Author: Pat Parkin
Date: 2002-10-02 00:22
I have had about 15 Evette and Schaeffer clarinet in hand over the last three or four years, of which about 6 were Master Models. I also tend to take a close look at a lot of these for sale on E-bay and often query the seller for details. I believe that they tend to fall into three groups.
First, older clarinets with "old-style" key work, which is identified by a right-angle lower bridge, rather than the "s-curve" lower bridge. The change in keywork seems to have appeared some time between serial numbers K6737 and K8561. I speculate that this change occurred at the time the R-13 was introduced. Some of these have undercut toneholes on the lower joint and some do not. The key work on these is, however, different than Vytas's example above. They all had separate posts for the A and G# keys and two pivots for the left hand pinky keys instead of just one.
Second, newer instruments with the "s-curve" lower bridge and non-"swoosh" style fork-B keys. These instruments seem to all have undercut tone-holes on the lower joint. They also do not have the cut-outs under the right pinky cluster like R-13s have. There is some variation on these regarding where the words "Master Model" are located. Most the instruments in this group that I have seen have the words above and seperated a bit from the oval logo. A few have the words under the oval logo, and a few (older ones?) have the words along the curving top of the logo. These all appear to have a poly-cylindrical upper joint, as measured with my crude home made "T-gauges".
The above two groups seem to be consecutive in serial number. Regarding serial number vintage, I have seen two original owner statements that K8222 sold new in 1958, and K10593 new in 1961. This brings up the third group of E&S Master Models.
These are what I call exceptions. I have three examples of this group. The first was listed on E-Bay in the last year, with a K7XXX serial numbers. It had keywork like an R-13, including the cutouts under the pinky cluster. The "Master Model" words were above and apart from the logo.
The second closed on Sept. 15 on E-bay and is still viewable today: Item # 905672808.
This has old-style keywork, cutouts under the pinky cluster, but has a serial number of K42304. "Master Model" on this one is below the oval logo, at least on the barrel and bell. One has to wonder how an instrument with the serial this high has older keywork. I think this is a regular Buffet production clarinet from the late '40s or early '50s with the K appended to the front of a regular Buffet (non E&S) serial number. This certainly supports the "cosmetic rejection" idea.
The final "exception" clarinet I am currently playing. It has serial number 51602. That's right, no K. With the exception of the words stamped on it, it is virtually identical to R-13 serial number 62013, when I compare them side by side. "Master Model" on this one follows the curve on top of the oval logo. I think this example also support the cosmetic rejection idea.
Hope this helps further the discussion.
Pat Parkin
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The Clarinet BBoard
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