My first buffet R13 that I purchased lasted about 13 months from the purchase date. In the 13th month, I noticed a crack going from the top of the top joint, down to the first trill key, through the tone hole and all the way through the next trill key and its tone hole. Fortunately, the company that I bought it from traded me with another R13. Unfortunately, 3 months later I found a crack that went from the top trill key's tone hole, to the second trill key's tone hole. I take good care of my clarinets, and I'm not sure what's wrong! Maybe it's bad luck. I live in Missouri, and some people say that it's the crazy wheather that causes the cracks, but other people at my school with buffet R13s have no problem. Does anyone have any suggestions for a possibly different model of a buffet clarinet that will actually last for a couple of years?

Also, are there other people with this problem of R13s cracking?

Get an R13 Greenline, they cannot crack. They are made to the exact same dimensional specifications as the wooden model. The Greenline is made powdered grenadilla wood mixed with a type if resin.

I bought a brand new Selmer Signature from WWBW. I got it last thursday and today, just 5 days later, it has 2 cracks in the upper joint. Thank God it cracked within the 45 day return period.

Klarinet, how much did you play the instrument in that period?

with a wooden instrument you have to warm it up to constant playing, you play it about 30 minutes a day for a week then an hour a day for a week then you can play it properly but if you go straight into playing it for 3 hours a day it gets shocked and cracks easily, so just ease it in to playing and ensure you use the bore oil so that it doesn't completely dry out