Serial Number	Year Manufactured
1A - 498 A	1885
409A - 999A	1886
A1 - A886	1886
A887 - A999	1887
B1 - B999	1887
1B - 417B	1887
418B - 999B	1888
1C - 999C	1888
C1 - C300	1888
C301 - C999	1889
D1 -D999	1889
1D - 348D	1889
349D - 999D	1890
E1 - E999	1890
1E - 316E	1890
317E - 999E	1891
F1 - F999	1891
1F - 190F	1891
191F - 999F	1892
G1 - G999	1892
1G - 58G	1892
59G - 999G	1893
H1 - H999	1893
1H - 184H	1893
185H - 999H	1894
I1 - I665	1894
I666- I999	1895
1I -999I	1895
J1 - J617	1895
J618 - J999	1896
1J - 999J	1896
K1 - K514	1896
K515 - K999	1897
1K - 999K	1897
L1 - L561	1897
L562 - L999	1898
1L - 999L	1898
M1 -M590	1898
M591 - M999	1899
1M - 999M	1899
N1 - N440	1899
N441- N999	1900
1N - 999N	1900
O1 - O521	1900
O522 -O999	1901
1O -999O	1901
P1 - P999	1901
1P - 374P	1901
375P - 999P	1902
R1 - R999	1902
1R - 404R	1902
405R - 999R	1903
S1 - S999	1903
1S - 999S	1903
T1 - T40	1903
T41 - T999	1904
1T - 999T	1904
U1 - U999	1904
1U - 81U	1904
82U - 999U	1905
V1 - V999	1905
1V - 751V	1905
752V - 999V	1906
X1 - X999	1906
1X - 999X	1906
Y1 - Y840	1906
Y841 - Y999	1907
1Y - 999Y	1907
Z1 - Z999	1907
1Z - 812Z	1907
813Z - 999Z	1908
1A1 - 1A999	1908
2A1 - 2A999	1908
1B1 - 1B999	1908
2B1 - 2B60	1908
2B61 - 2B999	1909
1C1-1C999	1909
2C1- 2C999	1909
1D1 - 1D67	1909
1D68 - 1D999	1910
2D1 - 2D999	1910
1E1 - 1E901	1910
1E902 - 1E999	1911
2E1 - 2E999	1911
1F1 -1F999	1911
2F1 -2F763	1911
2F764 - 2F999	1912
1G1 - 1G999	1912
2G1 - 2G999	1912
1H1 - 1H500	1912
1H501 - 1H999	1913
2H1 - 2H999	1913
	1913
	1913
	1914
1J1 - 1J999	1914
2J1 -2J224	1914
2J225 - 2J999	1915
1K1 - 1K341	1915
1K342 - 1K999	1916
2K1 - 2K460	1916
2K461 - 2K999	1917
1L11 - 1L521	1917
1L522 - 1L999	1918
2L1 - 2L661	1918
2L662 - 2L999	1919
1M1 - 1M800	1919
1M801 - 1M999	1920
2M1 - 2M999	1920
1N1 - 1N515	1920
1N516 - 1N999	1921
2N1 - 2N999	1921
1O1 - 1O193	1921
1O194 - 1O999	1922
2O1 - 20168	1922
2O169 - 2O999	1923
1P1 - 1P999	1923
2P1 - 1P536	1923
2P537 - 2P999	1924
1R1 - 1R999	1924
2R1 - 2R226	1924
2R227 - 2R999	1925
1S1 - 1S876	1925
1S877 - 1S999	1926
2S1 - 2S999	1926
1T1 - 1T508	1926
1T509 - 1T542	1927
	1928
1	1929
2500	1930
5000	1931
7500	1932
10,000	1933
12,500	1934
15,000	1935
18,000	1936
20,000	1937
22,000	1938
24,000	1939
26,000	1940
thru	*
58,834	1957
58,835	1958
59,144	1959
62,458	1960
65,957	1961
69,718	1962
75,320	1963
78,094	1964
	1965
	1966
93,206	1967
99,332	1968
105,618	1969
111,417	1970
117,748	1971
126,210	1972
133,904	1973
143,518	1974
153,324	1975
163,568	1976
173,827	1977
183,902	1978
191,873	1979
201,532	1980
210,653	1981
221,261	1982
234,696	1983
250,372	1984
266,397	1985
277,483	1986
292,268	1987
302,624	1988
312,700	1989
324,770	1990
337911	1991
352251	1992
367800	1993
379341	1994
394001	1995
408001	1996

Serial Number	Year Manufactured
10109	1961
16378	1966
23008	1969
29624	1973
32168	1975
42804	1977
49093	1979
56537	1981
62685	1983

Serial Number	Year Manufactured
19506	1950
19579	1951
19639	1952
19681	1953
19782	1954
19966	1955
20092	1956
20155	1958
20238	1959
20402	1960
20503	1961
20512	1962
20693	1963
20776	1964
20855	1965
20912	1966
21055	1967
21210	1968
21359	1969
21433	1970
21501	1971
21558	1972
21628	1973
21703	1974
21797	1975
21954	1976
22000	1977
22115	1978
22234	1979
22351	1980
22462	1981
22536	1982
22693	1983
22860	1984
23060	1985
23275	1986
23463	1987
23620	1988
23876	1989
24191	1990
24509	1991
25222	1992
26078	1993

Serial Number	Year Manufactured
10	1885
250	1886
810	1887
1410	1888
1970	1889
2550	1890
3050	1891
3590	1892
4130	1893
4600	1894
5130	1895
5960	1896
6790	1897
7960	1898
8700	1899
9160	1900
9780	1901
029	1902
081	1903
0123	1904
0167	1905
0189	1906
0265	1907
0310	1908
0359	1909
0406	1910
0476	1911
0527	1912
0579	1913
0656	1914
0661	1915
0678	1916
0702	1917
0738	1919
0789	1920
0793	1921
0832	1922
0843	1923
0852	1924
0854	1925
0864	1926

Serial Number	Year Manufactured
244	1868
792	1870
1060	1872
1971	1875
2493	1876
2788	1877
2925	1878
3445	1879
3820	1880
4119	1881
4654	1882
5224	1883
5776	1884
6227	1885
8200	1889
8500	1890
9500	1892
10500	1894
11000	1895
11500	1896
12000	1897
12500	1898
13500	1900
14000	1901
15000	1903
15500	1904
16500	1905
17000	1906
17500	1907
18000	1908
18500	1909
19500	1910
20000	1911
20500	1912
22000	1913
22500	1914
23000	1916
23500	1917
24000	1919
24500	1920
25000	1921
26000	1922
26500	1923
27000	1924
28000	1925
28500	1926
29424	1927
2925	1952
3115	1953
3390	1954
3763	1955
4226	1956
4817	1957
5392	1958
6172	1959
6808	1960
7416	1961
8656	1962
9669	1963
10,064	1964
11,749	1965
12,778	1966
13,776	1967
14,487	1968
15,347	1969
16,323	1970
17,319	1971
18,455	1972
19,787	1973
21,441	1974
22,687	1975
24,417	1976
26,151	1977
27,280	1978
28,733	1979
30,190	1980
31,539	1981
32,961	1982
33,924	1983
34,664	1984
35,733	1985

Jean Louis Buffet was already making musical instruments as early as the 1840's. In 1871, Leon Crampon became a partner. If you come across an "F" preceding the serial number of an R13, this indicates that the instrument has been built to an A442 - A444 and is intended for use by European ensembles. The R13 was designed by Robert Carree, the head acoustician for Buffet (c. 1950). This may have been the first intentional use of the so-called "poly-cylindrical" bore design of the Buffet clarinet. It became the prototype for all future Buffet clarinet designs from that point onward. As a result, it may be safely assumed that anything from #61,000 was manufacturered with this design in mind. Many of the documents which contained accurate information regarding serial numbers have been lost and as a result, there is a gap from 1946 - 1957. Buffet states, however, that approximately 3000 units per year were manufactured during this period.

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