 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Anne
Date: 2001-11-27 08:06
Is it true that the Buffet R13 only is "made" in 440 Hz? That would mean itīs not a very good idea to buy this clarinet if you live in for example Europe, as the "normal" pitch used in orchestras is 442. I tried both the RC (which they told me is made in both 440 and 442) and the R13 and really liked the sound of the R13 better, but donīt know whether I dare buy it. (I live in Scandinavia and if I someday want to join an orchestra I might be in trouble?)
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Author: William
Date: 2001-11-27 14:58
The Buffet R-13 (or any other quality clarinet) can be played at 440 or 442 and is regulated by the length of your barrel--longer for 440, shorter for 442. You would be safe in purchasing the clarinet that you like best, and I would recommend purchasing the barrel that will allow you to play at 442--you can pull it a bit to bring the general pitch of your instrument down to 440 if you so desire. Many clarinetists who play in a variety of ensembles purchase barrels for both pitch standards and switch back and forth accordingly. I even have a shorter barrel for jazz gigs and colder environments that will allow me to play "sharper" than 442. But the basic clarinet is still the same--it's just the barrel length (and how far I also pull. or not pull, my middle joint) that changes. Good Clarineting "over there"
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2001-11-27 16:43
The barrel fixes all tuning situations--as mentioned above by William. Get the R-13 if it's the one you like and when you find yourself needing a change in barrel length to accommodate your new playing situation, buy the proper length. They're always easily available.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-11-27 17:27
From the headnote on the Sneezy Buffet serial number chart at http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Equipment/HowOld/Buffet.html :
"Note: A preceeding F in the serial number indicates a clarinet made for the European market (A=442, A=444)"
Thus, you need to find an R-13 with an "F" at the beginning of the serial number, which will be at the slightly higher European pitch and should be readily available in Europe.
A shorter barrel will raise the pitch unequally, since the change in length is a larger percentage of the bore length for notes emitted from a short tube (e.g., the throat register and upper clarion register) than it is for long tube notes. Therefore, simply going to a shorter barrel is not a good solution.
It's possible to tinker with the bore of the barrel to adjust the overall pitch of the instrument, but it's still a compromise. Better to find an "F" R-13.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: GBK
Date: 2001-11-27 17:51
The Buffet RC, as well as the Buffet Elite, Buffet Festival, RC Prestige, E13 and E11 are all manufactured in either 440 or 442...GBK
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