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 Clarinetists that have used the same instrument for ages.
Author: ruben 
Date:   2026-01-09 00:46

My excellent friend Philippe Cuper has used exactly the same very modest Buffet RC for the last 45 years. He has always used a Vandoren B40 mouthpiece too, but has had several. I..and I'm not quite in Philippe Cuper's class... have used the same Selmer Recital for 40 years. In the interval, I have played many other models and brands, but always go back to my Recital, like a philanderer that always returns to his wife. Have you been playing the same instrument for long? What about the theory by which instruments "die" and lose their ping.

rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com


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 Re: Clarinetists that have used the same instrument for ages.
Author: Tom H 
Date:   2026-01-09 09:39

I bought my current Buffet R13 in 1999. I only use it each summer for 7 rehearsals and 7 concerts (possibly a bit more). Otherwise I only practice on it once monthly, the other days on my student model Selmer. That's why I haven't yet spent a penny on repairs in 27 years (other than replacing 2 pads, which I probably had since the '70s). Like a car, it will last a long time if you keep the mileage down.

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Post Edited (2026-01-09 09:40)

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 Re: Clarinetists that have used the same instrument for ages.
Author: gwie 
Date:   2026-01-09 09:50

My first teacher played the same set of Buffet R13s from the early 70s for over forty years of their career, always keeping it maintained and in excellent condition.

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 Re: Clarinetists that have used the same instrument for ages.
Author: JTJC 
Date:   2026-01-09 15:17

I believe that in the UK, Mark van der Wiel, principal of the Philharmonia orchestra, has used his Buffet for 50 years. Basically, his whole professional life.

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 Re: Clarinetists that have used the same instrument for ages.
Author: Hank Lehrer 
Date:   2026-01-09 18:01

Hi All,

I am a prodigal son about one of my mouthpieces. It's a Portnoy BP02 that I got new in the early 1970s. It has never been refaced since I always have been concerned about doing anything that might change it in any way.

OK, I do flirt with a Borbeck 16, several really nice Selmer classics like a C*, C**, D, and an S, about every VD known to man, as well as several Stowell Wells Scheider B2s. But always go back to the Portnoy.

Pretty much the same with ligatures that range from a very old Bonade and my original Luyben. Spending a lot of money here does not really seem to make much sense.

I played a Selmer 9* for a very, very long time but have moved on to a great Yamaha CS Custom.

There are certainly others like me, a aged packrat, but someone that sticks with the "old faithful" stuff.

Hank



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