WICHITA BAND INSTRUMENT COMPANY
2525 East Douglas Avenue
Wichita, KS 67211
Tel: (316) 684-0291; FAX (316) 684-6858 BUFFET-CRAMPON clarinet, #29,431 made in France in late 1945 or 1946. It's an extra fine and little used example from Buffet's "Golden Era". Keywork shows no wear to the rings and hinge-tubes. The silver plate is new, as the instrument came to us with raw nickel-silver keys. The tenons are sharp, with minimal "rounding off". No cracks to the wood, new pads and corks. Quality wood with a rich tone-color. It's an extra-clean example from a very good year. Buffet's 1947 catalog lists only ONE pro-model normal-keyed Bb clarinet and they call it their model R-13. Clarinets built by them before the Second World War were not exactly the same, with slightly more narrow bore dimensions. I've used a 1928 Buffet "modele 13" (as they called it) for more than fifty years. Never found a more modern instrument I liked better. But by 1947, their catalog did indeed refer to their "top of the line" as an R-13. Serial number lists on post-war Buffets seem to be a bit confused, but based on what we've discovered, we believe this clarinet to have been built in late 1945 or early 1946. Tone-holes are undercut, in typical Buffet style. An extra bonus with this clarinet is a very good used Vandoren M13 LYRE Profile 88 mouthpiece and a Bonade ligature and cap. In our opinion this clarinet is as fine an instrument as you could ever find, better than a new one! TOP recommendation on this one! Please see more photos at the bottom or our listing. ************************************************************************ Wichita Band Instrument Company is a small musical instrument emporium located in the center of the USA. We’ve been in business since 1953 and have had the same owner since 1963. Originally we were a repair shop that specialized in woodwind and sax restoration. Today we have 16 employees including eight of the finest repair technicians in the country. Virtually ALL the items we sell have been fully reconditioned in our own shop, although we do sell a few unrestored historical instruments each year. It’s sometimes possible to buy a good clarinet on Ebay for a lower price, but unless that instrument wears all new pads and corks from a reputable shop, you won’t know how it plays until you spend another several hundred to have it mechanically overhauled. With a used clarinet from OUR shop, you know it’s in the finest condition when it arrives at your home! Here’s what we do to all the used clarinets we sell: The instrument is taken apart and everything washed clean. All wood parts are inspected for checks and damage, polished and then soaked in oil for three days. After the body-shop work’s been completed, we swedge hinge-tubes tight again and re-fit to the clarinet body. Finally, pads and corks are replaced and the instrument play-tested. Most customers tell us that our clarinets are then actually mechanically better than new.Wichita Band’s service warranty is the same as it’s been for more than thirty years: ALL new and all used instruments sold by Wichita Band Instrument Company come with our 24 month service warranty. It’s in addition to any factory guarantees. For two full years, we will repair or replace, whichever in our estimation is the more advisable, pads, corks, springs or other parts required, at no charge to the customer. In the event of cracked or damaged wood sections, we will repair at no cost to the customer or replace the section and charge the customer only for our net costs for the replacement section. Often, wood replacement parts are supplied from the manufacturer at no charge. The customer is responsible for shipping and insurance charges. Cases and plating finishes are not covered by our service warranty but are sometimes covered by factory guarantees. Wichita Band Instrument Company maintains a repair department capable of restoration work of the highest quality. Even though repairs are essentially “free” for the first two years, after that period has expired, we remain at your service to maintain and repair your musical equipment forever. It’s our “service after the sale” promise and has been since 1953! In the event that a customer requires service under factory guarantees or Wichita Band’s service warranty, the item must be returned to us and not directly to the manufacturer. Anything we sell can be sent to you for a short approval period without obligation. We collect NO SALES TAX, unless you’re lucky enough to live in Kansas. The customer is responsible for shipping and insurance and must pre-pay back to us any freight and insurance charges on returned equipment. I