Buffet Crampon R13

About the Buffet Crampon R13

The R13 was developed around Carree's poly-cylindrical bore concept, hand-burnished to a 0.574-inch dimension with undercut tone holes and power-forged keywork - copper-preplated and finished in silver over 17 keys and 6 rings. Its Grenadilla body, blue steel springs, silver-plated adjustable thumb rest and double fishskin pads have remained essentially unchanged in concept since the model's introduction, a rare case of a first design proving durable enough to become the reference point for everyone who came after.

Players and teachers describe its sound as centered and rich in harmonics, with enough projection and flexibility to move between orchestral, chamber, and solo playing without the instrument itself becoming a limiting factor - which is precisely why it remains the default recommendation for a serious step-up purchase decades after Robert Carree's original design work.

Where to buy

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Source: https://reverb.com/item/32848419-buffet-crampon-r13-series-bb-clarinet

Sound character of the Buffet Crampon R13

Carree's hand-burnished poly-cylindrical bore and solid Grenadilla body give the R13 the centered, harmonically rich tone that made it the reference point for orchestral clarinet sound: warm in the lower register without losing focus higher up. The undercut tone holes and silver-plated keywork add clarity and projection without pushing the tone toward the thinner, brighter character of resin instruments.

Technical data for the Buffet Crampon R13

The history of the Buffet Crampon R13

Introduced in 1955 by Buffet's US distributor alongside sibling models R14, R15 and R16, the R13 alone survived as the dominant professional clarinet worldwide, a position it still holds today.