Bb Buffet Festival Clarinet

Clarnibass,
What are you using? A selmer 10G or a Leblanc Opus?

There is an awful lot of snobbery within clarinet sections here, Orchestra, heavy weight Concert bands and the like as to what clarinet you use. The number of players who use LeBlanc or Selmer can be counted on one hand.....unless it is bass clarinet where the common belief is that ithas to be Selmer. Up until recently I would have agreed with them on the BC belief but the newer Buffet 1193 Prestige is an incredible instrument. I am still awaiting a Privelege model to arrive so that I can check it out, there is none in the country that I can find yet although rumour has it that there are a few about.

Back to the Festival, the Festival is a very, very nice instrument to play and works very nicely in a legit setting but doesn't have the flexibility of the RC. This is most noticeable in the 3rd and 4th registers. I chose the RC Prestige for the bigger sound, an easily maleable tone and greater dynamic range in all registers over the Festival. It might also have been because I have played the RC for the last 20 years (until it was stolen earlier this year) I felt instantly at home on it.

The other thing to note is that every French market Buffet (F in front of the serial number) always seems to have that little something extra to the response, sound and overall feel when playing the instrument. They are more free blowing which is a trait that I prefer in my clarinets.

Fred,
Do you find that you have increased air noise and brightness when using Cork pads?

I have found that you can hear a hiss when ever you play a cork padded clarinet. I use a cork register key in all my clarinets which does alieve the dullness normally found on the throat Bb.

Ialso must admit to liking every R13 with cork upper pads I have played due to an increased brightness and ring in the throat notes (up until a certain point when the hiss starts). Overall it tends to make the R13 far more usable when played in ensemble and bring the typically diabolical intonation of the throat notes on the R13 closer to pitch. The R13 has better intonation than the Selmers in this area, the LeBlancs are very good in this area too although my main argument against the LeBalnc is a little too single sounding.

Has anyone tried the new St Louis Selmer's?

Bootman, I play an Eaton International clarinet. It's their smaller bore version but still bigger than any regular small bore instrument (Buffet, Selmer, Leblanc, etc.) according to Peter Eaton (but not as big as a real big bore clarinet).
I just thought it was interesting to know the RC is bigger bore than the Festival, and that you think it's one of the reasons why certain people like one or the other better, but I preferred the Festival in spite of my clarinet that I prefer has a bigger bore.

I've tried the St. Louis, two of them. I thought the sound was good but very different from a Buffet or my clarinet. What I didn't like is the keywork (mainly left pinky keys) and even that alone would make me not buy one. If you have smaller hands (though I think mine are about average) maybe you'd like the keys better, or maybe you won't think they are not comfortable.

Also if I understand you right and you are looking into buying a bass clarinet, let me know I have some details (mainly on the Buffet) that might help you.