 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Brian Peterson
Date: 2006-10-05 22:42
In an archived post from a while back someone said something about the good quality of the pre R-13 Buffets in 1938 and 1939. Is there anything to that? According to the serial number, I've got a lead on one from what appears to be mid 1939. Plays pretty well for needing an overhaul. Just wondering if for 5 C's it might be worth a chance.
Thanks
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Author: Bill
Date: 2006-10-06 00:05
What are "5 C's"?
Buffets from this era have relatively wide bores. I have a Buffet 25xxx (from 1938). Rather wide bore (for a Buffet), very fluid and flexible. Intonation is poor. Tone is gorgeous.
From everything that's been said on this BB in the last week about "hand-made" Buffets from mid-century, it would seem the answer is "Yes!"
Bill.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
Post Edited (2006-10-06 03:08)
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Author: Brad Behn
Date: 2006-10-06 14:55
In my experience, Buffet clarinets from that era can be nice sounding, but I would check tuning carefully. Unfortunately I have not found an instrument made before 1950 that has good enough intonation to keep. I imagine they exist, but I have not been so fortunate.
If the lower joint tone holes are undercut too much (fairly common in that era), combined with the larger bore dimension, the fundamental can end up rather sharp (especially when playing softly). If you don’t have the instrument in hand, perhaps you could ask the person who has it to sight down the bore of the lower joint and compare the size of the undercutting to a modern Buffet. This is only a surface check as the voicing of the toneholes is done in conjunction with the nature of the bore and a visual inspection probably won’t be enough.
Also, I have found these instruments rather inconsistent, so it is really best advised to play it and listen to its character. You may find it an excellent instrument for your tonal concept, or on the other hand, maybe not. For me, they tend to have a warm and colorful sound that isn’t so much powerful as it is sweet.
These instruments tend to be rather flexible in tone and intonation, allowing one the freedom to move around more than on modern clarinets. But, if you don’t have a fine tuned natural intonational sense, or if you don’t trust your “ear” this added flexibility could cause one to get into trouble.
Based on my experiences with old mouthpieces and clarinets, I feel strongly that clarinetists used much lighter setups back then. Pre-war Buffet clarinets had a wonderful ability to hold the sound and resonate in a way that would allow the player to use a rather light reed and still have power and strength of sound. A lighter reed also helped their intonation. If you prefer hard reeds, I don’t know if this clarinet would be your ideal choice.
Five hundred dollars seems a little high for an instrument of this era. I have seen them on Ebay for less, but if it plays in tune and produces a sound and feel that you love, it is worth it.
Brad Behn
http://www.clarinetmouthpiece.com
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2006-10-06 15:15
It's worth $500 if, and only if, (1) it's in tune, (2) it hasn't been altered and (3) it's in good condition.
For an intonation check, bring along a tuner, Saran Wrap and a friend with strong fingers. For leaking pads, put the wrap beneath them and have the friend press the keys shut tight. The friend, not you, should look at the tuner. Even if the instrument sounds gorgeous, if it's out of tune it's worthless.
The original bore of these instruments had a high polish. To check for alteration, look down the bore of the upper joint. If the area above the register vent is dull, it's been altered. (Almost all instruments from that period have been altered.) An altered instrument is very unlikely to play well or in tune.
Almost all barrels from that period have been altered, and instruments from the period are unlikely to have their original barrels. Bring along a Moennig or Chadash-taper barrel (borrow one if you have to) to give the instrument a fair test on intonation.
Any silver rings that aren't on the standard model (including in sockets)mean the instrument has cracked severely and that even pinning hasn't worked. Extra rings constrict the bore and almost always mean that the tone won't have the resonance needed for solo or orchestral work.
Bring along an old toothbrush and a paper cup to fill halfway with water. Dampen the toothbrush and scrub all the crud off any spot that looks cracked or might be cracked. Pay particular attention to the ends of the tenons and the tops of the sockets, plus the edges of tone holes and around the register vent. The thinnest wood on the clarinet is at the top of the lower joint, between the bottom of the socket and the top of the pad-covered hole. Look at that carefully, as it's nearly impossible to fix a crack there.
For a playing test, check how well the instrument binds together large intervals. This is partly a test of how well the pads are covering, so test with notes that only use the upper part of the bore.
Finally, instruments from that period have a less stable pitch and tone than those made today. You have to PLAY them in tune, with the sound you want, rather than just letting them play.
Good luck.
Ken Shaw
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