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- Buffet, Evette & Schaeffer, E13 A Clarinet
Buffet, Evette & Schaeffer, E13 A Clarinet
A very fine Buffet Crampon, Evette & Schaeffer, E13 A clarinet in Nickel silver plate, which is a commission sale for Clarinets Direct. This instrument was last owned by a UK professional. When this clarinet was made the difference between the top student model and the professional R13 was much narrower than it is now: Like the R13, E&S clarinets were hand undercut and made in the same factory as the professional models. This was reflected in the asking price, E & S clarinets were only 20% cheaper than R13s of the period.
There is no damage to the wood, which is crack and repair free. The Nickel Silver plating overall is in fine condition with slight loss, mainly to the RH rings. This A has matching S/N F56423, which is an anomaly, since the usual prefix for the E&S, and E13, is the letter "K". However this serial number would suggest a manufacturing date of 1980. The supplied barrel is actually from a Buffet R13 A, which, as the bore is identical, tunes this A very well. The pads are all used fish skin, but in good condition and sealing well. The double case is the original Buffet in brown leather, it shows some wear to the interior lining, and scuffs to the exterior but latches and protects the pair well. Current E13s are being treated by Buffet with a chemical compound, which is supposed to inhibit cracking. In fact this seems to be causing some joint problems for Buffet, with many new instrument owners reporting problems with sticking joints to dealers, due to this compound leaching out from the wood end grain. At the period this instrument was made, thankfully the Grenadilla wood was left to age naturally prior to manufacture. This clarinet plays exceptionally well, and would pair nicely with more expensive instruments in the Buffet range.