 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: rtaylor
Date: 2021-02-12 20:52
Hi,
One of my students is bringing a brand new squeaky clean R13 to his lesson next week. I haven't dealt with a brand new Buffet in a long time.
The parents have no budget or plans to send it off to have a technician make adjustments. I know about the general break in routine of limited play time initially etc.
I was wondering if there are any known issues with the newest Buffet R13s or advice from those of you that worked with an absolute brand new clarinet from Buffet lately.
Cheers,
Robert
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Author: TomS
Date: 2021-02-12 22:15
My last R13 was a Greenline, but I've not any problems with my wooden clarinets cracking since 1968.
I think that Buffet wood clarinets go from tree to clarinet in a few weeks ... the wood is oven dried, drilled, soaked in oil and then finished out.
Inherently bad wood is not given a chance to show itself with such a short seasoning cycle.
I suspect Backun treats their wood with more respect.
Violin makers used to hang slabs of wood outside for years, let it do what it was gonna do, pick out the good pieces and make their instruments.
I play non-wood clarinets exclusively, nowadays. Wood is costly, of variable quality, unstable, and has poorer playing qualities than ebonite or some plastics, IMHO.
But, I am back to using cane reeds ...
Tom
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Author: rtaylor
Date: 2021-02-12 22:26
Thanks Tom for the information.
I had read elsewhere that Buffet has that accelerated wood processing technique. I wonder if Selmer does that the same.
I've always been curious as to how many clarinets Buffet produces in a year regardless of model.
Cheers,
Robert
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Author: TomS
Date: 2021-02-12 22:41
Some of the hasty processing of wood might be due to tax laws ... they may have to pay taxes, year after year, on inventory. So a warehouse full of costly wood can cost companies a bundle.
Just guessing ... taxes, taxes, taxes ... sign posted on revenue building:
"Notice: Due to the high cost of collecting taxes, there will be an immediate tax increase"
Tom
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2021-02-12 22:42
Just be on alert for binding of the center tenon or tenon to barrel. The last bit of finishing the corks at Buffet has resulted in "burrs" along the cork line that binds in the socket. Easy for repair person to sand down, so I'd leave it them if it manifests.
I wouldn't worry about a student over practicing on a horn (usually lucky to have a student play more than an hour a day), but you could advise to have them do half of their weekly practice on the old horn for a few weeks.
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: kilo
Date: 2021-02-12 22:49
As a former woodworker I know that there are effective ways of "seasoning" wood other than air-drying at the rate of "one year per inch of thickness", the old rule of thumb. I wonder what process Selmer and Buffet use? My R-13, however, is a Greenline.
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Author: rtaylor
Date: 2021-02-13 00:36
Thanks Paul and "Kilo"
The tight tenons could be an issue especially if my student is in a hurry to assemble the clarinet or disassemble.
Yeah I kind of wish the parents had purchased a Greenline model. I have played them at the ICA conferences and came away impressed.
Cheers,
Robert
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-02-13 14:30
This is the worst time of year to buy a brand new wooden clarinet what with the heating on, large temperature differences and the humidity levels low.
Only ever buy a brand new wooden clarinet from late spring to late summer so they'll be played in whilst humidity levels are higher as that will reduce the risk of the top joint cracking.
Unless they're in lockdown for the next few months and the clarinet is being kept and played in a stable environment, then they should be alright. If they are out and about all the time and playing in freezing cold halls or churches, then that's where problems usually happen.
Should the tenons bind in the sockets, DON'T reach for the nearest piece of sandpaper and start sanding away at the corks or the tenons, but take it straight to the best woodwind specialist to deal with them as it's the wood that's binding and just the right amount of wood should be removed from where it's binding so the tenons aren't wobbling in the sockets nor still too tight. Slapping on loads and loads of cork grease won't cure binding tenons as cork grease is for, oddly enough, cork.
It should be covered by a warranty for these niggling problems early on and usually that's issued by the seller, so some repairers may charge for any remedial work if they've had nothing to do with it - perhaps the repair costs can be reclaimed depending on the seller's policy.
Anyone who doesn't budget for future maintenance work on any instrument is naive. All instruments will require work at any point in time and that should always be a factor when buying any instrument, new or used.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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