The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Fred
Date: 2001-01-22 20:42
Well, since no one with knowledge will take a crack at it, my story goes like this . . .
The Buffet brothers, named after that famous style of eating establishments, foolishly accepted a bet from a trombone player that they could produce and market a clarinet free from the intonation problems that plagued all previous manufacturers (including themselves!) And thus they went to work . . .
Attempt #1 - ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!! A dismal failure
Attempt #2 - ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!! Another failure
. . . and so on, until they they finally shortened it and gave up after thirteen tries.
Thus you have the R-13.
(Yes, I know. The facts have been distorted beyond recognition and events have been fabricated. I learned how to do it on the network news.)
I'd like to know myself, but I don't think the designation actually originated with Buffet. Wasn't it the importer that tagged the Buffet's for the US market as R-13's?
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-01-22 21:16
Fred wrote:
>
> I'd like to know myself, but I don't think the designation
> actually originated with Buffet. Wasn't it the importer that
> tagged the Buffet's for the US market as R-13's?
Search the archives on that. As I recall the final results of the discussion and research, that was an unrelated model and the importer had a variety of designations for different key configurations. R-13 was one of those designations but this was *not* the instrument that was designated the R-13 in the 1950s when Buffet developed the polycylindrical bore. Buffet applied the R-13 to that innovation and was totally unaware of the previous use of the term by an importer. Also the importer designations were quite some time before that and I think they were dropped at some point prior to the introduction of the term by Buffet for it's polycylindrical innovation.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2001-01-22 21:21
Here's an extract, from the Boosey web site, that might give a clue.
"In cooperation with Robert Carrée, innovative bores were developed: the R13 bore in 1950 and the RC bore in 1975, leading to the launch of the professional "Festival" and "Prestige" clarinets."
Was the R in R-13 from Robert, and the RC from his inititials??
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Author: Ginny
Date: 2001-01-22 21:26
I thought it was the license plate humor number for Arthur Teen, a young clarinetist?
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Author: Jim
Date: 2001-01-23 03:58
I like Fred's story, kinda like the Model T Ford, and its available in any color you want as long as its black.
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-01-23 16:15
Yeah, well don't tell that to the fella out in CA who has the clear, lucite Buffet clarinet! Clear, lucite, BLACK ... NOT! mw
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Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2001-01-24 18:16
I always thought that they got the "R13" from the RESALE value of $1300 US
Bob A
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-01-24 21:38
Good thought, Bob A, maybe if someone asked B & H, we might learn! Carree has a US patent 3,865,005, Woodwind Musical Instrument, [ if I can find my copy] I believe it is on the polycyl etc bores. My thot is that possibly the French patent from which this came may have 1 and 3 prominent in it. Sheer guesswork, Don
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