 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: chickentimes
Date: 2025-06-14 01:25
I have a 35 year old Buffet B12 clarinet that I used as a child. My daughter is now wanting to learn the clarinet, and I am wondering if this one would be good for her being as old as it and in storage for so many years. Is it worth bringing it in to be tuned and cleaned or should I be renting or purchasing something new for her? Thanks so much.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-06-14 02:31
The cost of a full overhaul on one of these clarinets is a lot less than the cost of a brand new one, plus these older B12s are much better built and have much stronger keywork than the ones being made now.
Therefore I recommend you have it fully overhauled by a reputable woodwind specialist to put it into top playing form. I'd personally use synthetic pads on these (my synthetic pad of choice being Pisoni Pro CLS) and that will make it a very durable instrument.
I've overhauled plastic clarinets like this to the same level I'd overhaul a pro level Buffet - it's all about the value of the instrument over the price you can buy one for in used condition. The cost of the overhaul is lower on plastic clarinets as the wood (especially the bore) doesn't need oiling and the toneholes are usually in better condition as they won't have any vessels or grain running across them.
The average price of a brand new plastic clarinet is around the £550 mark, but the quality of the finishing on them is less than ideal as they don't have much bench time spent on them and only pass quality control before leaving the factory, as opposed to a fully overhauled one which will have been fully rebuilt and any issues dealt with, plus better quality materials (pads, tenon corks, key corks and key felts) will be used.
Please don't write it off as being uneconomical to repair as it isn't. Someone I know told me the other day a music shop told her the old Yamaha 211S flute she's got isn't worth repairing - but that's a shop and shops are only interested in sales of new instruments.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: chickentimes
Date: 2025-06-14 02:48
Thank you so much, this is exactly what I needed to know! I will bring it in then, and this way it is hers, instead of the rental that the school is recommending! I appreciate your insight!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-06-14 03:37
Just for clarity's sake, these clarinets were made for Buffet by Schreiber in Nauheim (Germany) and were previously stencilled B&H Regent II (with a B&H Regent bell) and Evette before that.
The current equivalent of the B12 is the Buffet Prodige, but the ones I've seen aren't anywhere near as well built as these older B12s. The other popular entry level plastic clarinets at the time were Artley/Armstrong (UMI), Bundy/Buescher (Selmer USA), Vito/Normandy (Leblanc) and Yamaha.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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