CLARINETS DIRECT

020 85811113 or 07787 770071

BUFFET S1 Bb CLARINET, £1295

A near mint condition Buffet S1 Bb clarinet in Nickel Silver plate, which is a commission sale for Clarinets Direct. The instruments' one former owner was a London based professional who has taken exemplary care of this clarinet. When the American investor Martin Tolchin bought Buffet Crampon in the mid 1970's 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. In the case of the S1 this is partly achieved by much less undercutting.
This Bb has matching serial nos. 138073, which dates to 1973. It cannot be stressed enough how fine this period of manufacture was at Buffet Crampon, it is commonly referred to as "The Golden Era". To take one aspect: The quality of the Nickel Silver plating is so fine, that, to the untutored eye, it could be Silver plate.   Indeed the plating and finish on this clarinet is of such a high standard that it contrasts sharply with more recently manufactured professional models from Buffet. The clarinet has just been through our workshop for a comprehensive overhaul in fish skin pads and is sold with our full 1 year warranty. The regulation is tight, there is no joint wobble.  The wood is in pristine condition, there are no cracks or repairs. The S1 clarinet plays with a robust, focused sound and excellent evenness and intonation. In the past players such as John McCaw and Mitchell Lurie played S1's. The original Buffet case is in fine shape, with only slight stains to the interior, the key is included, and the mouthpiece is a used Vandoren 3UD.