 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Terry Horlick
Date: 2001-08-01 02:02
Well my NEW clarinet arrived today. It is my 1925 FB Buffet. Back when new it must have been one of the nicest professional clarinets made. Sue Schaake at WW&BW went through it for me. I gave her a laundry list of what to do and asked that it be playable. She used her judgement (as I asked her to do) and one thing led to another, I now have a fully rebuilt horn.
Someone had hacked up the original barrel so it is now replaced. The bell has a crack in it so Sue tried out several new replacement bells and none made the horn better so she sealed up the old one and relieved the lower tennon a bit to cut down on stress in the bell. It is very well done and no one can see the crack if I don't point it out.
Now for the surprise, I did tell her to make it playable and so she did. In fact she did a little magic here and there to it. It retains the original keys, all polished up but no fake plating added. Everything works with one difference, it is in tune and it sounds gorgeous! I now have no real need for that vintage (1950's) R13 as this Buffet Crampon Full Boehm plays easier, sounds prettier (a little darker than the R13) and is every bit as in tune or maybe a scotch better than the R13. Man am I ever shocked. She included a very pricey Anthony Spano ZS2 mouthpiece which plays perfectly. However at that price I think I will contact Greg Smith and trial a Kaspar or something just so I can be sure.
The downside is that the case is LONG and a bit cumbersome. But, hey, I don't play the case and if I slide it into a carry-on bag it becomes as convienient as that old double case I had for the Bb and the A..
It takes only about two minutes and that articulated C#-G# becomes natural, how can you live without it? The other fancy keys will take a while to become part of your technique. Not only is there a cool articulated C#-G# but there is a RIGHT HAND C#-G# which works just like the standard left hand one on your horn. I now have a long Bb just above the break (allows me to put the break at B or at Bb whatever suits the music) which is crystal clear and in tune. Not at all dissappointing is that the throat Bb, A, G# all are just as clear and open as on that long Bb which obviates the need to go long! Not only are the throat tones open and clear, they are like all the other notes on the horn, they just want to pop out.
I had an old Evette Master which was the best horn I ever played (my daughter has it now... she turns up her nose at my R13), this horn beats it out all ways and best of all it feels just like the Evette so all that re-learing I have been doing with the R13 is unnecessary. The extra length and weight are not noticable.
I do have one concern, my daughter is home from college and she played it. She had a big smile on her face... the last time I saw that silly grin was the last time I owned that great Evette! She dropped down to the bottom Eb and just burst out laughing.
I figured that the $45 would at least make a good lamp investment, but now over $600 later I am ecstatic about it! Now I have no excuses for how I play. I am really looking forward to the end of summer so orchestra will start up again!
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Author: C. Hogue
Date: 2001-08-01 02:58
Wow!! What a great story, Terry! Thanks for sharing. And pop out a few clarion Bbs for me with that extra key.
I do want a FB someday....
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-08-01 18:53
There's a nice looking Buffet FB on eBay now, http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1451120621 . S/N 18232 dates it to 1935, which is a pretty good vintage, but it has a substitute, cracked Penzel-Muller barrel. The current bid is $152.50, which it's certainly worth (though it hasn't made reserve yet). The Buy-It-Now price of $799 is high. Most Buffets of that vintage go for $450 or so. The FB mechanism will increase that, but the missing barrel will bring it back down. (Chadash can make a new barrel for it, but that's another $100 or so.)
Happy bidding.
Ken Shaw
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-08-01 19:23
Scottie could probably make a poly barrel for it, too! (but I too thought of Guy when I read the auction earlier today -- lol -- I'd probably get both!) Best, mw
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Author: Terry Horlick
Date: 2001-08-02 02:04
It looks just like mine except not as shiny and it breaks in the middle. I don't know if that is an advantage... I bet a two piece body is more prone to cracking, especially with the hole in the tennon and the mortise.
No matter, if I didn't have mine already I would be bidding on that one, especially since I now know how wonderful the sound it produces is. I bet the reserve would be around $700 since the buy it now is $799. That puts it about what mine cost with a new Pyne plastic barrel and a new mouthpiece. To buy mine and overhaul without the barrel and mouthpiece ran about $450. Knowing what I do now I would surely plunk down $800 for this horn before (instead of) considering a new R13. You will have the fun of rescuing an older horn and having a potentially great player. That small case is nice also.
I like the Pyne barrel and the Spano mouthpiece, but would like to talk to the barrel builder if he has experience with old vintage Buffets. Anyone have the contact info for the barrel guy?
Thannks, Terry
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-08-02 17:21
Terry -
The old Buffets with the articulated C#/G# have a metal liner in the socket at the top of the lower joint, just to avoid cracking. There's also a metal cap at the bottom of the upper joint tenon.
Incidentally, someone named mad-piper just ended the FB auction with a $799 buy-it-now bid. Any idea who this is? He's bought several metal clarinets and unusual items recently.
Guy Chadash has a rather skimpy web site at http://www.chadash-clarinet.com/ but it has contact information for him.
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