 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Melsmusic
Date: 2013-09-04 10:36
Hello everyone,
I was wondering if anyone could help to date and identify the model of a Buffet Clarinet I have just had overhauled. I shall add some pictures later, but in the meantime, this old Buffet is only four piece, no barrel, it is in the key of Bb and has Buffet Crampon & Co A Paris with Brevete and something else underneath, possibly four characters long but unreadable, all the serial numbers are non existent i would assume from a lot of use and wear.
This clarinet sounds absolutely wonderful, really open as has the Chedeville mouthpiece though I do not believe it to be original.
Any help would be very much appreciated so Thank you in anticipation for your advice.
Post Edited (2013-09-04 11:45)
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Author: Melsmusic
Date: 2013-09-04 12:08
http://s1352.photobucket.com/user/westmusic-co-uk/slideshow/Buffet%20Clarinet
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2013-09-04 15:52
I have a Buffet A clarinet with same integrated barrel. It dates to ca. 1910. But it has a more modern thumb rest than your instrument. So yours may be older. Mine has a very large bore and plays easily with a pure tone. However not much resonance and intonation is poor compared to modern clarinets.
I believe I saw some historic commercial brochures from Buffet where these kind of instruments were the cheaper ones. The more expensive clarinets had separate barrels.
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Author: Melsmusic
Date: 2013-09-04 20:45
Thanks for your input, it is very much appreciated. I have to say though that I have not found any intonation issues at present, I sent it in for an overhaul/repad which was only £130 and with premium leather pads to boot, I would like to find out more info on this if at all possible.
Mel
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Author: efsf081
Date: 2013-09-05 02:35
Attachment: IMG_0107.JPG (579k)
Attachment: IMG_0112.JPG (407k)
I also have one Buffet clarinet with integrated barrel, serial number 325A, about 1885.
I found the serial number at the lower joint, upper then the thumb rest, by using a flashlight. Check attached file.
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Author: ned
Date: 2013-09-06 01:36
efs wrote ''I also have one Buffet clarinet with integrated barrel, serial number 325A, about 1885.''
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If one refers to the woodwind.org listing for Buffet, http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Equipment/HowOld/Buffet.html
the year 1885 is shown and a serial number [1a - 408A], so I guess that the clarinet as mentioned above is from this era and it's a Boehm system.
In my own situation I have an Albert system Buffet (circa 1918 I have been told on one occasion) it's serial # is 33911. This recent look at the list leaves me a bit confused though as I can't exactly where I'd find #33911 - perhaps it's 1922?
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2013-09-06 05:17
Ned,
I would suggest you look very closely at your serial number, particularly the next to last character. It's probably a letter, not the number "1." 33911 would have been made after 1945 -- far too recent to be an Albert system Buffet unless it was a custom-made instrument. On the other hand, 339I1 would have been made in 1913 and could be an Albert. 339L1 might also be a possibility, or any other letter with a straight vertical line if part of the letter was worn off, for that matter.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: modernicus
Date: 2013-09-13 00:26
Buffet made this style from something like 1860's until at least the nineteen teens I believe. Dolet, Couesnon, Martin Thibouville and others also made them. I have a 1906 Buffet e-flat like this with no middle joint also. Notice that these always have the straight register key so as to not foul the sleek looks.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-09-13 02:37
Chris -
In the slide show, one of the Buffet logos (on the mouthpiece?) has lightning bolts engraved above the logo, at the bottom of the lyre. Have you seen these elsewhere? Do they look as though they were added later?
To read the serial number more accurately, scrub it with a dampened toothbrush.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Melsmusic
Date: 2013-09-13 07:07
Ken:
The lightning bolts have not been added later, I was made aware that the mouthpiece could be Chedeville? I still have not managed to decipher what would have been stamped under the Buffet logo on the main section, the four digits which appear to have had "commas" either side. pictures 9 and 10 in the gallery.
I would appreciate if those of you who do have one, please advise if you have something similar stamped upon yours.
Thanks again for all the advice.
Mel
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