Buffet R13

The R13 is one of the most important clarinets ever made. Introduced in 1955 and refined through the decades that followed, it became the standard-bearer for professional Bb clarinet playing worldwide — the instrument found in orchestras, conservatories, and on recordings that defined what classical clarinet sounds like. A well-made R13 from the early 1960s represents the model at one of its most celebrated periods, before manufacturing changes in later decades altered the character players loved.

Serial #73223 dates to 1962. It has been fully restored in our shop — all new leather pads, keys mechanically fit, fresh corks throughout, oiled and cleaned. The result is a vintage R13 that plays with the reliability and feel of a modern instrument while keeping everything that makes an instrument from this era worth seeking out: the response, the tone, the character that players who know this clarinet specifically ask for.

This instrument is ready to play. No waiting on a restoration queue, no surprises when it arrives.

If you've been looking for a vintage R13 but didn't want to gamble on an unrestored horn, this is the right way to buy one. A full mechanical restoration means you're getting the instrument at its best — not what it was, but what it should be.