 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Hbullen
Date: 2012-02-27 03:50
Hello all, i currently do not have the funds to buy a R13 outright but i do not want to buy a E11. I am considering buying a very nice Pre R serial # dating it to about 1924-25 with the wrap around octave key. It was full refurbished with new cork, pads and nickel plated keys, i have been emailing Guy Chadash and he tells me to stop by with it and he will also take a look at it for me. Do you guys think it would be worth the purchase over a E11 or 13? also is there a downside to the wrap around octave key?
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2012-02-27 09:41
My experience is that pre-R13 Buffet's can be nice instruments, but that they are very much in line in terms of quality with the other vintage horns of their day. The improvements that made Buffet a household name came from/after the R-13. So don't pay too much for "pre-R13" Buffets (it sounds like you're not)
As for the wrap around register key, I play a few horns that have it and have had no issues (i.e., other than those associated with any vintage horn). I find myself having to be careful not to bend or knock the key out of adjustment, but that's no different than any horn (except that there's just more key to be careful of).
I also sort of like the looks/questions I get from other players regarding the wrap-around key....it's a bit of an oddity in the world of today's clarinets and labels one firmly "old school."
Good luck!
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-02-27 13:09
The downside to the wrap-around octave key is reliability. The key is long and easily bent and the pad more or less slides across the seat rather than closing straight down on it. As a result leaks become much more likely on this type of setup. The semi wrap around style used on modern German clarinets solves both of these problems while keeping the primary benefit of the design (putting the vent in a location less likely to get clogged with moisture).
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Author: John Peacock
Date: 2012-02-28 17:40
Based on the ones I've played, the mid-1930s Buffet instruments are significantly superior to the ones 10 years either side. My conjecture is that 1925-ish was too close to the end of the Great War, and that a new generation of technicians was still coming up to speed. The difference is noticeable in homogeneity of tone and particularly in tuning. So if you wanted a pre-R13 instrument, I'd go for as late as possible up till the start of WWII - say 1933-39.
I do think it's a pity when people plate the keys of these old instruments: the pure nickel silver polishes to a unique sheen, and the keys last forever. Once plated, they only last as long as the plating and then look tatty.
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Author: Hbullen
Date: 2012-02-28 22:32
The consensus is that the wrap around octave key would be slightly more prone to getting damage you all are correct and as Brad stated it does stand out which is something else that attracted me to it. as far as price the one i am referring to was around $600-$800 so I wasn't going to pay to much for it. As to John's statement it is very informing to know that the ones from the 20's maybe a little inferior, I had an opportunity to buy one that was dating at 1936 for around $400 but it needed a overhaul. Guy Chadash was going to do it for $600 but it also had a hairline crack in the barrell, at first it wasn't a big deal to me because i was considering changing the barrell all together but i decided against it but i am aquiring a great deal of knowledge now on which direction i should go in
Post Edited (2012-02-28 22:36)
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-02-29 03:40
In my opinion it's not worth the money unless you're buying it for the antique value. Chances are the bore has changed and intonation is all over the place, may not have been so good when it was new. The key work is probably worn and can take more money than it's worth to bring it into quality playing position. if you're buying it to actually play in an ensemble you're probably better off trying several E11 or 13s and picking out one that suites you best. I once had a student that had Guy work on an old clarinet for him and by the time he got it to play half in tune he could have purchased a really fine student model that would have played better in tune the what he ended up with. Of course that does depend on how it actually plays, tread lightly. ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-02-29 05:44
Hbullen wrote:
> as far as price the one i am referring to
> was around $600-$800 so I wasn't going to pay to much for it.
> As to John's statement it is very informing to know that the
> ones from the 20's maybe a little inferior, I had an
> opportunity to buy one that was dating at 1936 for around $400
> but it needed a overhaul.
Frankly that's an absurd amount to be paying for a pre-R13 Buffet. Old Buffet clarinets are almost always vastly overpriced. I place the value of a freshly overhauled and ready to play pre-R13 Buffet at only around $400 and then only if it proved to be a decent player. For the sake of comparison I recently picked up a K-series Selmer Paris but I only paid $100 for it and it came with a nice mouthpiece (Selmer Table HS**).
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