Mantes-la-Ville, France
Buffet / Crampton Cie

Grenadilla, German silver, bamboo reed 
Prior to 1884  
Height: 33.13 in; Bell Diameter: 5.25
Wind Instruments – Woodwinds – Single Reed

This clarinet is stamped:  [lyre] / BUFFET / Crampon & Cie / A PARIS / [BC] /  BREVETES / S.G.D.G. / MADE IN FRANCE 

Serial #1628

In 1825, French instrument maker Denis Buffet Auger (1783-1841) established his workshop in the heart of Paris, at 18 Passage du Grand Cerf.  His 13-keyed clarinets soon won attention in the musical community.  Then in 1836, Jean-Louis Buffet, Denis’ son, marries Zoe Crampon and create the Buffet Crampon Cie brand name.

The Boehm system clarinet in its early and largely original setup, was developed between 1839 and 1844 by the clarinetist Hyacinthe Eléonore Klosé and the manufacturer Louis-Auguste Buffet (younger brother of Denis Buffet Auger).  In 1845, the son, Jean Louis Buffet files for a patent he noted as “improvement to the clarinet” that was similar to his uncle Louis Auguste Buffet’s patent.    By 1850, Jean-Louis Buffet joins with Louis Buffet and Ferdinand Tournier, and they set up workshops in Mantes-la-Ville.

Compared to the Buffet / Crampton 13 Keyed Bb Clarinet – Simple (Albert) System, found in this collection, the stamped logo shows the addition of  ‘SGDG Brevete’ on this bass clarinet.  It is an abbreviation that stands for the phrase “Breveté sans garantie du gouvernement”, a French type of patent that existed from a law in 1844 and ceased to exist @ 1968.  This French phrase generally means “patented without state guarantee. 

Resource:  https://na.buffet-crampon.com/bc_US_en/ (Our Story)