 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Al
Date: 2001-09-01 16:39
The seller says that this is a clarinet in A.
Have you ever seen an A clarinet with a low Eb key? The third ring fork and the articulated G# are credible,.... but a low Eb? That would take you down to a low C.
Al
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Author: Wes
Date: 2001-09-01 17:07
Yes, this is an exact duplicate of a fine Buffet A clarinet that I own, which was made in 1921. It was ordered new by Mr. Tarantola who played in the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and I bought it and the like Bb from his widow in 1951. Mine have the original barrels. The wall thickness on these clarinets is less than a R13 and the bore is different, therefore the sound, while very good is not quite the same as an R13.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-09-01 18:50
Al wrote:
>
> The seller says that this is a clarinet in A.
> Have you ever seen an A clarinet with a low Eb key? The third
> ring fork and the articulated G# are credible,.... but a low
> Eb? That would take you down to a low C.
> Al
Actually I've heard of such models but have never seen one.
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Author: Josh
Date: 2001-09-01 18:52
I've seen quite a few FB A clarinets, and I believe that most manufacturers will make on on special order, and I know that Amati's standard A clarinet is an FB with low Eb...I guess people just don't buy them
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Author: Mark P.
Date: 2001-09-01 21:21
I actually have two Buffet A FB Boehms with the low Eb key
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-09-02 00:54
Al, NO ... before I posted this ... I had NEVER seen a FB A either. mw
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Author: Rob
Date: 2001-09-02 01:50
I have an FB in A, and there was a Selmer 10S FB in A offered up on ebay a few weeks ago. Also, on the Buffet website, they offer the RC as an FB model and they don't indicate anywhere that it's only available that way in Bb.
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Author: Al
Date: 2001-09-02 15:07
Well, It seems that there are clarinets in A with low Eb keys. Live and learn! (I guess they could double viola parts.)
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Author: Pam
Date: 2001-09-03 03:10
We double viola parts frequently on our Bb horns in the church orchestra. Sometimes transposing a string part is better than not playing!
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2001-09-03 14:38
I don't have time to look for it but I believe there is a post on the Klarinet list (possibly from Dan Leeson) noting that there are a few instances where a composer actually called for this note (Prokofiev and possibly other Russian composers if my memory serves.)
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-09-04 17:24
The instrument has the "doughnut" key for the left middle finger, which Buffet used instead of the extra tiny hole for the left-hand fork Eb/Bb mechanism. I'm not sure when Buffet stopped using the doughnut key, bit it was certainly fairly early in the 20th century.
The articulated C#/G# mechanism is mounted on the same rod as the right-hand ring keys. They changed to a separate rod around 1930.
It has the wraparound register key and appears not to have the left little finger lever for G#/Eb.
I've asked the seller for the serial number. When it arrives, we'll know the date of manufacture.
The missing original barrel takes some value away. You can't use a contemporary Buffet barrel, either, since the bore is different. Presumably someone like Chadash can make an appropriate barrel.
I've played a couple of old Buffet A clarinets with the low Eb and found them to have intonation problems. The low Eb sounded blatty, and the middle Bb was way out of tune. The extra length seemed to throw things off. If I bought it, I'd want a return option.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Jim lande
Date: 2001-09-05 01:28
I just asked seller for the length. I once borrowed an extremely lovely pair of buffets that were constructed just like these (except no donut key) and based on serial numbers, were made in the 1930s. One was imported by Bettoney and one by Fischer. Unfortunately, they were high pitch. I don't recall them being blattey. However, high pitch is a whole lot worse.
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