A Buffet clarinet is a wonderful choice for students of all skill levels. The Buffet-Crampon company designed a line of clarinets that focus more on the needs for beginner clarinets. Similarly, there is a line of clarinets that focus on the needs of advanced and professional clarinetists. The Buffet-Crampon clarinet company is very reliable and successful. I highly recommend any Buffet-Crampon clarinet.
About Buffet Crampon
Below are highlights from the journey of the Buffet Crampon company.
1825
Denis Buffet Auger was a French instrument maker. His workshop was in 20 Passage du Grand Cerf, also known as the heart of Paris. He produced high-quality 13-key clarinets which led him to become a very well-known figure in the music industry.
1836
Denis's son, Jean-Louis Buffet, married Zoe Crampon. Together, they created "Buffet Crampon", the famous brand name.
1850
Buffet Crampon began their establishments of workshops and factories in Yvelines, France. This year also saw the creation of the Buffet Crampon Boehm system.
1889
Buffet Crampon wins several awards at the Universal Exposition in Paris. The most popular was the contrabassoon.
1900
At the World Exposition, 226 woodwind and brass instruments were displayed.
1921
Rober Carée, a very skilled acoustics technician, joins the Buffet Crampon company as an apprentice. He becomes the creator of the famous Buffet R13 clarinet.
1975
The RC model was created by Robert Carée. The RC clarinet is the origin of the Prestige and Festival clarinets that are used today.
1984
Buffet Crampon joins Boosey and Hawkes, a famous company in London.
1994
Buffet Crampon creates the Green LinE.
2004
The famous TOSCA line was created. TOSCA is a line of professional clarinets. The TOSCA line was founded and designed by Michael Arrignon. The TOSCA clarinet line is under the R13 family.
2005
The high-end student clarinet, the Buffet E11, was launched.
2012
Paul Meyer was involved in the research project for creating the Divine clarinet. The research project that developed new acoustics for the Divine clarinet was a huge milestone in Buffet Crampon's history. This clarinet model combined technical expertise and "unparalleled craftsmanship".
Buffet-Crampon Clarinets
Below are the Buffet-Crampon clarinets. Each clarinet comes with fine quality, French-made HB ligature. This HB ligature offers easy-blowing and a round, focused, and vibrant sound.
Each clarinet also comes with an adjustable thumb rest. Being able to adjust the thumb rest is a very nice feature because it allows the clarinetist to put the thumb rest where they feel it's most comfortable and beneficial.
When received, the clarinet will be in a top-quality, leather case.
Student Model Clarinets
E12F
The E12F Clarinet is a great clarinet for young students who are looking for a high-quality clarinet.
The E12F clarinet is made out of unstained African Blackwood, also known as Grenadilla wood. The keys are silver-plated. The pads are made out of leather, ensuring that no air will leak through.
The E12F clarinet is based on the professional Buffet Crampon R13 clarinet. It has a slightly larger poly cylindrical bore that allows for freer blowing and less resistance. This clarinet also comes with a Buffet-Crampon mouthpiece made specifically for the E12F clarinet.
E13
The E13 Clarinet is a great clarinet for beginners and advanced players. The E13 clarinet is made out of stained Grenadilla wood. The keywork and plating are made out of nickel. The pads are made out of leather. The clarinet has blue steel springs.
The E13 clarinet features a new bell that was once featured on the RC (Robert Carée clarinet). This bell provides more projection and brightness to the sound throughout all of the ranges. This clarinet also features a new low F adjustment which provides finer control.
Professional Model Clarinets
Tradition
The Tradition clarinet is an innovative clarinet with traditional craftsmanship. The Tradition clarinet is inspired by the Legende clarinet.
The Tradition clarinet is made out of Natural Grenadilla wood. The bore of this clarinet is poly-cylindrical. The pads are made out of GT, leather, and natural cork. The keywork is made out of either silver or nickel. This clarinet comes with two barrels, a 65mm and a 66mm.
The video below features Martin Frost, a world-wide famous clarinetist, playing on the Tradition clarinet. He also talks about his experience with the Tradition clarinet. Frost has high remarks for the Tradition clarinet.
Buffet R13
The Buffet R13 clarinet is known as the "legendary choice" of clarinet by professionals. The Buffet R13 clarinet is very popular throughout the United States. The R13 clarinet is very versatile. It is suitable for a variety of different playing situations: symphonies, solo playing, chamber music, or as an educator.
The Buffet R13 clarinet produces a powerful, focused, and rich tone throughout all three ranges.
The R13 is made out of stained Grenadilla wood. It features silver keywork, a poly-cylindrical bore, double-skin pads, undercut tone holes, and a 66mm barrel.
I started playing on the Buffet R13 during my freshman year of college, and it has been tried and true ever since! I love the R13 clarinet because of the rich and beautiful sound that it produces. The intonation is spectacular throughout all of the ranges. I also can project a lot better with the R13 clarinet. I pair my R13 clarinet with a Rovner ligature, the Versa ligature, and the M13 Lyre Vandoren mouthpiece.
R13 Prestige
The R13 Prestige is one of the best clarinets in the R13 family. The R13 Prestige is made out of Grenadilla wood that was carefully selected to produce great acoustics and a beautiful aesthetic. The Grenadilla wood ensures evenness in tone and response throughout all of the registers. The tenons of the clarinet are capped with metal rings. The metal rings limit the risk of cracks. The pads are made out of GT (100% waterproof and breathable), leather, and natural cork.
The tuning of the R13 Prestige is 440Hz. It has a poly cylindrical bore that helps produce a dark, pure sound and an incredible tone. It has a Prestige bell and an extra Eb lever for the left pinky. It also comes with an adjustable thumb rest.
R13 Greenline
The R13 Greenline clarinet is made out of 95% Grenadilla wood and 5% polycarbonate fiber and epoxy resin. The addition of these carbon fibers has many benefits. This clarinet can withstand fluctuations in temperature and humidity which will diminish the chances of the wood cracking. It also relieves the stress on the population of Grenadilla wood. The bore of this clarinet is hand-burnished which improves intonation and centers the tone. The keywork is Nickle-plated and the pads are made out of double fish skin. The tone holes are undercut which improves tone and provides ease in response.
In this video, a Dawkes Music expert shares his praises for the R13 Greenline clarinet.
Prestige RC
The Prestige RC clarinet is amongst the top models in the RC bore clarinet line. The Prestige RC clarinet has had numerous improvements The two features that make the Prestige RC stand out are the smaller bore and the egg-shaped contour inside the bell. The smaller bore size helps produce a more compact and focused sound. The innovative bell shape allows the chalumeau register to project more, as well as adds warmth and focus to the overall sound.
The Prestige RC is tuned between 440Hz to 442 Hz. The bore of the top joint is poly cylindrical and the bore of the lower joint and the bell is cylindrical. The keywork is silver-plated and the pads are made out of G-tex. There is an Eb/Ab lever on the left side for the left pinky. It also comes with an adjustable thumb rest.
Tosca
The Tosca clarinet was developed and created in collaboration with Buffet-Crampon artists. This clarinet was designed specifically for the 21st century. The Tosca clarinet produces a warm sound and its intonation is very consistent throughout all of the registers. The keywork is designed to have a comfortable and natural feel.
The Tosca clarinet is made out of both Grenadilla wood and Green LinE material. The keywork is silver-plated and the pads are made out of Gore-Tex. The bore of the clarinet is poly cylindrical. This clarinet comes with two barrels, a 66mm and a 65mm. The two barrels are to help the clarinetist with clarinet intonation.
The Tosca clarinet has an extra-low F correction key and an extra Eb lever. The low F correction key helps raise the pitch of low F since that note tends to be flat on most clarinets. The extra Eb lever is for the left pinky, making passages with complicated fingerings much easier. The video below displays the entire clarinet, making it easier to see the low F correction key and the extra Eb key.
Divine
The Divine clarinet was created through a collaboration between Buffet-Crampon and internationally-renowned clarinetists. Paul Meyer came up with a research project that discovered new acoustics for the Divine clarinet. This clarinet is called the "Divine" clarinet because of its "beauty, splendor, awe, and level of perfection".
The Divine clarinet has the same tone-hole placement as the Tosca clarinet. The design of the tone-hole placement improves intonation throughout all three registers. The Divine clarinet also has the extra Eb key for the left pinkies and the low F correction key.
The Divine clarinet utilizes carbon wire instead of metal rings. This makes the clarinet about 60g lighter. This new change improves intonation and blowing ease.
The bore of the Divine clarinet has improved, allowing for better register-crossing and blowing ease.
The Divine clarinet is made out of Grenadilla wood. The upper joint has Green Line tone hole slots that help eliminate air leaks on tone holes that are more likely to crack.
This clarinet comes with two barrels, a 66m and a 65mm.
Festival
The Festival clarinet was designed in 1987. This clarinet is suitable for today's musicians, soloists, and teachers.
The Festival clarinet is made out of unstained Grenadilla wood. Its keywork is made out of silver and the pads are made out of GT material. The Festival clarinet features an alternate Eb/Ab key for the left hand. It comes with two barrels, a 65mm and a 66mm.
Closing Thoughts
The process of upgrading to a higher-quality clarinet is very exciting! Many music stores will allow you to take home multiple clarinets for you to test out and try. Each clarinet, even the same models of clarinets, will have a different feel and sound. This process takes patience and time, but in the end, it is worth it.
