Klarinet Archive - Posting 001024.txt from 2000/10

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] 1950s Buffet Crampton...any good?
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 10:25:23 -0400

I'm not intimately familiar with 1950's Buffets, so maybe I'm not the one to
best answer your question. If you provided a serial number, there might be
someone on the list who could respond from experience, someone such as Clark
Fobes.

An instrument that old could be anything from a slightly used, almost new
instrument that has spent a great deal of its life in a case to one that has
been played a great deal. A lot depends upon how much it was used, how it
was taken care of and the quality of repairs that have either been lavished
upon it by qualified repairmen or repairs that it has been subjected to by
real hackers.

I would suggest you find out as much about the history of this instrument as
possible.

If you get a chance to try it out, and if it has been sitting dormant for a
long time, be careful! An instrument left unplayed for an extended period
might have very dry wood that has shrunk somewhat. The rings, particularly
the ring at the top of the lower main joint MUST be tight or there is a
chance of cracking the wood right into the top tone hole (the one covered by
the pad of the lower ring key group). Also, if it has not been played for a
long time, there is a very good chance that the pads have been mined by
little critters that love to make a living tunneling through the skins of
the pads and into the felt (wool) underneath. They don't do this on
instruments that are played on a regular basis, just closet instruments.

Have a good repairman look at it before committing. He can give you an idea
if it needs a good oiling, if the rings need tightening, if the pads need
replacing, if there is a lot of key wear and slop that will need attention.
He can also give you an idea how much it will cost to put it in good playing
order, what it might be worth in "as is" condition, and in general, help you
make a wise buying decision.

Best of luck, and I hope this helps some.

Sterkel Terrance-W15462 wrote:

> I need to make a quick decision. I am returning to the clarinet,
> and definitely like the pro models, but do not have the $$ to match.
> I have an opportunity to get a 1950s buffet crampton.
>
> Are these any good.
> What should I watch for?
> What is the reasonable price?
>
> best wishes,
> terry
>
> {*}
> Terry Sterkel, P.E.
> Motorola Personal Communications Sector
> mailto:t.sterkel@-----.com
> +1 732 878 8662, fax +1 732 878 8001
>
> : -----Original Message-----
> : From: Bilwright@-----.net]
> : Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 9:58 AM
> : To: klarinet@-----.org
> : Subject: Re: [kl] A conductor
> :
> :
> : <><> I wrote:
> : Is this the type of conducting under which you would rather play? Or
> : not?
> :
> :
> :
> : This was a stupid and inappropriate question to ask on a public
> : list. I apologize and I retract it.
> :
> :
> :
> : ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> : Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
> : Subscribe to the Digest:
> : klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
> : Unsubscribe from the Digest:
> : Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
> : Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org
> :
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
> Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
> Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
> Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org