 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: PaulIsaac
Date: 2014-04-27 11:20
Attachment: image.jpg (567k)
I have a Buffet Crampon grenadilla clarinet serial number F738XX which I purchased in Australia back in the early 1990s. According to the various lists available on the internet this makes it a 1962 R13 that was made for the European market. What I am curious about is an inscription on the bell that says "Sole Distributors Dallas London" (see attached photo).
I have researched some old threads on this forum that discuss this exact same inscription on various stencil clarinets (e.g. F.Buisson). Could it be that I actually have a stencil and not an R13? All sections of the clarinet are clearly stamped with the Buffet Crampon logo as per the photo of the bell.
Is anyone with a knowledge of Buffet or Dallas London able to shed any light on this please?
Many thanks.
Post Edited (2014-04-27 14:46)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-04-27 12:20
It has the full Buffet logo on it including the 'Made in France' bit which clarinets stencilled as Buffets wouldn't have, so you do have a genuine Buffet there.
I've got a full Boehm Buffet, serial no. F690xx which has the Dallas stamp on the bell which looks like it was done in haste in comparison to your Buffet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2014-04-27 14:27)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: PaulIsaac
Date: 2014-04-27 14:50
Thanks very much for that information Chris.
I gather Dallas must've been a big deal in the London music scene for quite a while. I'm not sure how popular Buffet clarinets were in the UK in those days but it would appear to be quite a coup to be "Sole Distributors".
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-04-27 20:53
See if the wood beneath the 4 RH pinky keys is cut away to accommodate pressing the keys. That's supposed to be the sine qua non for an R13.
B>
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: PaulIsaac
Date: 2014-04-28 00:15
Bruno,
There is indeed a recess carved in the wood under those keys. Thank you.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-04-28 02:22
Dallas were indeed the main importers of Buffet into the UK at that time, I think their main shop was in Charing Cross Road.
Buffet clarinets were not widely used here at the time as import restictions after the war made it quite hard to obtain any new foreign instruments in the 40s and 50s.
As a result Bossey & Hawkes had a relatively high percentage of the market until then. It was from about 1960 I think that this began to change and a move away from B&H started.
Once Buffet had a more significant share they took over the running of the UK operation themselves until the time that they were absorbed into the B&H empire early 1980s.
A similar thing happened to Leblanc and Yamaha instruments with both those initially being imported by Bill Lewington until their market share took off.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2014-04-28 07:58
Note that the F prefix to the serial number indicates that the clarinet is pitched at A=442
Bob Phillips
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: PaulIsaac
Date: 2014-04-28 12:26
Thank you for that valuable information Norman and Bob. Very interesting to hear about the history of Buffet in the UK.
Bob, now that you mention the pitch issue, I recall that is why my teacher, at the time I bought the clarinet, had me purchase a 66mm barrel and a set of tuning rings to flatten the pitch to A=440. I still use that same barrel, a DEG AccuBore B66. The clarinet is in perfect tune with the piano at my local church, where I do most of my public playing.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
