 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: alisdair
Date: 2007-04-23 12:56
hello all,
i am new to the board and new to the clarinet so please excuse me if i come across a little wet behind the ears.
i have recently bought a clarinet on ebay and i'm interested whether what i have is a complete original instrument or multiple pieces of others. can anybody please help me identify this?
the barrel does not have any markings although the metal collars are identical to the rest of the clarinet. the upper joint is marked with an evette logo and words buffet crampon beneath this. appears to be made of wood... although it is rather tricky to be sure! there are no other markings or serial numbers. the lower joint has no logo but has a serial number 186807 and the words 'Made in W Germany'. the bell has the same logo as the upper joint
also there are a number of small blemishes on the upper joint... best way to describe them without a pic is if the clarinet had a mole. what does this mean?
thanks very much in advance!
alisdair
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-04-23 13:01
This is a Buffet Evette - these wooden Evettes were renamed Buffet E11 in the mid-'80s, though they are still made (as yours is) by Schreiber in Nauheim. The B&H 'Regent II' and plastic Evette are both the same clarinet as the Buffet B12 - again made in Germany by Schreiber for Buffet.
The small blemish could be a filled worm hole - when the wood was still a tree, some kind of hardy beetle larvae with incredible mandibles managed to bore it's way into the heartwood.
If the blemishes are a series of raised bumps, it could be where the joint has been pinned, and the steel pins may have rusted causing the surface bumps.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: alisdair
Date: 2007-04-23 13:29
thank you for your quick reply!
i have checked the number on the serial number history check at buffets website and this suggests it is an r13 from 1978. could this mean the lower joint is different? or is this tool unreliable?
alisdair
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Author: Douglas
Date: 2007-04-23 13:44
No, you do not have an R13. An R13 is never labeled Evette nor is an R13 ever marked made in W. Germany. Read again what Chris P has written...it is correct.
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Author: alisdair
Date: 2007-04-23 13:46
thanks very much - this is still all good i am quite happy.
kind regards,
alisdair
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-04-23 14:20
The serial numbers for the Schreiber-built Buffet clarinets will be stamped in Germany and follow Schreiber's system, which is completely seperate from Buffet's own system stamped on clarinets made by them in France.
When the B&H group were going under the title 'The Music Group' they had a more comprehensive serial number search engine which specified the type of instrument - student Buffet clarinets or pro Buffet clarinets so you could get a definitive year of manufacture. But the group has split, and the search engine was also scrapped (save for Buffet pro clarinets), so finding any truthful info on serial numbers that hasn't already been documented elswhere online is a problem.
The only differences between your Evette and the current E11 are:
Your one has much better made keywork (though it's nickel plated), adjustable (headless) point screws, the wood may not be painted with matt black paint and a fixed metal thumbrest.
The current E11 has silver plated (and slightly utilitarian-looking) keywork, locking point screws (not my favourite design), adjustable thumbrest, black painted wood, printed logo (not stamped into the wood).
If this is your first clarinet, it's a good place to start and will last you much longer than a plastic B12 or similar, so when it comes upgrading several years down the line you'll probably go for a pro model - eg. Buffet R13/RC, Yamaha CS/SE/AE or Leblanc Concerto - or anything similar depending what you like best.
And Schreiber clarinets and bassoons have no connections with the Schreiber company that make kitchens - even though some of their bassoons used a kitchen cabinet door clasp to lock the tenor and bass joints together!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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