Author: donald
Date: 2018-06-23 06:41
I have a 1963 R13 B flat clarinet with keys that are worn down more than any instrument I've ever seen! The tone hole chimneys have finger shaped indentations :-)
Its previous owner loved it and played it for 54 years and passed it on to me because he knew I would love it and play it (I did pay for it- it came with a lovely A clarinet of later vintage that is now my "go to" A).
I've previously played "modern" R13s, but since 2009 have been playing a Buffet Festival B flat. While I liked my previous R13 B flat (purchased from Bob Gilbert in 1998), from playing the newer instruments you'd wonder HOW this became the "go to" pro clarinet- the newer ones are "ok" but very patchy, all have flaws, even the best ones aren't THAT good....
But playing this OLD one from 1963, that tell you WHY this model was so popular. The sound is really much sweeter, more core in the sound but also lots of harmonics- I think of the modern ones sounding like an electric torch (flashlight), and the older ones sounding like a gas lamp or candle. The "evenness" of tone quality seems slightly better than the new ones, but no one has ever built a clarinet with no problems- they are inherent in the design.
The tuning?
Not as good as my Festival, but not too awful either. The only really negative is that the upper register A, B and C (left hand) are quite sharp compared to the festival. Throat B flat is correspondingly better in tone quality. The other intonation issues are either easy to fix (ie sharp throat A) or no better/worse than a modern clarinet.
I'd recommend great caution in buying one off the internet- if I'd bought this instrument hoping for an instrument for professional use I'd be looking for at least $1,000 ($600+ US$) restoration, probably using a few of the Buffet keys my friend has in his workshop from dead clarinets to replace ring keys and the right hand F/C.
However from playing my old lady from 1963, it is obvious WHY this model rose to such popularity.
dn
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The Clarinet BBoard
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