 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: 1958SelmerMarkVI
Date: 2009-08-04 04:16
Hello, I am new to this forum. I was hoping someone here might be able to assist me with identifiying the correct model name/number for this clarinet. I have done some looking at past posts by others that have helped, but didn't totally clear it up for me. It seems these can be tricky to identify.
So here is the story. This is a wood, key of A Buffet clarinet. I believe it is either a Festival or a Prestige. The problem is that it is missing the little oval shaped metal logo insert that is right below the engraved logo. As far as I know, and please correct me if I am wrong, the above mentioned models were the only two that featured this type of inlaid logo.
What is really confusing me is that I have read conflicting things about whether or not the Festival has a left hand Eb/Ab lever. My instrument does not have this. Buffet's website seems to indicate that both these models have this feature. Now I am wondering though if perhaps it was added as standard at some point after production commenced so that some (of either or both) of these models have it while others don't. This has been the main sticking point for me in trying to make an identification.
As for other potentially pertinent information, the serial number is 298,xxx. I don't see anything else that would indicate a model name or number. It has the standard engraved logo ("Buffet Crampon A Paris" in oval, Cursive "BC" and "made in France"). Keywork is silver plated. Again, it does not have the left hand Eb/Ab. The thumb rest is fixed, not adjustable. It has two Buffet barrels. One is stamped Moennig, the other has Chadash and appears to have been possibly hand engraved rather than stamped. The prior owner said she had that barrel worked on by Chadash. The prior owner did indicate to me that this was a Prestige, but now I'm not so sure. Either way it was a good deal so I'm not terribly worried about it, but would like to know all the same.
Thanks
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Author: Rob Vitale
Date: 2009-08-04 05:26
The Prestige and Festival do come with the left hand Eb, but bare in mind that this key can also be removed. Some people have them taken off b/c they don't like it. Look at the key posts for the Left hand B and C# pinky keys. If there are three posts, or two posts and a hole, then you have a prestige/festival. If there is only two posts and no evidence of a third post, then you probably scored an R13.
Being that the previous owner told you it was a prestige, well that would be good enough for me. Otherwise you'll have to get the bore measured to see which instrument it really is.
I looked up your serial number on the Buffet website. The clarinet was made in 1987. I'm pretty sure that these instruments at this time were coming out of the factory with adjustable thumb rests. Then again this also could have been changed for personal reasons.
Does the clarinet have metal rings around the tenons? If not, it is not a prestige or a festival.
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Author: 1958SelmerMarkVI
Date: 2009-08-04 05:46
Thanks for your very informative reply. It has helped by giving me some more things to look at, but I'm still a bit confused. Here is what I found. It does appear as if the Eb/Ab key was removed. The post hole appears to have been capped with a small screw of the same size and thread. As for the tenon rings I am a little confused. The lower joint has a metal ring at the top where one is always found. It also has a metal ring at the bottom. The upper joint does not have metal rings. The joints do have matching serial numbers though. I am pretty certain that it is not a standard R13 as it has the indentation where the little metal badge would have gone. I have not seen any evidence that any standard R13s had this. Or, maybe you were refering to it being an R13 Prestige versus an RC Prestige. All that being said, it sounds like the only way to tell the difference between a Festival and a Prestige is to measure the bore. Did I interpret that correctly?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-08-04 11:44
"Does the clarinet have metal rings around the tenons? If not, it is not a prestige or a festival."
It had the oval metal badge set into the top joint, so it's either a Prestige R13 or RC or a Festival as the other models didn't have this.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2009-08-04 12:57
If you try a serial number search on the Buffet site, you should come up with a model number. Let us know what number you find from the Buffet site.
Jef
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Author: RAB
Date: 2009-08-04 14:17
If you have the original barrel look at it. It might say "P13 660" or F13 660"
also on the bell it might ave the marking "P or F'
Hope this helps.
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Author: 1958SelmerMarkVI
Date: 2009-08-05 02:46
Thanks to all who replied. Your responses were very helpful. I ended up emailing someone at Buffet who kindly passed my email on to the correct person and I got a very quick response. It is indeed a Prestige, the R13 version and was manufactured in 1987. As someone suggested above the left hand alternate Eb/Ab was removed. Unfortunately I don't have it, but oh well. Not sure if the thumb rest was also swapped out as it does not have an adjustable one. Maybe they didn't do that in 87' though. I think the barrels (or at least one) are original, bu didn't see anything to designate the model on there. Just the numbers 1231 650 on the Moennig. Only the logo on the Chadash. Thanks again!
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2009-08-05 05:17
The numbers 1231 650 on the Moennig indicate a 65 mm barrel made for an R13 A clarinet. Neither a Moennig nor Chadash barrel would likely be original though the store that sold the clarinet might have swapped one of them out for the instrument's original barrel at the time of sale (unless 1987 is too early for those barrels). Stores sometimes do that to sweeten the deal.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: 1958SelmerMarkVI
Date: 2009-08-05 18:39
I wasn't sure whether or not they were original. They do both have the Buffet logo on them. As I recall, the person I bought it from said she had had one of the barrels worked on (can't recall which one) and she thought that the person she bought it from had the other one worked on. So maybe one or both were original and then modified by Moening and Chadash after the fact.
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Author: Rob Vitale
Date: 2009-08-07 14:55
Glad to hear you got an answer from Buffet. Congratulations on your buy. The tenon rings that I mentioned are the metal caps located on the male fitted tenon joints. These metal tenon ring caps are unique to these higher model clarinets. Their designed to eliminate the joints from rocking back and forth when the clarinet is assembled.
good luck and enjoy!!
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Author: Humsin94
Date: 2010-01-15 22:14
Hmmmmm, I believe you are wrong. Your instrument should be an RC Prestige. Why? Because you mentioned the lettering "RC" on the instrument + the metal nameplate. The Buffet site is actually rather inaccurate in it's serial numbers.
Btw, you should bring it in for an overhaul, replace the metal plate, and restore the instrument to it's former glory.
Buffet-Crampon Festival Bb
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2010-01-15 22:48
One way to tell it's ether R13 Prestige or R13-Prestige is that they have the register key 2mm lower than the Festival.
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Author: mats
Date: 2010-01-17 10:29
The rc-prestige has a bell that is shaped inside, for acoustic reasons. If you feel with your finger inside the bell and it is not straight but is slightly shaped inside it should defenitley be a rc-prestige.
Good luck...
Mats, Norway.
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