 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-05-02 01:27
I got a Buffet that has three screw holes for the thumb rest. It currently has the Kooiman TR. Whoever installed it re-used the original holes.
I realize that a two-screw TR can be installed and the extra hole plugged but I'd prefer to use the TR similar to what came with the clarinet.
Does anyone knows where I can find such a TR?
Thank you
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-05-02 04:27
For R-13, see pages 42-45:
https://www.buffetcrampongroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Spares-BC-Repair-Parts-FR-EN-DE_OCR-1.pdf
For other models, here's the link:
https://www.buffetcrampongroup.com/en/pieces/buffet-crampon/
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Vandoren BD5 HD 13-series mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren #4 Blue-box reeds
Post Edited (2025-05-02 04:28)
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-05-02 22:42
David,
Thanks a lot for trying to help.
I just found out that the spacing between the two horizontal screw holes is 9mm. All the Buffet thumb rests that I checked have 10mm between the holes.
In addition, I was told that Buffet never had a three-screw thumb rest.
Will need to improvise a little, I guess.
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-05-03 08:25
Chris,
Thank you- that must be the case.
I’d have to modify a two-screw TR in order to use the original holes.
Or, possibly fill one of the holes with epoxy and have a new hole drilled 1 mm further.
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Author: John Peacock
Date: 2025-05-03 16:40
Attachment: thumbrests.jpg (1450k)
If you're going to all this trouble, I would suggest fitting the best thumb rest I ever encountered, which is the one that Howarths used to put on their pro level clarinets. For me, it has the perfect combination of comfort, robustness, and ease of adjustment. As the attached picture shows, it's basically identical in feel to the Selmer one, except that it's easier to fit: the Howarth just has a screw-on base plate, whereas the Selmer requires some excavation of the wood in order to install it. The Howarth model seems to be the same as their oboe one:
https://www.howarthlondon.com/product/thumb-rest/
though possibly the curvature of the base plate may need to be different - perhaps the Cor Anglais one would work with a clarinet? I'm sure Howarth's can advise - and they may even still have some of the clarinet ones tucked away.
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Author: JTJC
Date: 2025-05-03 23:40
John Peacock. They look the same as Yamaha ones, on CSGs. Also, very similar to the one on my Partricola C Clarinet. The Patricola one differs, and is better, in that the saddle bit, which sits on the thumb, is set asymmetrically. The saddle matches the angle of the thumb.
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-05-04 08:15
Thanks to everyone who replied to me.
I do have a TR sold by Votaw tools that looks like Yamaha or Howard.
However, I’d like to install an original Buffet TR in order to retain the stock look/ feel of the clarinet, which is an RC Prestige.
If I cannot find the original TR then my next solution will be the standard Buffet adjustable TR with two mounting holes.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2025-05-04 09:03
>> If I cannot find the original TR then my next solution will be the standard Buffet adjustable TR with two mounting holes. <<
Unless there was a change I haven't heard of, the original Buffet adjustable thumb rest is made from a very poor material. This is why the threads keep stripping. Whenever someone brings one that is stripped I recommend replacing it with a better quality thumb rest.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-05-04 16:21
The ORIGINAL pillar-style adjustable thumbrests with three wood screws Buffet used to use are machined from nickel silver and brazed together. he adjustable sliding section of the thumbrest is hollow nickel silver with an internal M3 thread (for the screw that goes in the end of it to stop it dropping out from the fitting) and the locking screw is an M2 adjusting screw.
This is what their ORIGINAL adjustable thumbrests were like: https://guitars.gbase.com/aza/user/gear/buffet-crampon-festival-bwind-clar-11.jpg
These were fitted to Festival and all other Prestige models (R13, RC and DG). The Elite originally had a fixed moulded plastic thumbrest as used on B12s - and just like the later die cast ones, they too broke easily.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2025-05-04 16:31)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2025-05-05 08:08
To clarify, by "original" I meant the current original Buffet thumb rest that you mentioned, in case you can't find that old version. The current version is much worse for the reason mentioned and there are far better thumb rests that don't strip so easily, some even have the same screw hole distance so no need to modify anything.
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-05-05 08:32
clarnibass wrote:
> To clarify, by "original" I meant the current original Buffet
> thumb rest that you mentioned, in case you can't find that old
> version. The current version is much worse for the reason
> mentioned and there are far better thumb rests that don't strip
> so easily, some even have the same screw hole distance so no
> need to modify anything.
Clarnibass,
Thank you for clarification. All the TRs that are sold at the moment (Buffet, Yamaha, the one from Votaw) have the distance of 10mm between the screws.
If I use one of those, the base plate would need to be modified. I'd would have to grind the inside edges of the screw holes to make the distance 9mm.
Or fill one of the existing holes and re-drill another one right next to it...plus the 3rd hole would need filling in.
That's why the original TR is the easiest solution (if I can find one).
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-05-05 16:14
You're best filling in the screw holes and drilling in new ones around 10mm higher up the joint (but not intruding into the socket) when fitting an adjustable thumbrest as that way you'll have adjustment both higher and lower instead of just lower which is what you find with Buffets as they just bung on an adjustable thumbrest in the same location as the fixed one instead of relocating the screw holes. More players benefit having the thumbrest set higher up the joint than moving it lower down.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-05-05 16:38
You could always make your own adjustable thumbrest based on the original Buffet design. I think the baseplate and thumbrest plate are both around 12mm diameter, but the thumbrest plate can be better shaped to make it more comfortable and less prone to spinning around (make it tombstone-shaped with a radiused lower edge to sit against the joint surface).
Mount the thumbrest plate on a piece of 4mm diameter nickel silver rod (solid is best) and you can always fit a screw in the end to prevent it from dropping out (with a 3mm thread - drill and thread it before soldering it to the thumbrest plate). You can always file a flat on the top side of the bar which will prevent the bar rotating.
The baseplate screw holes are two at the top and one on the lower side. The clamp section is soldered between the top two screw holes and has an M2 thread drilled through the top for the locking screw (which is your typical oboe adjusting screw).
The other adjustable thumbrest I like are Yamaha ones as seen on their pro level clarinets - the first were the same fitting as an alto or bass clarinet lyre holder with a square bar for the adjustable thumbrest. The more recent ones Yamaha use on the CSG have dimples in the bar for much better lockability.
There's also this type which I've fitted to Buffets which are nice and compact (compared to the older double rail type) and have a sling ring fitted to them, but will need to be fitted above the existing screw holes on Buffets for decent adjustment both up and down:
https://www.dawkes.co.uk/yamaha-ycl-255-clarinet-adjustable-thumb-rest/3322
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2025-05-05 16:42)
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-05-05 21:04
Chris P wrote:
"You're best filling in the screw holes and drilling in new ones around 10mm higher up the joint (but not intruding into the socket) when fitting an adjustable thumbrest as that way you'll have adjustment both higher and lower instead of just lower which is what you find with Buffets as they just bung on an adjustable thumbrest in the same location as the fixed one instead of relocating the screw holes. More players benefit having the thumbrest set higher up the joint than moving it lower down."
Chris,
thanks a lot for the advice- if unable to find the original 3-screw TR, then I will consider following your advice.
I do not have the 'jig' for hole drilling in the wood so I would have to take the clarinet to a tech.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-05-05 22:42
You don't need a jig or pillar drill to drill them as they can be drilled freehand using a bench motor or hand held drill, or a Dremel mounted in a vice.
I mark them out by holding the baseplate against the joint and mark where the holes are with a sharpened steel spike poked into the wood, then that can be made more prominent when you remove the baseplate so a twist drill (1.6mm) can be used to drill the holes to a depth of 5mm maximum. Most clarinet wood screws (for thumbrests and anchored pillars) are a similar size but some may be wider in diameter (eg. B&H and some others).
You still have at least two millimetres of wall thickness, so there's no risk of going through to the bore provided you mark 5mm from the end of the drill bit and only drill down to that depth (I use a drill bit mounted in a piece of steel rod so it only drills to a maximum depth of 5mm every time). You just have to make sure your drill goes in as perpendicular with the joint surface and radially in relation to the centre of the bore as you can manage.
With grenadilla and all other hardwoods, you definitely need to drill pilot holes no matter what type of screws you're using, but with nickel silver screws you definitely need to tap out the screw holes (as they're much softer and can shear off), whereas steel and stainless steel wood screws will usually self tap into the pilot holes.
If in doubt, have your repairer fit it. If anything, it's more difficult to do using a jig as you can't really see if the drill bit is truly lining up with the marks you made on the joint surface, whereas you can see exactly what you're doing when drilling the holes freehand.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: donald
Date: 2025-05-06 01:04
I think I might have one at home- there's a chance I gave it away (I handed a lot of misc junk I wasn't going to use on to a repair shop about 4 or 5 years ago) but I'll look when I get home...
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-05-07 02:03
donald wrote:
> I think I might have one at home- there's a chance I gave it
> away (I handed a lot of misc junk I wasn't going to use on to a
> repair shop about 4 or 5 years ago) but I'll look when I get
> home...
Donald,
thanks-it would be too much trouble to get it (if you found it), since we are on the opposite ends of the globe...
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2025-05-07 09:19
>> If I use one of those, the base plate would need to be modified. <<
Sure, I meant if you modify it to fit a current Buffet adjustable thumb rest, then there are much better quality thumb rest that would also fit to the same hole locations.
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Author: donald
Date: 2025-05-07 18:52
m1964 wrote - "thanks-it would be too much trouble to get it (if you found it), since we are on the opposite ends of the globe..."
I'm not sure where you are writing from, but I assume it's a country that has a postal system. It doesn't matter WHERE you get it from, it will probably be either posted or couriered to you. This might come as a surprise, but in NZ we also have a postal system, so I can post it to you. Sorry if that's a bit scary, maybe it just never occurred to you.
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