WTB- +-1965 vintage Buffet R13 or modern

[Clarinetdude108]

Lately I have really started getting serious about my clarineting, and after trying a few R13s, the limitations of my current clarinet are becoming painfully obvious and are starting to drive me crazy. When I auditioned for college, they confirmed I need to upgrade, and suggested I search ebay, since I am on a very limited budget. While I am watching ebay for my "dream horn" I figured it couldn't hurt to place an add here. :D

I have less than $1000 to spend, which complicates things.

I am mainly interested in '60s R13s, preferably around 1965. If it needs an overhaul, thats fine, as long as the sale price is low enough for me to factor it in, and the same can be said about the case. I could also be talked into a modern horn, but it would have to be in my price range, and preferably silver plated.

I am not interested in horns with cracks, or repaired cracks.

I do not know if this is even possible on my budget, but I figure I can start here and see where things go.

If you have any offers or suggestions, feel free to pm me or post them here.

Thanks,
Clarinetdude

[David Spiegelthal]

Perhaps you could try something other than Buffet R-13s, if you're unhappy with their intonation tendencies? Sometimes ya gotta think outside the box.

[Clarinetdude108]

I could, I just don't have much experience with Selmer or other brands, and my college professors are all members of the "buffet mafia", best I can tell. I actually havn't had any serious intonation issues with my buffets, except my E-11 on the high notes.

[stevesklar]

suggest you check eBay and you'll find out that an R13 with no cracks in dismal playing condition with silver plated keys is probably going to go beyond your budget. Once in a while a nickel keyed one will go for a steal (read in the $800s). But good luck on your search. You can sometimes get lucky finding one that is not known on ebay with fuzzy pics too.

But like Dave said, maybe look outside of Buffet

or maybe go for the Evette-Schaeffer Master Models with sn in that date range. You could get one and get it overhauled for under $1,000 total

[tictactux]

But like Dave said, maybe look outside of Buffet
or maybe go for the Evette-Schaeffer Master Models with sn in that date range. You could get one and get it overhauled for under $1,000 total

FWIW I paid €550 for my Marigaux Symphonie. There's indeed much less fighting over the same bone outside that box...

[Clarinetdude108]

Thats basically what I'm after. I know the silver keys most likely won't happen in my budget, which is why I'm mainly looking at older ones. It's not just the vintage hype, its the price. I prefer silver keys, but that doesn't mean I'm limiting myself to them. Best I can tell the vintage ones are all german silver anyways.

For what its worth, I believe a silver keyed modern R13 sold for $1100 a few weeks back.

[milesaheadmusic]

I have a Selmer Series 9 with a fresh overhaul for $1000.00.

Would you be interested in this?

John
Miles Ahead Music
502-479-3772

[DixieSax]

Look on the for sale clarinet board. Somebody's got an R-13 there for 1000.

[DixieSax]

Here it is.

http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=108218

[Clarinetdude108]

Milesahead, sadly where I am and where I am going are pretty much dominated by the buffet mafia, so I really need a buffet. If I was just getting a horn to play for myself, than my search would include horns other than R13s, but for right now, thats what I'm looking at.

Thanks DixieSax, I'll look into that.

[David Spiegelthal]

Clarinetdude, I'm sorry that your teachers or school or whatever are dictating the choice of clarinet to you. Personally I think that's wrong. Do they also pressure you to play a particular mouthpiece, or reed? You should be judged, by audiences and faculty alike, by your musical results, not your equipment. Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world and many people in positions of authority or prominence try to ram their biases down the throats of others. End of rant.

[Clarinetdude108]

Well, I try to tell them as little as possible to avoid such things. If they don't know what reeds or mouthpiece I'm playing on, then they can't complain about it or blame things on it. I got harassed for playing a Link STM on my tenor in jazz band for months, until we had a clinician come in and say he digged my tone, and asked what kind of mouthpiece I was playing. It didn't matter what I actually sounded like, if I was too loud, too soft, too bright, too whatever, it was always the mouthpieces fault. I'm sure if they noticed I don't play vandoren reeds on bass clarinet they would start blaming everything they don't like about what I do on my reeds.

Fortunatly, I'm glad there are alot of Buffets out there, and I'm sure I can find a nice one eventually that I will be happy with.

[spike421]

Frankly, I'm not so sure about the so called "Golden Era". I own 2 R-13's, a
'55 and '70. I find the '70 stuffy and weak compared to the '55, which is powerful and bright; much better suited for Jazz and Big Band, with a beautiful tone when played in a classical setting. Intonation is good on both.
My '70 is strictly a backup horn.

Expand your search into some older horns. With a widened search you may find something within your budget