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Author: Dileep Gangolli
Date: 2009-04-28 23:15
Hey you guys out there in clarinet cyber land:
Can anyone with some knowledge of clarinet design tell me the differences (if any) between the Buffet Festival and the R13?
I have heard a variety of stories.
Also, does anyone have any experience with the Festival vs the R13 for intonation?
Thanks.
Dileep
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2009-04-28 23:34
A couple of obvious differences:
The Festival comes stock with two tuning barrels
The Festival has the auxiliary Eb/Ab lever key for the left pinkie
I think the Festival only comes with silver plated keys
EDIT: the Festival has metal tenon caps and Goretex pads
Don't know about differences in the bore (I think they are fairly similar if not identical) or intonation.
I'm sure others will chime in.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
Post Edited (2009-04-29 00:01)
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Author: Dileep Gangolli
Date: 2009-04-28 23:39
If there is no bore difference or difference in register tube placement, etc.
then how does it differ to a Prestige R13 which seems to have what you have outlined above?
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2009-04-28 23:48
One of the big selling points of the Prestige is the wood. I doubt it's worth the huge difference in the price, just for better wood, but I have never played a Prestige.
I will defer further speculation and let someone from the Buffet Mafia chime in.
One other thing...you might contact Walter Grabner directly about the differences. He's a very enthusiastic backer of the Festival model.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
Post Edited (2009-04-28 23:54)
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2009-04-29 02:22
Well I think the only difference between the Festival and R-13 Prestige is the placement of the register tube which is 2 mm higher on the Festival. That's why I don't understand why the retail price for the R-13 Prestige is so much higher than the Festival in USA. I've played both and for me the Festival has deeper and more powerful sound specially the low notes. It has also a little bit less resistance. For me I can get the same result with the Festival as on the R-13 as I can change the resistance feel with my setup within a larger scale. I like to have the resistance in my setup not in the clarinet. I've not tried many R-13 or Festivals but the resistance feel on my Festival Bb is more even across the register than on my R-13 Prestige Bb and A. Specially the A clarinet has some uneven resistance feel high up which can be a little annoying like now when I'm learning the Nielsen concerto.
If you contact Walter please ask him why the retail price for R-13 Prestige is higher than the Festival but is the same for example in UK.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2009-04-29 15:38
With somewhat limited experience, I think that Buffets are so variable that all their models overlap in the characteristics we would use to choose an instrument. Bad Tosca vs Good R13.
Hardly any use paying a premium for an off-the-rack instrument when a search through a couple dozen of any model is likely to discover a gem.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2009-04-29 15:54
I've owned Festivals and currently own an R-13. I liked the Festival, but every one of them I owned (I've had 3) seemed a bit brighter in tone than the R-13. I loved the extra key and the key-action and they (Festivals) seemed to be well-made. Intonation was good in all of them.
I think the difference between the Prestige and the Festival is, as mentioned above, the wood. The Prestige is made from the unstained Grenadilla wood that has been aged and then is made from the very best part of the wood. The Prestige (I've owned 1) seems a bit heavier than the Festival. I don't know exact details of that.
It is a good idea to purchase one from someone like Walter Grabner who hand-selects instruments for you. When I was selling clarinets (thus the large number of them I've owned) I had access to a huge supply of them through a dealer-friend of mine who owned a regional music store here in Texas. It makes a big difference to be able to sit down with 12 or 13 instruments and spend the day playing them to select a good one. I believe Walter goes to the factory (he may chime in here in a min.) and selects his. Since I gave up my clarinet business I've bought hand-selected instruments from him and give him an A+.
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Author: ABerry
Date: 2009-04-29 16:21
Dileep,
As Iceland states, the Festival register tube is 2mm higher than the Prestige or the R13. Due to that register tube placement, finding a mouthpiece that tunes well is more of a challenge than with the Prestige or R13. It’s my understanding the Festival was designed to be used with standard- (not Series 13) Vandoren mouthpieces such as the B40, B45, M30. I am currently using a Walter Grabner K14 and the tuning is pretty close.
As I own both a set of Festivals and R13s, I can tell you the Festival wood is much denser than that of the R13. I also agree with Iceland in that the Festival (at least my set) does have a deeper, richer sound than my R13s. After purchasing the Festivals, I had my wife (a vocalist), listen from another room as I played both sets. She would tell me each time which set I was playing. As she put it, the Festival had a more “professional” sound than that of the R13. I know many will disagree but that is her (and mine) opinion of how the Festivals compared to the R13 with me playing, using the same mouthpiece and barrel.
Allan
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2009-04-29 18:14
I have a Festival R13 in greenline and after trying many different instruments including the Vintage, prestige, and just standard one, I picked the Festival cause it had a little bit of a sweeter but rich dark tone next to the others. I love my festival and the intonation like with picking any clarinet, you just have to go through a bunch, or get Mr. Grabner to hand select one for you
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2009-04-29 22:26
Clarimeister- In Europe we get the followjng professional Buffet models:
Festival, R13, RC, Prestige versions of the R13 and RC, as well as Vintage and Tosca. But I have never heard of a "Festival R13". Is this something specifically for the American market?
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2009-04-29 22:53
Liquorice, I think that just referred to the fact that Buffet classifies the Festival as part of the R13 bore family. We don't have a Festival R13 here, either. At least not in the People's Republic of Michigan.=.
Jeff
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Author: Ryder
Date: 2009-04-30 00:34
I just bought a Festival A from Lisa Canning, and own an R13 Bb. From a VERY reputable source who is a Buffet artist, I was told the Festival is the same bore as the R13. The wood in the Festival is pretty much the same as that used for the Prestige. The obvious differences are the metal tenon caps, auxillary Eb, and 3mm movement of the register tube. I clearly remember 3mm, rather than 2mm. For me, the tone is warmer. I did compare Festival A's and R13 A's. The overlap in the Festival and Prestige is huge. I questioned about that and was told the price difference (since the bore shape is the only big difference) had to do with marketing and it was a long story. I didn't push any further.
All that said, I love my Festival.
____________________
Ryder Naymik
San Antonio, Texas
"We pracice the way we want to perform, that way when we perform it's just like we practiced"
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Author: jackchen
Date: 2009-04-30 02:04
The price of Festivals in the US is ridiculously low. In Europe and Asia, Festivals are sold at the same price of Prestiges. In the US, Festivals are sold pretty much at the same price of R13/RC.
I have mentioned this to a few professional players in Taiwan who studied clarinet performance in Paris and they were all blown away by this huge price difference. They told me that there was no difference in terms of wood quality between Festivals and Prestiges, and there should be no price difference, either. They finally believed what I said when they tested my Festival purchased from Lisa Canning. I also spoke to a retailer in Taiwan. They told me that they could not get a price that low directly from Buffet...
Because of this, I have purchased several Festivals for my friends in Taiwan...
They were, still are, extremely happy to get a Festival at the price of an RC/R13...
Post Edited (2009-04-30 02:08)
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