 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2001-04-08 21:23
I remember having seen a photograph of Giora Feidman playing a clear clarinet once. What make and model it was, I have no idea. Beautiful instrument, though... I cannot say that I have ever heard of Buffet making a clear resonite clarinet with red brass keys. Odd... I'd have to see it to believe it. -- Nate Zeien
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jo
Date: 2001-04-08 21:30
Yes, they did... I have seen it and heard it. It's an eye catcher if nothing else...
It's pretty cool but not really any better than any other Buffet student model. I think they stopped making them because they were so conspicuous.
Jodi
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2001-04-08 22:25
Yes indeed, I got to checking. Giora Feidman does have a clear Buffet B-12 clarinet. You can even check out the klarinet mailing list archives where people who own them have posted in the past. Again, although they may look awesome, they are still student model B-12's. I wouldn't put it past Feidman using it just to grab people's attention. From what I have read, when asked, he would tell them it was a crystal clarinet. Like Pete Fountain, the crystal mouthpiece has become a trademark. However, a crystal mouthpiece does work quite well for playing klezmer and jazz. A clear student model clarinet, on the other hand, is mostly for looks. Similarly, they make clear plastic mouthpieces made to imitate crystal. From what I have heard, they are crap. I think I will stick to my R-13. :-)
Also, take a close look at Feidman's album covers. He has no reed or ligature! This is obviously to show off and draw attention to his little visual trademark, the crystal mouthpiece. Hmmm... To tell you the truth, I think his bald head and beard are just as much a visual trademark. :-)
If anyone should come across a photo of one of these clarinets, let me know. I have been searching, and have not been able to find a photo of one, nor a photo of Giora playing one. Thanks. -- Nate Zeien
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette, Webmaster
Date: 2001-04-08 22:37
Nate Zeien wrote:
Similarly,
> they make clear plastic mouthpieces made to imitate crystal.
> From what I have heard, they are crap.
The Pyne Polycrystal is a fine student mouthpiece. I use one often.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2001-04-08 23:06
Hmmm... I didn't know Pyne made a clear plastic mouthpiece. The ones that I have heard of are considerably cheaper than the Pyne. I guess I should be more careful not to generalize... -- Nate Zeien
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Corey
Date: 2001-04-09 01:45
too bad no pic that would be an awsome looking instrument!!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-04-09 18:28
The clear B-12 has gold colored keys and is absolutely gorgeous. They gave one to the Metropolitan Museum in New York, where it's on display in the musical instrument area. Don't care much for how other B-12s play, though. I wish they'd make a Greenline R-13 or RC out of just the clear resin, without grenadilla dust. If they could make it clear, I'd get one just for the looks.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: beejay
Date: 2001-04-09 22:40
Ken,
I was at BC the other day and noticed they had Greenlines in all sorts of colors. Not transparent, though.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jack Swickard
Date: 2001-04-10 04:39
Ok all,
Nate and the rest are right. Buffet made a B12 clear lucite clarinet with rather copertoned keys. It also came with a clear (lucite/plastic) mouthpiece seems OK to me).
Yes Giora Feidman did use exactly such a clarinet to record the music on Schindlers list along with few other albums. He got the horn from Robert Gilbert's woodwind shop in LA (West Hollywood?) on La Cienega. He arrived in LA for the Schindler's list gig and chose it after trying a number of horns in the back room. I understand that he had it for 6 to 8 months and then returned it to the shop.
The clarinet sits in my closet and has not caused me to sound like Giora Feidman--like anything would.
You can see a picture of Feidman (not me) with the horn at:
http://lattitude45arts.com/artists/feidman/html
Best wishes,
Jack
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jack Swickard
Date: 2001-04-10 04:44
Excuse me--left the Feidman site listing wrong--should be:
http://lattitude45arts.com/artists/feidman.html
Sorry,
Jack
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jack Swickard
Date: 2001-04-10 04:50
Mark will kill me and I am already beat red but the feidman reference is:
http://latitude45arts.com/artists/feidman.html
Sory Sorry Sorry,
Jack
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: MAHamilton
Date: 2004-08-22 17:04
Attachment: CIMG1031.JPG (127k)
Attachment: CIMG1033.JPG (129k)
Are you still interested in seeing a picture of the Clear Plastic Buffet? I actually have one. Originally purchased new for my daughter back in mid '90. She played it only rarely as it stood out too much for the band instrument she ended up playing full-time. I have been searching for information on this clarinet for weeks.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2004-08-22 22:23
MAHamilton...
The clear plastic (lucite?) Buffet B-12's were a one shot production run by Buffet and by most accounts fewer than 1000 were made.
They often command premium prices by collectors, far above their original $200-$250 selling price.
Although they do look stunning (one is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and are relatively rare, they are still just a student line B-12 instrument.
I have never owned one, but did play one owned by a friend.
Actually it did play a bit better than today's Buffet B-12's but not worth the excessive prices which these clarinets often go for...GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2004-08-22 22:28
BobD ... an oxymoron it is indeed, as is this one, my favourite (taught to me in high school English teacher in the early 70s) "Faith unfaithful kept him falsely true"
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: MAHamilton
Date: 2004-08-22 23:14
Well I'm no expert and luckily only stumbled onto this site in an exhausting search for my daughter to find the value of this instrument. I appreciate your responses and apologize if I've stepped on toes. Thank you for all the info.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-08-23 00:21
A clear plastic clarinet would look fine if it were in a display case, never used
But once it has some lint and gunge build up, especially in the rather inaccessible undercutting area of tone holes, it would look decidedly gross!
The curvature of the outside of the instrument would serve to magnify the image of these deposits. Charming!
Neither would the tenon sockets look particularly appealing where there is an irregular film of cork grease.
(Perhaps the exterior of crystal mouthpieces is often made somewhat irregular especially to distort the light to hide the saliva running down.)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2004-08-23 01:24
Gordon ... erk.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2004-08-23 06:39
Yes ... in reference to seeing spitty bits slide down the see through clarinet guts ... erk.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
Post Edited (2004-08-23 06:39)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: kdennyclarinet
Date: 2004-08-28 04:47
I've played on one of these before. It really freaked me out at first because as I began playing, the upper section began to fog up (similar to how you can fog up a window on a cold day). I then played it if front of a mirror and proceeded to get a huge kick out of it. I can't imagine how gross it would look if played on a regular basis.... ew.
K. Denny
BME, MM, DMA
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: blazian
Date: 2010-05-09 05:15
Here is a page with several more pictures of the Buffet B12 as well as a C Albert Schreiber and a clear Selmer. Look in the left column.
I noticed there are a few pics from Woodwind.org and Dave S.
Oh silly me. Here's the link:
http://www.clarinet.bonnie-sue.net/
- Martin
Post Edited (2010-05-09 21:44)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
