 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jay
Date: 2000-11-02 14:38
I want to buy a better horn for my daughter than the cracked plastic Vito that she has mastered. She is quite dedicated and will probably be playing her new Clarinet through college. I was offered a beautiful (to my mechanical way of looking at things) Buffet, unmarked as to model, Serial # 111998 for $1300. I talked the man down to $900, my daughter played it and liked it. It has a nice mouthpiece. My question is this: According to the Buffet website, under soprano clarinets, the serial # indicated a manufacture date of 1969. But when I plugged the same # into student clarinets, is came up 1977. How can a clarinet trogalidite like me tell whether it is an undesirable student model? And is it the famous R13? The man selling it represents it as a professional instrument, but not an R13. Help please someone!
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2000-11-02 14:55
If the instrument is made of wood and has no model markings, it's an R-13, from the most desirable period according to Clark Fobes.
Take a powerful flashlight and examine the entire outside outside of the instrument and also the ends of the tenons for cracks. Look at the bore in two places: the top end of the upper joint (to see if there is a crack intersecting either of the two metal tubes projecting into the bore) and the upper end of the lower joint (to see whether there is a crack in the narrow area between the bottom of the socket and the uppermost hole, or between the two uppermost holes).
Cracks are not the end of the world. If a crack is carefully pinned, the instrument is as good as new. Still, crack repair is an extra expense.
If the instrument is in good shape, you have a very good buy at $900.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-11-02 15:22
agree. I would add that you should take it to (another) woodwind repair person or clarinet professional for examination for defects.
please note that your daughter has been playing a clarinet of lesser quality (she herself has played this R-13 & likes it) however, at this stage of her development, she probably lacks the knowledge to analyze this clarinet properly for its intonation qualities. a thorough exam should be made with a tuner, preferably by a professional. e.g. her teacher or a local symphony musician.
finally, know this. I happen to own a couple of Vito plastic horns. I also presently own a number of R-13's. most anyone who played the Vito followed by playing the R-13, would remark that the R-13 "was a pleasure to play". the **SENSORY** differences for *me* are MANY. therefore, realize this & proceed accordingly.
notwithstanding the foregoing, this R-13 is priced (very) fairly @ $900, especially if its pads & corks are new. (assuming your daughter was a respondent in a similar conversation on this BBS of recent days, which detailed this horn's condition). I *would* have the silver or nickle plate keywork cleaned by the seller, too. (mention was made of light oxidation, which is not uncommon --- not a big deal, you could do most of it with a special cloth you can buy at most any music store --- but repair people can do it quickly, too)
best of luck to you & your daughter!
mw
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2000-11-02 20:57
Unless the keys look really awful, I would save the expense of polishing them. Shiny keys look pretty, but they're far too slippery, at least for me. I always tell the technician to leave my keys dull when I have my horns worked on.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Ken
Date: 2000-11-04 18:48
hmmmm, sounds like a toss up, but I wouldn't be so sure that horn is an R-13 as opposed to the lesser student model. I still own two R-13s I purchased NEW from Bill and Linda Brannen in 1972 (#118126) and in 1975 (#134121). Depending on annual production the serial number of that instrument seems to match up closer with the student line from 1977.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-11-04 19:01
All Buffets after 1955 or so either marked the model on them somewhere (E13, E11, B12, B10, etc.) or, if unmarked, are R13s.
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