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Re: buffet festival

Author: Vytas
Date: 2003-12-08 02:48

clarisax,

You may find this interesting. Here are Mr. Francois Kloc's (Buffet factory rep.) answers to similar questions.

>>>Question<<<
1. Can you explain the differences between/main characteristics of the different Buffet models (R 13 (Prestige), RC (Prestige), Festival,...), at least theoretically, i.e. what sound characteristic is intended with a certain design? I read many contradicting descriptions of the sound characteristics of
the models: "The RC has a softer/darker/brighter/duller tone than the R 13" I don't understand this.
2. Is there a difference in the quality of the wood? On the Buffet homepage one can read, that one model is of "premium" quality wood, the other of "highest" quality wood etc. But is meant the same?
3. How is the different pitch (440/442) reached? Only by length of the barrel, or are there also other differences?
4. Is the letter (A or F) in front of the serial number equivalent to the pitch, i.e. A=440, F=442?

>>>Answer<<<
Dear Kirk,
I'll try!!!!
1) The Bore design of the Buffet clarinet is slightly different for each model, I'll try to find the easiest way to describe it. You have the Poly-cylindrical clarinet that Robert Caree invented in1950 and I should say it is the base. Then you add dimensions to make it work. This create a total volume from the top through the bell, this total volume include the tone holes, undercutting, register tube and thumb tube. At the top of the instrument you have what we call an entry cone, then a cylinder another cylinder and a flare another little poly-cylinder and the end of the bell big flare. All those ingredients are the total volume. Now you change one of the tone hole, you raise the register tone hole, you move a tone hole up or down and you change the way air travels inside the instrument and make it sound differently and feel differently. This is the recipe (you can add salt and pepper if you want :-)

Now the differences.
The R13 is known to be a focused and darker sound instrument than the RC it is because on the RC the design is different it is an instrument very popular in Europe little bit like the R13 here. The bore design of the RC is Polycilindrical bore upper joint and conical lower joint that mean that when the player put some air in the tube the air will go down very fast and will come back slower and make the reed vibrate slaower which is what European player like. Now The R13 is totally poly-cylindrical then the air will go down
fast and come back fast which give more resistance and it is apparently what the musicians in North America like.

R13 focused and dark sound
RC bright and less focused sound
R13 Prestige focused and warm or round sound
RC Pretige Warmer sound than the RC
Festival focused, dark and somewhat flexible sound

2) For the wood it is not really a quality question we cannot use not good quality wood or instrument will sound like a cream pot if we did that. We use different wood density which is the center of the tree is used for the Prestige Line because it's very dense. Around we the center will be the R13 and RC models, which will be less dense of course.

3) Just with the barrel length

4) Yes
Francois Kloc

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buffet festival new

clarisax

2003-12-06 03:38