 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Fred
Date: 2000-11-05 03:46
How do you tell the difference between an R-13 and an R-13 Vintage in the 453XXX series? The sneezy list doesn't go that far - any idea when that s/n horn was made? Finally, any ideas about where to pick up an adjustable thumb rest for one of these? Thanks.
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Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2000-11-05 04:04
Fred, the R-13 Vintages have the word "Vintage" stamped in the front of the upper joint, right underneath the Buffet Crampon stamp. Also, if it is a fairly new instrument, even the list at the Boosey website won't go that far. You may try calling the company. I know LeBlanc is pretty good about that. As far as adjustable thumbrests go, I would not advise getting the Buffet style with the single thrumbscrew. These are constantly in need of tightening. I know that you can find come screw tightened somewhere, but I can't think of where right off hand... -- Nate Zeien
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Author: Fred
Date: 2000-11-05 12:23
Thanks, Nate. I have a chance to pick up a used R-13 at a good price, but it is missing the screw-in part of the thumb rest. Do you think I should just go for a standard thumb rest instead? It's always worked OK for me.
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Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2000-11-05 15:51
Fred, I would think that you could find a replacement screw without too much difficulty. You can find a good stationary thumbrest for not too much money, although a screw would likely be cheaper than a thumbrest. One thing to remember, though, is that the existing thumbrest will best match the plating of the clarinet. If you were to get a new screw from Buffet I wouldn't think you'd need to worry about this. One question, too - Do you still have the actual thumbrest portion? Also, Perhaps I've been a bit harsh on the Buffet adjustable thumbrests, although quite a few would agree they are poor in design compared to the other adjustable thumbrests. If its only the screw missing, I would try to locate a screw for it. Although they can be a pain, for some they can offer much more comfort. Also, I believe that the screw can be torqued or glue by a repair tech. This would resolve both the problem of having to tighten the screw regularly, and the risk of losing another. I myself have one with a nice fat piece of cork on it. If it weren't adjustable, I wouldn't be able to put such a thick cork on. Unless you get it torqued or something, it's a tradeoff between comfort and convenience. The screw couldn't cost too much. This would be the cheapest way to go. Give it a try, you may like it. If you don't, just get a stationary thumbrest and have it installed. Do keep the original thumbrest around though, it may come in handy. At the very least, you want to keep the original equipment in case you decide to sell the instrument down the road. -- Nate Zeien
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Author: Fred
Date: 2000-11-05 18:54
I'm afraid that I will need to replace the entire thumb rest, as all that is there is the flat plate with a threaded hole. So it's probably either replace the whole thing, or go with a stationary thumb rest. Sure wish I could find someone with a badly cracked lower joint that had been replaced under warranty!
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Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2000-11-05 19:46
Well, all you can do is see how much it will cost, and go from there. If you are perfectly fine with a stationary thumbrest, this would probably be your best bet. Good luck! -- Nate Zeien
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-11-06 00:44
I purchased the old Buffet silver-plated (A)dj. (T)humb(R)est (ATR) from Phil Muncy after trying out the newer flat model. This older model ATR has a contoured plate. e.g. where the thumb actually MEETS the rest. The contoured, older model ATR was pleasant & fit well, whereas my finger kind of bounced off Buffet's new model ATR. Aside from the design of the oval/round plate .. they work exactly the same.
NOW, for the **BAD** news ... the older model ATR was $75.00. One could also, check directty with Buffet, Allied, IMS, WW&BW & Fred Weiner. Buffet & Allied only sell to the "trade".
A bit of **BETTER** news ... Lars Kimser of the Woodwind Quarterly & The Music Trader has recently offered a deal to the Klarinet List. He will sell the Jupiter ATR for $20.00 including shiopping. I recentty tried the Jupiter ATR on as Model 931 & it seemed as nice as the Buffet ATRs. Not sure it was silver plated though. : _ )
This was not meant as a commercial endorsement of Lars, only as a means to say 55 geedas or simoleans. Lars can be contacted at the following address:
http://www.musictrader.com/clarinets.html
Good luck.
mw
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Author: ron
Date: 2000-11-06 00:52
Hello friends, the REAL difference between the R13 and the vintage is the bore. The vintage are copies of the old Buffets of the 1950's. Very different from the standard R 13.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-11-06 02:09
ron wrote:
>
> Hello friends, the REAL difference between the R13 and
> the vintage is the bore. The vintage are copies of the old
> Buffets of the 1950's. Very different from the standard R
> 13.
That's copies of the old R13s with polycylindrical bores. Buffet has, of course, made incremental changes to bores and tone hole placement over the years to correct some of the original design flaws (and, of course, introduced yet new design flaws!) Some people like the original design, warts and all, better than today's design.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2000-11-07 15:38
The Buffet R-13 has always had a polycylindrical bore, but it has had a number of design changes over the years. The Vintage model reproduces the original design.
There are two significant differences. First, and most noticeable, the outside diameter of the Vintage is smaller than the current model. This makes the instrument a bit lighter, but more than that, it feels more comfortable, at least in my hands. This may be due to the fact that the first R-13 I got was made in the older style, around 1960.
The second difference is that the register vent is slightly smaller and slightly higher on the Vintage. This means better intonation in the high register, at the expense of poorer tone quality on the throat Bb.
I played a couple of Vintage Bbs at the recent Buffet display in New York and liked them very much. It's definitely a different feel and tone from the current R-13/Prestige. Buffet quality control is much better now than it was in 1960. Some of the old R-13s were real dogs, and there was tremendous variation among them. It's rare to find a bad one today, particularly when you get one that's had Francois Kloc's Platinum Service setup.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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