Buffet Clarinet History

In 1825 the French instrument maker, Denis Buffet-Auger, established his workshop in the heart of Paris. He quickly gained a reputation in the music world for making an excellent 13-key clarinet. At that time, clarinets were entirely made by hand, which required a wealth of experience and craftsmanship.

In 1830 Denis's son, Jean-Louis, took over the business. He married Zo Crampon in 1836 and so the famous Buffet Crampon brand name was created. The logo used today first appeared in 1844.

Louis Auguste Buffet, Jean-Louis's uncle, knew the clarinettist Hyacinthe Klosй, a virtuoso musician and a teacher at the Paris conservatory. These two men, the technician and the artist, worked together. They took the idea of movable rings, which the German Theobald Boehm had developed for the flute, and adapted it for the clarinet. First exhibited in 1839 this new system was very successful and in order to meet demand, the Buffet Crampon factory was built in 1850 in Mantes-la-Ville. As early as 1866 Buffet Crampon was producing its first saxophones, only 20 years after the invention of this instrument by the Belgian, Adolphe Sax.

Buffet Crampon received many awards for the quality of its instruments, notably in 1889 during the Universal Exhibition in Paris. In 1918 Buffet Crampon entered the American market and established its position as the leader in the world of professional clarinets. Robert Carrйe, an extremely talented acoustic technician, developed the R13 bore in 1950 and the RC bore in 1975. These in turn led to the creation of the Festival and Prestige professional models.