Klarinet Archive - Posting 000002.txt from 1999/05

From: Sfdr@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] The History of The R-13 CLARINET
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 01:04:49 -0400

In a message dated 4/30/99 8:56:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
WesGoFrank@-----.com writes:

<< In a message to Francois Kloc from Alvin Swiney, Mr. Swiney states
"However,
according to Hans Moennig, the original design of the 22,000 series R-13
Buffet that Ralph McLane used did play in tune from the factory without
extensive set up work." The 22,000 series Buffets were made in the 1936-37
period. I note that Mr. Swiney quote identifies the Buffet that Ralph
McLane
played as an R-13. So there is no doubt that there was an R-13 as far back
as 1936-37.

Yes, the R-13 was around in 1937 and years before also. According to Hugo
Schrieber the former President of the Buffet Company. The R-13 was a stock
number assigned to the Buffet," Professional Model" Clarinet by the USA sole
importer Carl Fisher. This Company was the largest US importer of musical
instruments from 1900 until about 1936. You will find the Fisher name on
many instruments of that era such as Heckel bassoons, Rudall Flutes and
Buffet clarinets.

If the R-13 designation was an American designation, what was
the identical clarinet in the 22,000 series designated as for the remainder
of the world?

That clarinet was simply refereed to as the "Professional Model" according to
Mr. Moennig's records. I have all of the books, musical instrument
advertisements, brochures, tools and ledgers from the old Moennig shop in
Philadelphia. In the early days the Buffet name only went on the Pro Model
clarinet. There were no Buffet E-11, E-12, E-13, E-14 models or B-11 and
B-12 models during the days before World War II. During that time the
student model was called the Evette and the intermediate clarinet was called
the "Master Model."

It just seems too coincidental that Buffet would introduce a
"new" clarinet in the '50s as an R-13 in America when there was already an
R-13 [American designation?].

According to the late Harold Freeman, who was a clarinetist in the Chicago
Symphony during the 1920s and one of the first American dealers of Buffet
products, theR-13 bore design evolved quite a bit from 1900 until 1947. It
was a constant struggle for clarinetist and repairman to monitor and adapt to
"factory design improvements."
During my apprenticeship with Hans Moennig, I asked him to please share
with me his observation of the Evolution of the Buffet Clarinet during his
repair carreer(1923 through 1988) . I spent a great deal time analyzing his
bore dimensions and documenting his secret tuning techniques. This is what
Mr. Moennig said in response to My question:
"Alvin the basic design of the R-13 Bb clarinet as we know it today was
my invention. However I will not take credit for the Stuffy out tune A
clarinet. As you have observed by now, It takes me 25 hours to set up the
tuning of the bore and tone holes to meet the standards of Robert Marcellus.
I don't offer this custom tuning to everybody, but if you look at the major
orchestral clarinetists across America you will find my product in there
hands. The original prototypes was the horn belonging to Ralph McLane. He
came to me with his R-13 clarinet and asked me to make his second horn play
as well as his first instrument. I measured them externally and there was no
difference, I measured the bore and they were very similar. I measured the
tone hole cylinders and they were very similar. So I was in a true dilemma.
McLane asked me if I could somehow make the horns play the same and I did not
know what to do. So I decided to fill the tone holes of the best horn with
dental impression wax to make a mold of the undercutting. I then made
Impressions of the other horn's tone holes the results were drastically
different. The undercutting was much greater on the more resonant clarinet.
So I made a set of undercutting tools to reproduce these preferred
undercutting sizes. I still use them today, Alvin.
During the 38,000 series Buffet clarinet the bore design changed for
the worse thanks to the great idea of one of the French Engineers. The bore
of the lower joint was so large that if made the right hand notes go a
quarter tone sharper in pitch. I refuse to sell them anymore. After several
years of loosing the American market, the Buffet Company contacted me and
asked if I could get them back on the right track. So I sent them the
correct bore and tone hole dimensions By Bob McGinnnis who was going to
France for a visit. The factory used my dimension and sent me two free
Clarinets for my help. The instruments were with my dimensions of course."
At that point Mr. Moennig went to the safe and showed me the new prototype
which was numbered in the 41,500 series. According to Mr. Moennig the bad
bore clarinets (39,000 to 41,000), Were labeled "Academy Model" and sold as
student level clarinets until they were depleted. He then added, "Alvin can
you just imagine how rich I would be if I had charged Buffet $1 for each
clarinet that has been manufactured using my dimension? And all I got out of
the deal was 2 free clarinets. But I did make the world of Clarinet Playing
much better off and that has been confirmed by many great musicians of this
century. And After all I did get my name on a Barrel you know"

Buffet's answer just seems a little too pat.

I hope this answers some of the questions regarding the history of Buffet and
the R-13 clarinet. I also have a brochure on other Moennig innovations. If
anyone is interested please E mail me your street address and I will be happy
to send you a copy.

Thank you,

Alvin Swiney

Affordable Music Co.

P.O. Box 4245

Virginia Beach, VA 23454

757-412-2160 fax 412-2158

E mail sfdr@-----.com
>>

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