 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-02-03 20:18
Attachment: P6250009.JPG (691k)
Buffet clarinets used to use natural cork for all key corks and tenon corks on their clarinets for a long time until the middle to late '80s.
Pros:
- Adheres well to shellac or contact adhesives
- Excellent for use as tenon corks (provided they're maintained well)
- Easy to shape and adjust by trimming or sanding
Cons:
- Creates too much friction on sliding linkages
- Not durable under adjusting screw tips or hard edged linkages
- Compressible
- Highly variable in quality and density
Then they changed to using a synthetic foam mixed with some cork bits called 'ArCo' (Artificial Cork') for both key corks and tenon corks.
Pros:
- Cheap
- Consistent
- Excellent silencing properties
Cons:
- High friction
- Very compressible
- Poor recovery rate
- Not easily adjusted by sanding
- Becomes sticky with use and age
- Poor adhesion to contact adhesives
- Structure is compromised by oils and grease
They then realised it was no good for tenon corks, so they went back to using natural tenon corks, but carried on using ArCo for the key corks, then changed to using 'SyCo' (Synthetic Cork) which is a uniform colour and texture foam which has no cork bits in it and resembles corn plasters.
Pros and cons are the same as ArCo. For linkages like the thumb ring to LH1 ring key and the LH F/C linkage, they used the much higher density and more durable 'RubCo' (Rubberised Cork - same thing as GummiKork or Tech cork which is also used as gasket cork).
Pros:
- Very high density
- Low compression rate
- Durable
Cons:
- Noisy
- High friction
- Not easy to adjust by sanding
- Low recovery rate (which could be to its advantage in certain applications)
- Structure is compromised by oils and grease
Fast forward to more recently and they're now using precut peel'n'stick self adhesive SyCo shapes for the majority of key corks, RubCo on the linkages and a lower density white foam block for the RH ring key stopper cork.
Pros:
- No scuffing up the sides of keys with pumice blocks during trimming
- Quick and easy to fit
- Relatively silent
Cons:
- Self adhesive layer fails and the 'corks' peel off or migrate.
- All previously listed cons.
For a while Buffet were using natural cork stoppers glued into recesses/blind holes cut into the lower joint under the RH E/B linkage and the LH F/C foot, then replaced them with rubber or neoprene stoppers.
Pros:
- Very durable
- Relatively silent
- good compression and recovery rate
Cons;
- Not the easiest material to finely adjust by sanding or slicing
- Can become sticky with oil contamination
As I can give Buffet clarinets far more bench time during a routine service than they'd have during finishing, I replace all their key 'corks' with more suitable materials glued on with contact adhesive depending on their role - the majority of stopper corks being rubco and a natural cork stopper for the throat A key (as that's easy to shape) and under the LH2 ring key linkage to raise it off the deck, teflon coated rubco for the LH1 and RH F/C key linkage overlevers and ultrasuede for the throat G# stopper, thumb ring, RH ring key foot, RH3 'sliver' key, RH E/B stopper, RH F/C crow's foot and LH F/C linkage foot for silence.
With just an ounce of thought, using the ideal materials with the ideal properties in the ideal locations makes a massive difference in how things perform. And it's not just Buffet clarinets as I use these same materials in the same places on all makes and models from pro level wooden clarinets to entry level plastic clarinets without compromise. Attached is a set of keys from a Yamaha Custom clarinet corked and felted in this manner, repadded with Pisoni Pro CLS synthetic pads and a couple of cork pads.
Just because a manufacturer does things their way doesn't always mean it's the best way - you always have the option to have improvements done regardless of what's been done before.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2025-02-04 17:54)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2025-02-04 11:03
I can't remember ever seeing a new Buffet with anything other than regular cork for tenons. Do you know when and for how long they were using the synthetic corks for tenons?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-02-04 17:44
This was in the late '80s/early '90s when they used the new 'wonder material' everywhere on all their clarinets including Prestige models. I remember seeing an article in CASS (Clarinet and Saxophone Society) magazine back in the early'90s about Buffet owners complaining about it and having to get their tenon corks and other key corks redone with natural cork due to the aggro ArCo caused.
Most notably was the thumb ring and LH F/C lever sticking because the underlever chewed through the synthetic cork and down to the glue layer which caused the stickiness. In the mid '90s I was forever having to replace these key corks on all Buffets and even did that as a matter of course on brand new ones so they didn't come back in around a week or so later with the sticking keywork problems.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2025-02-04 21:55
I don't know if they still do, but the Divine initially came with those gray (don't even think about using cork grease) tenon corks. The bore is an RC design and consequently plays a bit less dramatically (to US ears). Thinking that had something to do with the synthetic corks, I had those immediately replaced. It didn't help.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2025-02-05 10:02
>> Most notably was the thumb ring and LH F/C lever sticking because the underlever chewed through the synthetic cork and down to the glue layer which caused the stickiness. <<
Yes I've seen the various synthetic materials they use/used on keys that can become sticky and I'm used to replacing them...
>> This was in the late '80s/early '90s when they used the new 'wonder material' everywhere on all their clarinets <<
>> the Divine initially came with those gray (don't even think about using cork grease) tenon corks. <<
I think maybe they had one or two other models too that used synthetic tenon corks... not sure... vague memory...
...but generally for all their models, maybe it had something to do with where they were going to be sent/exported to? I've seen many (new) Buffet clarinets from that time and they all had regular tenon corks. My first Buffet clarinet from 1991 (also bought new) had regular tenon corks too.
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Author: JeradSchuppe
Date: 2025-02-11 17:48
The gray tenon corks you mentioned were a bit notorious for being tricky, with some players avoiding them or even replacing them with traditional corks due to the issues you described (like stickiness). It also makes sense that Buffet might have tailored materials for different markets or models—certain "geometry dash meltdown" climates, for example, could affect how materials perform.
Post Edited (2025-02-11 17:49)
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Author: crazyclari
Date: 2025-02-12 06:27
Yep they fell of even faster in Australia. My suspicion is that it would likely be about the money.
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