Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2012-03-12 20:49
Hi Lorie,
I've looked at your pictures on Flickr and the photos on Steve Sklar's site. I'm not sure what differences Steve (G) is seeing. The clarinets look virtually identical to me. In any case, I happen to own an E&S that dates from the 1930s. Its serial number has an A prefix but, otherwise, it looks absolutely identical to yours. (More on this below.) Since you are not a clarinet player, the technicalities may not be clear to you but, if you print out our comments and take them to your repair tech, perhaps he can point out to you what we are talking about.
Steve notes the lack of an adjusting screw on the throat G# key. This was the primary characteristic I was looking for when I asked for photos. As he says, this characteristic indicates your clarinet was likely made in the 1930s or earlier. From here on, things get stickier. For a long time period, beginning in the 1930s or earlier and extending to the 1960s, Buffet marketed essentially three models of clarinet, the Evette (a student model), the (confusingly named) Evette and Schaeffer (an intermediate model) and the Buffet (professional model). Carl Fischer was Buffet's importer in the U.S. and, in their catalogs, they initially (AFAIK) designated the basic models as the E10, E13 and R13, respectively.
Vytas Krass, a repair technician, with support from another clarinetist and sometimes reconditioner and reseller, Susie Ray, was the first to suggest that some E&S clarinets were not made by Buffet but rather were made by Malerne, a large Paris woodwind manufacturer. He based his conclusion on two pieces of evidence: (1) a comparison of a somewhat later E&S (B-series) clarinet with a somewhat later Malerne clarinet that showed the two to be apparently identical in every small detail and (2) the existence of two different sequences of E&S clarinet running apparently simultaneously, one with a K prefix to the serial number and one with serial numbers with prefixes of A, B, and C (and, in your case, no prefix). He posted photos to back up the claim. His evidence is compelling. The A, B and C models all display Malerne design characteristics. And Malerne is well-known to have (ghost) manufactured clarinets for other instruments companies (Conn, Olds and Linton, to name a few). The K models, on the other hand are all quite different from Malernes. This has led Vytas to conclude that the K-series clarinets were made by Buffet in its main factory while the others were made by Malerne, then labeled as Buffets.
In all the literature that exists (or, in any case, all that I have seen), Buffet has always descried the E&S as having been made in their main factory in Paris. On the other hand, Evettes, according to Buffet, were made in a separate factory under the supervision of Buffet technicians. That the early Evettes (until around 1960) carried a label that read "Sponsored by Buffet" below the Evette logo, and that at least some of these instruments had Malerne characteristics, has led some to conclude they were either made by Malerne or, at least, in the Malerne factory. But, again, Buffet has always maintained that the E&S models were made in the main factory by the same craftsmen who made the professional model. This has led Vytas to conclude that the K-series were indeed made by Buffet but the others were made by Malerne. He has even suggested that perhaps Buffet's importer had the Malerne models made without Buffet's knowledge to help fill demand in the U.S. I guess that's possible but how Fischer could have gotten away with this for perhaps 30 years without someone at Buffet finding out is hard for me to fathom. Did Malerne make the spurious clarinets? Did they make the parts which Buffet then assembled? IMO, it has to remain speculartion but it is clear that the A, B and C (and no-) series E&S clarinets are quite different in design from the K-series models and strikingly similar to Malerne clarinets.
Which, finally, brings me back to your clarinet. I think that what you have is a very old E&S, probably made by Malerne. The lack of the adjusting screw, which, from what I've seen became prevalent in the 1940's, helps date it. Prominent characteristics that suggest it was made by Malerne (and your tech should be able to point these out for you) include: (1) the curved shape of the trill key guide (older Buffets are triangular in shape), the slight upward angle on the arm to the [edit: pad cup above the] top ring on the bottom joint (Buffets are straight), the rather wide rings, and the shapes of the upper and lower parts of the bridge connection.
I bought my A-series E&S before I learned what I have found out over the years about these older Buffets. It was among several Evette and E&S clarinets that I picked up inexpensively on e-Bay to learn about, recondition and resell. Once I had reconditioned it and played it (it was terribly stuffy and resistant) and learned more about its age and pedigree (even before I learned it was likely a Malerne), my conscience wouldn't let me sell it. It sits in a closet. FWIW, my first wooden clarinet was a new "Professional" Malerne, purchased for me by my parents in the late 1950s. It served me well for 12 years. IMO, if fully overhauled, it would still be an adequate student instrument but I know where it's been and how it's been cared for over the years. It was my daughter's first clarinet but, as soon as she showed some talent and interest, I replaced it with an early E11 that I had reconditioned. In the 1930s (or before), when your clarinet was made, it would have been considered an intermediate model (actually a step above the Evette, which eventually evolved into the modern E11). But the modern instruments bear little resemblance to their ancestors. The 80 or so years that have intervened since your clarinet was made have seen significant advances in design and have provided many opportunities for your clarinet's condition to degrade. One thing I think it does have going for it is that it was probably made from good wood to have survived this long. To be honest, though, I don't think you have a very good clarinet and I'm not sure giving it to your daughter will be doing her a favor. But that's just my opinion based on one clarinet that I own and several comments I have read over the years by other owners. I hope I prove to be wrong. But again I would recommend that you be very sensitive if she begins to complain about it being difficult or uncomfortable to play.
Best regards,
jnk
Post Edited (2012-03-13 02:26)
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