Klarinet Archive - Posting 001084.txt from 1997/10

From: noname <hakan@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Buffet Festivals
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 01:01:17 -0500

AmyLynnR@-----.com wrote:
>
> Hi,
> I don't know what an R-13 is, I know PG-13, but I don't think that's quite
> the same thing!! Will somebody please clue me in!! If I know the models at
> least I can bore my stupid saxaphone friend who always tells me about his
> dumb Selmer Paris. Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp!!!!
> luv ya,
> ~=~=~=AMY=~=~=~

A reply...I was that "dumb" for only about a year ago, but when I
decided to invest in a professional clarinet I really tried to
investigate the clarinet market. Compared to the Fluete and Oboe, there
is less a choice of manufacturer of clarinets. There are the "big ones"
as Buffet, Selmer, Leblanc and Yamaha. Other famous makers are Howarth
and Patricola and probably a few others that I do not know about. There
are also a few persons who make and sell clarinets in small scale (i.e.
the production are at a small scale - not the instruments them self!).

Traditionally clarinets were made as a pure and straight cylinder in
comparison with the oboe and the basson that are conical. Today most
clarinets have a bore that has smaller changes in size of the diameter
that makes intonation and tonequality better - this is called
"polycylindrical" and are favoured by classical music players. Jazz
musicans still sometimes use true cylindrical bores that also are a
little bit wider in diameter to get a "larger" tone - they usaually have
a mouthpiece that uses softer reeds and that makes it easier to change
the intonation with the preassure on the reed like a saxophone player.
Selmer also offers clarinets with a kind of reverse-conical (wider
uptill) bore.

Buffet (France) seems to be the leading producer of clarinets. Their
professional instruments are the "R-13" and the "R-13 Prestige" that are
the most common clarinet in the US, the "RC" and "RC Prestige", the
"Elite", the "Festival", the "Jazz Festival", and the "DG". Buffet also
makes student clarinets like the C12 and the E13. I do not know the size
of the bores on these instruments, but it is not only the with of the
diameter that is important - also the shape (especially the barrel and
the bell), the placement and size of the toneholes, undercutting, etc.

LeBlanc (France - Student line: Vito) also offers a variety of Bb
Clarinet. Their top of the line is the "Opus" with their "Concerto" and
"Iterniti" as seconds. The Opus and the Concerto also being common
choises among the virtuosos. Their traditional model is the "LL" and
their Jazz model is the "PeteFountain". Other
professional/semi-professional models are: Infiniti, LX2000, Espirit,
and the Sonata.

Howarth (England) makes a professional model (or several models?) that
also are available in Cocobolo wood - a very beautiful textured wood.
They might also be available in Kingwood and Rosewood like their Oboes.
("Standard" are African Blackwood on all professional clarinet - either
stained jet-black or natural warm black with some dark brown streaks)

Patricola (Italy) also makes two professional clarinets also available
in Rosewood that has more "grain" to it and are a little bit softer -
giving the sound a warmer quality by dampening the overtones a little
bit. The "A" model that is brighter and tha "R" model having a darker
tone quality.

Selmer (France Studentline: USA) Have their model the "10G" that is
common here in the US. They also make the "Recital" with reverse cone
bore and with an extra low F resonance key to help intonation problems
(like the Oboe). Their "Series II" is also a professional reverse
conical instrument. Intermediate clarinets are the French made
"Prologue" and American made "CL210"

Yamaha (Japan) offers four differnt "Custom" models: the YCL-CS, YCL-SE,
YCL-AE, YCL-CX all with different bore sizes and designs. Their YCL-64
also is designed as a professional clarinet.

Clarinets are offered in more models and bore designs than any other
woodwind instrument due to intonation problem through the scale. The
german Ohler system are said to have a better scale than the Bvhm
(Boehm) system clarinet common here, but are also said to be more
difficult to finger (?). Yamaha and Wurlitzer (German Ohler system
clarinet maker) have made instruments that are like the Ohler's in
bore-design, but have a Bvhm fingereing system.

Have I forgot anything? I am not going to tell you what clarinet I
bought - there are a lot of good ones out there and one should make up
ones own mind about the scale, the tone quality, the blowing resistance,
the mechanism, etc.

Hekan