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Expertise
The process begins with the working of the wood, more specifically with wooden billets that are turned and then cut to the required length. Next comes the sanding stage, followed by the boring of the instrument.
The metalworking stage then begins with the fitting of the pillars, the keywork, and the soldering. Finally comes the finishing stage, during which the keys are meticulously adjusted and the various parts of the instrument are assembled. The instruments are then ready to be tested by our musicians, whether in-house testers or internationally renowned artists.
Buffet Crampon enjoys the trust of the world’s greatest soloists and orchestral musicians, and the feeling is mutual, as we rely on their exacting standards to develop new instruments together with them.
The manufacturing process begins with the working of the raw material in the turning workshop. The raw wood pieces, known as billets, are first carefully shaped and turned with precision, then cut to the exact length required for each model. Once this geometry has been defined, the pieces undergo an essential protective treatment: they are impregnated with linseed oil to nourish and stabilize the wood, then left to dry before moving on to the next stage of the manufacturing process.
The sanding stage gives the craftsman a vital role in defining the instrument’s final appearance and profile. Through precise movements, the sander removes even the slightest irregularities in the wood and refines its contours. He also meticulously trims the bosses, the raised areas left on the body that will later form the tone-hole chimneys. Using progressively finer grades of sandpaper, followed by polishing compound, he carefully prepares the surface of the bodies for the subsequent finishing stages.
This is where the acoustics truly come to life. By hollowing out the heart of the wood, we shape the internal air column that determines the instrument’s intonation and timbre. It is this internal geometry that gives each model its distinctive sonic identity. Buffet Crampon is renowned worldwide for the unique profile of its bores, which has been at the heart of the success of its instruments for two centuries.
Fitting the pillars requires absolute precision on the part of the craftsman, as these small metal components are essential to ensuring the smooth and even movement of the keys. First screwed in by hand, they are then carefully adjusted using computer-controlled machines. This meticulous operation perfectly illustrates the alliance between cutting-edge technology and the skilled hands of the craftsman, ensuring the precision of the mechanism.
The key maker meticulously files each metal component to smooth its surfaces, angles, and edges before brushing the entire assembly. This preparatory work is carried out on different types of metal and requires constant attention to perfect even the smallest details. This rigorous manual operation is essential to the final aesthetic result, as it ensures an impeccable mechanism, whether the parts are subsequently silver-plated, nickel-plated, or gold-plated by electrolysis.
Various assembly techniques are used throughout the workshops to join the components of the keywork. Depending on the geometric requirements or the mechanical strength constraints specific to each part, the craftsmen use induction soldering, flame soldering, or silver soldering carried out in a furnace. These different processes ensure the strength and durability of the mechanism, enabling it to withstand the repeated demands of daily playing.
This crucial phase is the penultimate stage of the manufacturing process before the acoustic testing can finally begin. The finishers are responsible for fitting each key onto the wooden body, a highly precise task that demands exceptional concentration and meticulous attention to detail.
The craftsman adjusts every mechanical interaction, eliminates even the slightest play in the mechanism, and ensures absolute precision in every adjustment. This meticulous assembly is essential to guarantee the perfectly smooth operation of the mechanism and the complete sealing of every pad, ensuring the immediate and effortless response of every note.
This final stage crowns the entire manufacturing process by placing the instrument in the expert hands of our players.
At Buffet Crampon, we have the privilege of relying both on our in-house players, who are themselves professional musicians, and on more than ten internationally renowned artists and soloists. Endowed with exceptionally trained ears and uncompromising standards, these experts carry out rigorous quality control. The player carefully analyzes the behavior of the wood, the resonance of the metal, and the conformity of the bore, while ensuring perfect intonation and the proper functioning of the mechanism. To perfect the instrument, he refines the final adjustments and selects the bell whose resonance blends most harmoniously with the rest of the body. The workshop then comes alive with vibrant notes and chords, one after another, creating a unique atmosphere reminiscent of the wings of a concert hall just before the curtain rises.
