 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Crissy
Date: 2001-10-13 01:40
Hi,
What are everyone's thoughts on the Buffet Elite clarinet? I'm currently playing a Buffet Festival, and I'm looking for something a little different. Would it be hard to adjust between the two instruments, as I'd like to keep playing both? I know the retail on the Elite is about $5600, but does anyone have any idea what price range people usually end up paying? Also, I read somewhere that I would need a special mouthpiece for the Elite. I thought I'd ask the experts if this is true, and if so, could you give me a little info on what type of mouthpiece would work. Thanks so much for your help!!
-Crissy
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Author: Ken
Date: 2001-10-13 02:38
The elite is designed for use in "chamber settings" not orchestra and/or concert band. It's a waste of money if you routinely play in larger traditional groups and you'll get swallowed up fast if you try. However, if you've got $5 or 6K to throw at it, knock yourself out.
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2001-10-13 04:54
The lead alto player in a big band I play with doubles on an Elite. He has an R13 too, but uses the Elite because it's a good bit lighter.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2001-10-13 19:59
I don't think I would invest in one for the reasons sited above. One is the fact that you won't be able to get much volume out of an Elite unless you've got the lungs of a mountain lion. If you just want something a little different get a greenline R-13 or jump across the line and get a Leblanc Pete Fountain or something like that. Lots of choices out there. You might even want to try a Patricola clarinet.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-10-14 16:05
Crissy -
I've played three Elites recently, each brought to a Buffet show by Francois Kloc and checked over by him to be sure they were in good condition. One of them was great, with a big sound. The other two were OK but not exceptional, with a less solid sound than I like. The lesson is that all Buffet models have tremendous variation from sample to sample.
Francois also brought three Festivals make of the Greenline material. Each of them was exceptionally good, and definitely better than at least the two Elites I played side-by-side with them.
The Festival is an excellent design. The Elite is definitely "different," but I don't think it's better. What are you looking for that your Festival doesn't give you? More power? Sweetness? Different intonation? More variety of tone color?
How you sound depends most on what's physically closest to you, and the further you go away, the less difference it makes. How you play is affected most by your breath, then your palate and tongue, then your lips, then the reed, the mouthpiece, the barrel and the rest of the clarinet.
Thus, you should work with a teacher on breath and embouchure development, which is also about tone development. This is a slow process, but one you need to do. Everyone who has studied with a good player has heard the teacher take your setup and sound just the same as on his or her own.
Of course, better equipment can help. If you want to do something different, it can help a lot to get a new mouthpiece, or, even better, a matched mouthpiece and barrel, such as those available from Greg Smith, Jim Pyne and Clark Fobes.
Changing from a Festival to an Elite won't give you a new world. Of course you should try an Elite. You may fall in love with it. But most of it comes from inside you.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2001-10-14 20:24
Crissy,
If you are the one that's the high bidder on this Elite on eBay, please let us know how you like it and how the transaction went. It's nice to follow up on these things.
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