 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: wannabeclarinetist
Date: 2012-03-25 21:32
Hi! Well, I'm trying to identify my current clarinet. When I was in middle school, my band teacher got me a used Bb clarinet on EBay. I was starting to show lots of promise, so he got me a "good" wooden Buffet-Crampon. The problem is, he never told me exactly what model it is! Now, I would like to know what it is, because I've been using it for years and it has worked very well for me. My private teacher has no idea, either.
Some defining characteristics:
1) It came with a soft, weird case which zips up all the way and has a huge pocket on the front of the case. It looks like it used to have some sort of logo stamped on it, but it has rubbed off.
2) The mouthpiece and ligature are not helpful because they were obviously bought separately (Rovner ligature and Vandoren mouthpiece).
3) The serial number is 644***, six-digits (I looked it up on charts, and it must be a newer clarinet. I doubt it is an R-13).
4) It has an adjustable thumbrest, and no "crow's feet" carved under the right hand pinkie keys.
5) The bell has a metal ring and a typical Buffet-Crampon logo but nothing more, the barrel a logo that was partially rubbed off, the top joint a logo and the words "International", and the bottom joint just the serial number near the thumbrest and "Made in Germany". This is very puzzling, because I believe most Buffets are made in France, no? The clarinet has no model symbols like "E-11" or anything stamped around the logos, either.
If anybody could help me identify it, that would be wonderful! If it helps, my high school band teacher (not the same one who bought the clarinet for me) had the same clarinet, same case, same model, but he wasn't sure what model his was, either.... So I'm guessing it's not a student model.
Thanks!
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2012-03-25 23:43
You have a Buffet "International," model, also designated as a C13. I don't know much more about it. It was apparently an intermediate model made in Germany, probably a step above the E11 but, it if was, I don't know specific differences between the two. (It could also have been essentially the same clarinet as an E11, re-branded for a different market or particular sales outlet.) I did a quick search on this site and the internet. I couldn't find much apparently reliable information. If you search this site for "Buffet International" and "Buffet C13" (without the quotes), you may unearth something useful but read widely and with an attitude of skepticism. A lot of what I found sounded like the posters didn't really know what they were talking about. But I did not dig deeply.
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Author: wannabeclarinetist
Date: 2012-03-26 03:29
Alright, thank you! The "International" was written in curly script, in the same font and color as the logo, so I was not sure whether that was the model or just a part of the logo itself. Thank you!
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