Buffet Prestige Greenline Bb Bass Clarinet (To low C)

Suitable for

The Buffet Prestige1193 Bass Clarinet to low C represents Buffet Crampon craftsmanship at its greatest.

If you are a serious university student or the professional symphony player, then this clarinet is a must for you.

The Buffet Crampon Prestige Bass Clarinet produces a well centred, rich tone.  The responsive evenness throughout the range, attractive brilliance of the tone and the beautiful ergonomic accuracy of the keywork combine to make the 1193 extremely rewarding to play. Along with a left hand little finger E^b/A^b lever and low G resonance key, the BC 1193 is equipped with triple low D spatula keys.

Unique benefits

• Range to low C: Fully extended range to give access to all repertoire.
• Undercut tone holes: Improves tone and ease of response.
• Power forged silver-plated keywork and posts, preplated in copper, finished in silver plate: Long lasting finish and comfortable feel.
• 2 part neck: Better position in the mouth freeing the neck from stress and stiffness.
• Left hand E^b/ A^b lever: Alternative fingering for awkward passages.
• Resonance vent on bell:  For improved tuning (Low G vent key)
• Three low D keys: Very handy for alternative fingerings in the lowest register, most instruments only have two D keys. 
• Metal capped tenons:  For stability and a centred tone. 

Supplied with

The Buffet Prestige Bass Clarinet to low C is supplied in a lockable hard case with backpack straps.  Also included is a Buffet mouthpiece, cap and ligature, pullthrough, cork grease, 2x keys and a sample reed.

About the maker

Greenline is a relatively new manufacturing process that has implications both for the environment and clarinet durability, and many Buffet clarinets are available in Greenline.

Wooden clarinets are made almost exclusively from African Blackwood. Grenadilla is the botanical name and locally it is called Mpingo. The problem is that clarinets and other instruments made from this wood require pieces that are free of flaws, but the blackwood trees grow in a twisted pattern with lots of flaws.

When the wood is harvested – after 80 to 120 years of growth – much of it goes to waste because of imperfections. In addition, once acceptably un-flawed pieces large enough to make a clarinet are found, more goes to waste in the shaping and manufacturing process.  While replanting efforts are underway the fact is that supplies of this wood are diminishing.  So, what to do?

Buffet Crampon has come up with a way to use both imperfect pieces of wood and the scraps from the manufacturing process with their Greenline clarinet models.  The wood is powdered and mixed 95%/5% with carbon fibers and then pressure formed for the needs of instrument makers.

The result is greatly reduced consumption of blackwood while making a clarinet that is more durable, less prone to cracking, and with a sound that is indistinguishable from a solid wood instrument.