 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: JustBored
Date: 2026-01-07 06:17
I don't like the flat shape on the bottom of the bell of newer Buffet clarinets because of what I hear it does to the sound. I have a E13 clarinet and put a R13 bell on it and it sounds much better. The bells of a E13 and R13 have different bell shapes. The R13 bell is rounded at the bottom while the E13 bell is flat. Can you tell Buffet to only make bells with a rounded shape?
Post Edited (2026-01-07 07:47)
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2026-01-07 07:06
You can email them yourself...
or you can buy an aftermarket bell that you like (you may like a Brad Behn hard rubber bell)...
or upgrade your entire clarinet to one you like...
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional #5 reeds
ATG System and Cordier Reed Trimmer
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2026-01-07 14:54
It only encourages players to stand their clarinets up on the bells without using a stand even more than normal, so not a good move.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2026-01-07 22:20
Back stage (back in high school) I used to twirl the clarinet like a top on whatever table was back there to see if I could make anyone visibly ill. Flat, might even work better for that, but I've lost my nerve since breaking a bell just dropping it off the front of a chair during a rehearsal (much more recently). Boy talk about changing the sound! A bell with a crack in it makes the whole clarinet sound like a kazoo.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: John Peacock
Date: 2026-01-08 16:09
The flat bottom bells were introduced close to 10 years ago, but on RC models only. Buffet claimed they improved the RC response, but I never had the chance to compare the effect of different bell designs (not easy, since every bell has an individual character). What I didn't like is the execution: it looked like they made a normal bell and then ground it flat, leaving a sharp edge - so it's ugly, never mind the sound. If Buffet are now using this design on models other than the RC, that's news to me, and it's a pity.
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