 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: mer1206
Date: 2004-01-14 20:57
I'm looking into buying a new horn and was wondering if it is better to us an older one that is nice and broken in or if it's better to get one a nice, shiny one right out of the box? I'm probably going to get a Buffet R13. Thanks for any feedback.
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2004-01-14 21:28
I don't think "new" or "used" really has any bearing on quality, as long as the used example hasn't been horribly neglected or run over by a steamroller or something. What you need to find (especially if you're thinking R-13) is one that plays in tune, ha s evenness of scale, plays 12th intervals evenly and allows you to produce your best sound. With any random bunch of new and used horns, you can find used ones that play wonderfully and new ones that make you recoil in horror. And vice versa. So try as ma ny as you can. The best of the several Buffets I tried last year turned out to be a five-year-old R-13, which I ended up picking over new R-13s, Festivals and a used R-13 Prestige. Even GBK, our co-moderator and resident Buffet Mafia capo, scoured the globe for his newest 1972 R-13, which I believe is now the pride of his mighty Buffet fleet.
Don't know if you're a believer in clarinet "blow out," but if you are, you may want to stick with new horns or very lightly used ones.
Good luck.»o
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
Post Edited (2004-01-14 21:40)
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-01-14 23:59
Ralph G wrote:
> Even GBK, our co-moderator
> and resident Buffet Mafia capo, scoured the globe for his
> newest 1972 R-13, which I believe is now the pride of his
> mighty Buffet fleet.
Actually, the "pride of my fleet" (nice terminology!) is the above mentioned 162xxx R-13 Bb (1975 - New York via Los Angeles) , along with 2 other very superb ones: a 96xxx R-13 Bb (1967 - bought new in NYC), and my latest acquisition (from Oklahoma via Pittsburgh) a 86xxx R-13 A (1965).
As Ralph says, intonation is paramount in choosing an instrument. Any clarinet is relatively worthless if it doesn't play in pitch with itself ...GBK
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Author: diz
Date: 2004-01-15 00:42
Oh that I had such feelings of brand loyalty as our beloved GBK ... sigh. Actually, I seem to remember my old high school bass clarient was of the Buffet variety (70s model) and it was a lovely instrument, to be sure.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
Post Edited (2004-01-15 00:45)
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Author: mer1206
Date: 2004-01-17 01:33
I haven't heard about clarinet blow-out. Are there any other suggestions besides an R-13? My previous teachers wanted me to get and R-13 but I have always been partial to LeBlanc. How does their Concerto or Opus compare to the R-13? I saw a professional level Yamaha on Ebay and don't have much knowledge of them either. I'd like to make the best decision possible without regard to the brand. Thank you for your help!
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Author: hans
Date: 2004-01-17 02:08
mer1206,
You can read about clarinet blowout here:
http://www.naylors-woodwind-repair.com/GrenadillaWood.htm
Hans
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-01-17 12:50
The concerto is a bit higher level than the R-13. Of course this is just by company standards. The R-13 is buffet's "Entry Level" professional Model. So Leblanc would have the "Sonata" as the R-13 equivalent.
For Buffet, the next step up would probably be an RC or Prestige. For Leblanc, it's the concerto. Then it gets a little wierd with all the different models available.
You'll find many professionals playing Concertos, Opuses (Opi?), and other leblanc instruments. Go to www.gleblanc.com and check out the clarinet artists. Buffet of course has many more artists on their website (which for the life of me I can't EVER remember off the top of my head without a google search) but keep in mind that buffet simply has a lot more clarinets out there. So the more professional clarinets you have roaming the earth, the more professionals there are that are going to play on them.
R-13's are the most popular, and so many people recommend them. It's like a person recommending you to use a certain computer operating system that is out there (Windows). It's the most popular, so most people are going to use it and recommend it to others.
It doesn't mean that other brands won't work. First, I would consider money. Let's face it, for many of us, the all mighty greenback is what allows/forbids us certain luxuries. What can you afford?
Then look at the ones you can afford, and go test them out! Then pick the best.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2004-01-19 18:29
sfalexi wrote:
"The concerto is a bit higher level than the R-13. Of course this is just by company standards. The R-13 is buffet's "Entry Level" professional Model. So Leblanc would have the "Sonata" as the R-13 equivalent.
For Buffet, the next step up would probably be an RC or Prestige. For Leblanc, it's the concerto. Then it gets a little wierd with all the different models available. "
Just judging by UK prices, the R13 and RC cost exactly the same, and the Concerto is very similarly priced too. The Sonata costs MUCH less.
The Buffet R13-Prestige and RC-Prestige are priced similarly to the Leblanc Opus.
Are the pricing structures in the US completely different?
Much as I would like to believe that my new Concerto is "a bit higher level" than the R13......
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-01-19 20:45
I wasn't really going on prices so much as the what's advertised in a "pro" line. The entry level pro instrument for leblanc (regardless of price) is the sonata. The entry level pro instrument for buffet is the R-13. hence they are equivalent. A step up from the R13 is the prestige (and I believe RC, but I could be wrong). A step up from the sonata is the concerto. This is just based on how items are listed in their advertisements. In the leblanc book I have, it goes from the "top of the line" downwards. So, in the exact order they are advertised, it goes,
Symphonie VII (rosewood opus)
Opus
Concerto
Infinite
Esprit
Sonata
with the latter three being considered "entry-level professional instruments"
I don't have any buffet specific literature, but from what I've heard it goes, from highest to lowest,
Elite
Festival
R13/RC prestige
R13/R13 vintage/RC
And there are probably TONS of "pro level" buffets I left out (including the greenlines of each version and the new Tosca which I don't even begin to imagine where to place it), but I was just showing that the concerto really is the second step of leblanc pro models whereas the R13 is the first step of buffet models.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2004-01-20 08:29
sfalexi - I suggest that one should ignore what designation the manufacturers give. If "pro instrument" means anything at all, it means an instrument that is used in significant numbers by pros. I doubt that you would find many pros playing Leblanc Sonatas.
You also contradict yourself when you say that the Concerto is "a step up from" the Sonata. There is at least one other model, the Esprit, in between. On the basis of UK prices, the Esprit is equivalent to the E13 and the Sonata to the E11. The fact that Buffet don't describe the E13 as a pro model does not make it worse than the Sonata. It just means Buffet are being more honest.
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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