 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill
Date: 2005-10-26 21:33
I have a Buffet 21,000 series clarinet with the original mouthpiece, worked on heavily (facing and chamber) by Vytas Krass. This Buffet is an amazing instrument that baffles me, for I also own a Buffet 25,000. These two clarinets could not be more dissimilar, yet only a few years separate their manufacture.
The 21,000 series is not a large-bore clarinet. It plays quite in tune with itself, and with a focused, cold, almost "knife-like" (and sometimes screaming) quality. I realize I digress into the language of wine reviewers (the shadow of Dan Leeson's logic haunts me), but the clarinet plays more like a trumpet than most of the stuff I own. "Bright" is the word here (sorry Dan!).
Any Buffet 21,000 owners out there? (Any Buffet 25,000 owners?)
Bill.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
Post Edited (2005-10-26 21:35)
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-10-26 22:05
21,000 is from 1935. 25,000 is from 1938. Both are from well before the R-13 era, which began in 1955 at about 48,800.
I have 26,604, which is an excellent instrument -- very sweet. There were many outstanding instruments made in that period. Ralph McLane's instruments (of course, heavily customized by Moennig) were in the 22,000 range.
Instruments that old have almost all had the bore worked on extensively, particularly in the upper end of the top joint, down to the register vent. It's a crap-shoot whether they play well or are even close to in tune. They seldom have the original barrel, and those get even more distorted. Finally, current mouthpieces (including copies of old Chedevilles) are made to tune properly with the R-13 polycylindrical bore. I'm sure Vytas made his own adjustments and tweaked his mouthpiece to work well on your instrument.
Even more than with newer instruments, it's essential to play before you buy.
Finally, it's really hard to know what you sound like to an audience. What seems like screaming up close, and with bone conduction, may be a fine, ringing tone at the back of the hall. Try putting a friend with good ears at the back of a hall and alternate between your 21K and 25K. Let us know the results.
Ken Shaw
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-10-26 22:34
Ken Shaw wrote:
> I have 26,604, which is an excellent instrument -- very sweet.
I have 26,292, which was made just before yours. ![[toast]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley15.gif)
The wood is excellent and the clarinet plays with a very pleasant sound. After trying many different barrels, I finally decided to replace the original 1939 barrel with a stock R13 barrel from the 1970's...GBK
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Author: susieray
Date: 2005-10-26 23:01
I have 19,904 (an A) and 22,126 (a Bb), both full-Boehm, and I love them!
Sue
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Author: Bill
Date: 2013-06-08 18:03
I now have Buffet 19,764, 21,634, 25,061, and 29,976. What's amazing is that three of the four clarinets sound pretty similar. Yet the 21xxx is brighter and more focused (also easier-blowing).
What would cause this? I assume the answer lies more with the person on the Buffet assembly/finishing line than with anything else.
I like the 21xxx. It's very responsive and lively. The greater 'brightness' as such does not disturb me.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-06-08 20:30
Bill -
The barrel makes a tremendous difference. Try each of the barrels on all four clarinets.
Brightness works very well in performance but records poorly. Anthony Gigliotti and Alan Hacker were great in person but sometimes nearly unlistenable on recordings.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Bill
Date: 2013-06-08 21:03
Ken, I did use the same barrel (a new 66 Chadash) on all, just for the comparison. The 21xxx stands out.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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