CLARINETS DIRECT

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BUFFET CRAMPON, EVETTE & SCHAEFFER, E13 A CLARINET, £795

A very fine UK stamp Buffet Crampon, Evette & Schaeffer, E13 A clarinet in Nickel silver plate, which is a commission sale for Clarinets Direct. This instrument was made in 1976, and at this time Buffet UK were based at Pages Walk in South London. Then the Evette and Schaeffer clarinet was manufactured alongside the superb R13, which was one of Buffet's top selling professional models. At that time, 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 E&S A clarinet is superior, in every respect; quality of wood, intonation, and tone to contemporary mass produced E13 Buffet clarinets. 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 no discernable loss, just a patina natural to the age of the clarinet.  The pads are predominantly used fish skin in good condition, with the C sharp/G sharp key and register key in cork. The clarinet has just been to Mike Huntriss, ex-BSO, for a partial overhaul with some pads replaced as necessary. The A has matching S/N K36163.  The double case is of modern backpack type, it is in good condition, though one of the strap clasps has failed. 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 these instruments were made, thankfully the Grenadilla wood was left to age naturally prior to manufacture.