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- Pair of Buffet Continentale Clarinets
Pair of Buffet Continentale Clarinets
When the American investor Martin Tolchin bought Buffet Crampon company he felt that though the R13 sold well in the USA different models would be more successful in Europe. The S1, Continentale and BC20, which evolved into the RC, were all attempts to make darker, more focused sounding clarinets.
These are a rare Continentale pair dating to the "Golden Era", and the intonation and response are much superior to contemporary Buffet manufacture. The Continentale design features higher placement of the speaker tube, and significantly less undercutting of the upper joint, this results in a darker, more focused, tone than the R13, with a typical Buffet "sweetness". Buffet Crampon advertised the Continentale as ideal for Chamber Music.
The Bb, S/N F105021 has Silver plating which is very good with no discernible wear. The Grenadilla wood is in excellent condition throughout: No cracks or repairs, only minor surface scuffs. The key regulation is tight and there is no joint wobble. The instrument has had a complete overhaul & re-pad in Pisoni Premium Deluxe fish skin pads and is sold with our 1 year warranty.
The A, S/N F84457 has Silver plating which is in superb condition. The Grenadilla wood is in excellent condition throughout: No cracks or repairs, only minor surface scuffs. The key regulation is tight and there is no joint wobble. The instrument has had a complete overhaul & re-pad at our workshop in Pisoni Premium Deluxe fish skin pads and is sold with our 1 year warranty. There are 3 supplied barrels, a 65mm, 64.5mm and a 62mm. The 65mm and 62mm have tight surface cracks which we have filled and sealed in our workshop, the 64.5mm is without any cracks or damage. The m'piece is a used Vandoren B45 in good condition. The BAM case is in very good condition.
In summation, these are excellent clarinets that would suit a player looking to make a "darker" more Germanic sound than the typical R13/RC response.