 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Michael GC
Date: 2020-10-05 18:20
Hi -- I just now registered for your site upon the recommendation of a gentleman who refurbished my E&S clarinet for me. I may be posting my question inappropriately as a "New Topic" -- but could not find how to add it to a previously existing thread. Please advise if I am in the wrong place.
That being said, I own one of the "mysterious" (seemingly very old) E&S clarinets -- and have exhausted my resources in attempting to learn more about this instrument. But this looks like the place for me to be. Here are some specifics:
The clarinet was given to me when I was 10 (now 74) by an uncle who had acquired it when HE was about that same age (10). He would have been almost 100 today, so simple math dictates that the instrument has to be 75-90 years old.
The clarinet is engraved in several places with a flattened oval containing the words:
Evette & Schaeffer
Paris
France
Outside the oval at the bottom we have:
Modele Buffet -- Crampon
Here is the big mystery. I have found a site that lists the age of many of these instruments by serial number. My problem is that NO serial number goes back as far as mine, which is K1448. Wes Rice, the artisan who refurbished this instrument for me (beautifully) claims to know little about the history of this clarinet, but estimates its age to be, perhaps, 40 - 60 years. He evaluates it as a fine clarinet. The problem is that I know for a historical fact that, considering my uncle's age, it HAS to be much older. That conclusion is corroborated by the fact that s.n.K1448 predates the listed serial numbers that I could find by hundreds (even thousands) of digits. So my question is, of course, can anyone provide more real information on the age of my clarinet -- and any input on its level of quality.
Any help that members could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Michael
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Doug Leach
Date: 2020-10-05 21:33
Michael,
So the serial number list I've seen, which is likely the same one you've seen, goes back to 1952, starting with K3998. Now in the years immediately after that yearly production fluctuates, but in round numbers it looks to be about 500 /year, plus or minus. So that would put you back to about 1947, probably plus or minus a year, so 46-48. This is probably a reasonable estimate. Post-war production would likely have restarted in 1946. If production started more slowly in those first 5 years, your number could have been pre-war. There was no production from 1939-1945. So 1938 or earlier. There is a way to put a hard limit or how far pre-war. Prior to 1936, on the lower joint of the clarinet, what are known as the spatula keys were mounted on one shared post. Starting in 1936, Buffet separated these keys on it's professional instrument onto 2 posts. Lets assume Evette Schaeffer's were the same. So if the left hand spatula keys on your instruments lower joint are mounted on 2 posts, it was made no earlier than 1936. Sharing a single post would be 1935 or earlier.
As to quality. I think Evette Schaeffers were regarded as advanced student horns, or intermediate to upper intermediate horns.
Regards,
Doug
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Michael GC
Date: 2020-10-06 00:22
Hi Doug -- let me thank you for taking the time to respond so quickly to my inquiry. It's hard for me to believe that anyone could have such detailed knowledge of such an old instrument -- yet, you obviously do. Your analysis of K serial numbers by extrapolating (back) production per year seems right on target and would bring K1448 into the approximate time range that aligns with my uncle's age (and his talks with me of when he started playing). I believe that the manufacturing date has to be pre-war (he served) since he told me about playing the instrument as a child and his birth date was around 1920 (I'm getting verification of this). As for the "spatula keys" -- sadly, even with your excellent "roadmap" I'm still not sure which ones they are (and I regularly play this instrument -- and your description is quite clear).
Still, you've helped me a lot -- much more than anyone or any site I have consulted over years of trying. It's kind of you to have taken the time. I consider your conclusions to be definitive.
Michael
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: donald
Date: 2020-10-06 01:43
By spatula keys he means the long lever keys that you operate with your left hand little finger (e/b and f#/c#).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Michael GC
Date: 2020-10-06 03:35
Hi Donald -- thank you for your clarification. From what I observe, those two left keys on my instrument operate mechanisms that are mounted on separate posts that support separate horizontal "rods." So if I am interpreting things correctly, as per Doug's expert advice, my E & S "Modele Buffet"must have been manufactured AFTER 1935.
I appreciate your responses -- and will pass this information on to Wesley Rice, who did such a beautiful job of refurbishing my clarinet.
Michael
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
