CLARINETS DIRECT

020 885811113 or 07787 770071

BUFFET RC A CLARINET, £1395

An extremely fine Buffet RC clarinet in A. This instrument is a commission sale for Clarinets Direct, and the clarinet has just been completely overhauled by a UK based repairman. When the American investor Martin Tolchin bought Buffet Crampon 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 became the RC, were all attempts to make darker, more focused sounding clarinets. This instrument was the finest and most expensive Buffet clarinet of the period, before the introduction of the Prestige range, and was priced at approximately 15% more than the contemporary R13. The RC model did sell very well: It had a more relaxed warm tone than the R13, which attracted many UK players.
This A has S/N F181002, which dates to 1978, there is no damage to the wood, which is in superb condition. The Silver plate is also in excellent shape. The instrument has just had a complete re-pad in Pisoni deluxe fish skin pads by newly qualified repairman Dave Kershook [who has just joined NAMIR]. There is no joint wobble, all touch and tenon corks are good. There are 2 supplied barrels of 64 and 66mm. This clarinet plays with a dark, focused sound and excellent evenness and intonation. It was manufactured as Buffet's top professional instrument with unstained Grenadilla wood. Today one would have to spend over £3000 on an RC Prestige instrument, and choose from a large number of examples, to get anything of like quality. The case is an original Buffet which shows wear but is fully functional.