Buffet Tradition Bb Clarinet

Released in 2017, the Tradition represents Buffet asking themselves: "What if we scrapped the R13's polycylindrical bore and started over?" Bizarre idea, but hey, I seriously love that Buffet questions their own successes. So, the Tradition's bore is cylindrical — nearly constant diameter throughout — which is how the instrument puts the R13 philosophy into reverse.

But wait. If Robert Carrée invented the polycylindrical bore specifically to fix the intonation problems of straight-bore clarinets, why the hell go back? Well, here's my best guess: up until the 1980s Buffet made a model (only available in Europe) called the BC20, which developed a quiet following among players who found it warmer and more balanced than the R13. Buffet decided to solve the "cylindrical problem" a different way: keep the cylindrical bore concept but attach tone hole geometry from the Tosca. Old-school bore, modern intonation work. And I think it was (mostly) successful.

How it plays

The dashboard data kind of proves it out. The twelfths are clean; nearly all of them land right where they should — which with a cylindrical bore is the whole magic trick. That's the exact problem Carrée built the polycylindrical bore to solve, and Buffet got most of the way there a completely different way.

It's not all roses. The throat tones run a touch sharp, and there's some shape to the pitch you'll steer with air and voicing. (Don't believe me? Look at the dashboard.) But the core of the scale holds together in a way a straight bore just isn't supposed to do.

Resistance: 7/10, Medium-Heavy

To me, the Tradition feels more resistant than the R13/Festival family. There's a firmness to the blow—think of it like the difference between pushing open a screen door and a solid oak one. That resistance gives you a focused, stable sound and keeps your tone from "spreading" at high volumes. The tradeoff is you won't get quite as much flexibility in tonal shading without working for it.

Want to hear how it handles air and dynamics? In the audio player below, listen to the Weber first (wide dynamics, wide color), then the Berlioz (wide dynamics, narrow color), then the Gershwin (narrow on both). You can hear how the timbre responds to me as a player... warts and all.

The 2019 revision

Metal-lined tenons and a low F correction key borrowed from the Tosca. The Tosca is built on this platform and costs quite a bit more. The idea started here. 

Before you commit

Play the R13. It's the opposite of this instrument in nearly every way that you can imagine, and an hour with both teaches you more than either of our descriptions will. Try the Festival if you want freer and mellower. The Tosca for more resistance still.

If what you want is even note-to-note behavior with no pitch to manage, go play a Backun Essence or a Selmer Signature. And if it's a firm, resistant blow you're after — not the Buffet name — try a Uebel Zenit.