Is this an R13?

ethrasher

Hello all,

I just joined and am glad to see such a great resource! So I'm looking for advice here- I'm considering moving up (a bunch!) from my Evette & Schaeffer model to what supposedly is an older R13, according to the seller. What troubles me when looking at the photos is that it seems to have 2 barrels, in addition to a normal looking barrel there is a second shorter one which contains the register hole. I cannot locate any photos of R13s with this feature and I'm hoping someone out there can help me figure out if, indeed, this is an R13 (which I've always wanted!) Thanks!
 

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That is not a second barrel, it is a metal band which has been fitted to close a crack in the wood. Does the instrument have a cutout in the wood underneath the right-hand pinkie keys? R13's do, and if it isn't there then it's not an R13. If the cut-out is there, the fact that there is a repaired crack should be reflected in the price. The fact that it has a repaired crack doesn't necessarily affect the playability, but it will affect the sale value of the instrument.
 
You will also note that the body ring immediately above the metal band is not the usual pattern, but a plain ring. I suspect that the original ring has been replaced with a metal band to further aid in closing the crack in the wood. I'd suggest that unless you can get this instrument checked by somebody who knows what they are doing then you skip this one.
 
Tony Fairbridge said:
You will also note that the body ring immediately above the metal band is not the usual pattern, but a plain ring. I suspect that the original ring has been replaced with a metal band to further aid in closing the crack in the wood. I'd suggest that unless you can get this instrument checked by somebody who knows what they are doing then you skip this one.
Click to expand...
Ah, that makes sense! Thank you for sharing that info. And I will be sure to look for the pinky cut-out, going forward. Or maybe I'll look out for a post-50s E&S Master modell or an E11, save a bunch of money but have a nicer player than my standard Evette Master model.

Do you have any advice about either of those two options?

Thanks again!
Eric
 
I have a 1963-ish R-13 and an E&S Master Model from about 1969. I honestly don't notice much difference between the two - they are both fine horns. The legend is that the Master Models were rejects from the R-13 production, but that most issues were cosmetic in nature. I read it on the internet so it must be true!
 
I'm sorry. This is required.

I also read that article that saxhound is referring to.

FWIW, while I know most clarinet players have the notion to get an R13 and nothing else, Yamaha has made several excellent "Custom Series" horns that are really nice. There are also some nice Leblancs, Selmers, and Marigauxs/SMLs out there. If you haven't looked into it, I'd recommend checking out some professional mouthpieces, too.

Note that the E11 has generally been a student or intermediate model. I see that the new E11 is African Blackwood. I'm pretty sure that I've seen plastic ones, too.

Hey! Buffet now has a boxwood clarinet! Those are pretty.
 
The E & S Master Model is a fine instrument, but is not a cosmetically-challenged R13. They are quite different designs. It is a fine instrument, though. The Buffet E11 has, in my experience, something of a problem with patchy quality. They were made in France, by Buffet, and in Germany, by Schreiber. The French-made ones do not seem to have the same quality of fit and finish as the German-made instruments. I've found that the playing quality of E11's to be quite variable. If I were looking for a non-R13 Buffet I'd look at an E13 or a C12.
 
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