The Buffet B12 clarinet is a classic student instrument that’s been reintroduced as part of Buffet Crampon’s lineup, combining ease of play with durability and trusted build quality. Its ABS polymer body is both lightweight and highly resistant to temperature and humidity changes, meaning it won’t crack like wood — a big advantage for young players and outdoor use.
Featuring 17 keys and 6 rings with nickel‑plated keywork and blue steel springs, the B12 offers smooth, consistent action that helps beginners develop correct finger technique and confidence across all registers. A fixed or adjustable thumb rest improves comfort, while undercut tone holes and quality pads support even tuning and tone production.
The B12 typically arrives as a complete outfit, including a backpack‑style case, mouthpiece, ligature, reed, mouthpiece cap, swab, cork grease, and other basic accessories so students can start playing right away. Its approachable playability, reliable construction, and classic Buffet style make it a strong choice for first‑time learners and music programmes.
Matthew Blaseby –
Excellent service - cannot fault it. Having tried to hire via a couple of established shops, who insisted on physical paperwork, Musical Instrument Hire was a breeze online. They were very obliging on the phone and clearly care about ensuring the student (and teacher!) have a good quality instrument to play. Thank you!
Tristan Wainwright –
Great service so far, online hire agreement was straightforward and the clarinet arrived less than 24 hours later.
Jane Aykroyd –
So quick, easy and efficient. Thank you for being the enabler that finally got me doing something I’ve been meaning to do for over 40 years!
Pauline King –
I have recently rented a clarinet as I’ve always wanted to learn it and thought this was a good opportunity. The sign up process was very easy and my clarinet arrived 2 days later. Excellent service. (Wish I could say the same for my clarinet playing - but I’m getting there slowly!)
Jonathan Brown –
Great service. New instrument arrived quickly.
Suzanne Markovics –
Thank you for rescuing my son when his two clarinets both broke down as he was just about to record for his grade 8 clarinet exam. I do not know what we would have done without MIH. It was the summer holidays so we couldn't get hold of any local instrument repairers so we were very, very stuck. MIH were easy to find on a Google search. They sent across a good quality, recently serviced, reasonably priced hire instrument within 24 hours of booking - meaning we could quickly rearrange to have my son's recording completed within a couple of days. It was a very straightforward process right from the beginning. The staff were always so helpful and polite when dealing with my enquiries during the hire period. The return process was equally simple. Thank you to all the lovely staff at MIH - we really appreciated your support!
Gail Campbell –
My clarinet arrived, as ordered, in beautiful condition, in its case. Very early days but so far, I’m loving it! As an older, absolute beginner, with lots of enthusiasm, I didn’t want to spend a lot buying one, just in case. Equally, I didn’t want to to purchase a cheap one, that would sound awful and I wouldn’t want to play it. Musical Instrument Hire Co is the perfect solution. Quick efficient with the exact product that I wanted. If you are considering hiring, go ahead and do it, very reasonable prices too. Delighted with my experience.
Sarada Gupta –
Excellent prompt service