that it was a "French Bor
e," and
that all the sets they'd sold for the previous couple of years were so equipped
because
of their closer resemblance to the characteristics of the R-13 b-flat.

Over the years since, I heard variously that:

o The F series was one and the same as the RC series,
o The F series was only marketed in Europe because it was tuned to a higher pitc
h than
the regular R-13A,
o The F series was generally not a good horn and that I should replace it with a
regular
R-13A (this comment from Charles Bay who reworked my horns in 1973).

My own impressions of the instrument:

o It is somewhat stuffy, although I can't claim to have played on enough Buffet
A's to
know that it is atypical in this regard,
o The throat B-flat is terribly sharp...certainly the single worst thing about t
his
particular instrument,
o All the way through undergrad and a Master's in Clarinet Performance, the pitc
h center
did not seem to me to be noticably higher than my R-13 b-flat (which is a really
lovely
instrument).

I'd welcome anyone's thoughts on the true nature of the Buffet "F" series instru
ments,
both in terms of technical specs (the objective stuff) and playing qualities (th
e
subjective stuff). Also, if anyone has any thoughts on repair tweaks to lower t
he pitch
on that horrendous throat b-flat (the notes immediately surrounding are in tune)
, I'd
love to hear 'em.

Thanks in advance.

Mike Smith

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org