 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2010-03-03 13:17
Is there a certain age to avoid - like, if its over 20 yrs old look for something newer? or 10 or 15?
also, I was looking on a website and it said the Bb clarinet (Buffet) was from the late 40's to early 50's, but when I put in the serial # on the Buffet Website it came back as manufactured in 2000. The A clarinet that was with the Bb as a set came back as 2001.
I kinda have my doubts that the person selling the clarinets is wrong on the age - but why did the Buffet site give me those manufacturing dates?
I was planning to use the site to check out manufacturer dates on used clarinet I was interested in buying and now im not sure I can rely on it.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2010-03-03 13:53
That happens sometimes - the Clarinet is most likely the age as described (for sure!!).
The big thing is that the keys are in good shape. Older clarinets can be really loose with the keywork so that is a concern more than the wood to me. I prefer the 60's as really good vintage models, some 70's too, but not as much as the 60's.
I do also believe in blowout - but that is due to the top of the clarinet not being properly dryed and the wood changing (rotting) at the top right under the barrel area.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2010-03-03 21:09
The Buffet serial number lookup does not go back to the late 40's early 50's for professional models. The instrument returned when you entered the serial number was probably an E13.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: GLHopkins
Date: 2010-03-03 23:11
If the clarinets were made in the 40's to 50's the serial numbers would be 5 digits in the 27,xxx to 45,xxx range, or there abouts. If the clarinets were made after 1997 the serial numbers would be 6 digit, and be higher than 440,xxx.
E-13 clarinets made from the early 60s until now have a "K" prefix.
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Author: jasperbay
Date: 2010-03-04 02:33
I'd look for a wood clarinet made after, say 1960, as mentioned in a previous post, that has been recently repadded and has sound cork at the joints. Most important though, would be the absence of cracks (or repaired cracks unless the price is really too good to pass up). I'm fairly certain that a 1960 wood clarinet that has seasoned and remained crack free this long is a lower risk to crack in the future than, say, one made in the last 5-10 yrs. The serial # list on the clarinetperfection.com site cover all major makers, including Buffet and the rest of the Big Four. Good Luck, Clark
Clark G. Sherwood
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2010-03-04 18:36
"E-13 clarinets made from the early 60s until now have a "K" prefix."
While this is true, when Buffet set up their most recent serial number database, they omitted the prefixes. To find the date of an E13 (or its predecessor, an Evette and Schaeffer), one enters the instrument's serial number without the prefix. As a result of the way Buffet set up its database, entering the actual serial number from a particular instrument may return data for multiple instruments or it may return information about a different instrument, entirely. It's important to look at the model identification of the instrument(s) returned.
Looking at the numbers in the list on this website, though, I see that the serial number of a professional soprano clarinet made in the late 40's or early 50's would be too low to apply to an E13 from around 2000. So, Janlynn, the information you saw at the Buffet site was probably for a harmony clarinet (alto, bass or, possibly basset horn). Try looking up the serial numbers here:
http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Equipment/HowOld/Buffet.html
Best regards,
jnk
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