Klarinet Archive - Posting 000110.txt from 1994/06

From: Timothy Tikker <tjt@-----.ORG>
Subj: Re: jazz, mouthpieces; Cundy-Bettoney question
Date: Fri, 24 Jun 1994 12:18:33 -0400

On Thu, 23 Jun 1994, Kurt Hoffman wrote:

> What's the deal with wide-bore vs. narrow-bore clarinets?
>
> I often wonder if it relates to my problem: while I play classical music for
> study and pleasure, the gigs I do fall into the downtown
> art-rock/jazz/what-have-you category. The tone I get on my Buffet E-11 with
> (I dunno what number) Genusa mouthpiece seems appropriately cool and focused
> for the classical stuff, but I often want a bigger, warmer sound for the
> other stuff. Someone once told me that wider bore instruments give more of
> that. True? If so, does anyone have any suggestions as to what clarinets I
> should consider?
>
A simpler solution might be a different mouthpiece. I chose a Vandoren
"Jazz" mouthpiece, the 5JB, after careful comparison with other, classical
mouthpieces. The sound is bigger, broader and more flexible. I chose it
not for jazz, but rather for ethnic music (balkan, middle eastern). It
took more kindly to pitch-bending, quarter-tones and such. But I'll
guess that this is the sor of thing you'll need.

My clarinet is a 1930 French Selmer, full-boehm... made of metal! With
this mouthpiece, the sound is surprisingly "woody"!

My E-flat clarinet is also metal, and came with a Vandoren (2-RV)
mouthpiece. It's a Cundy-Bettoney, Boston, serial # A5757.and is stamped
"U S" in large letters on the bell and case - a professional, military
horn? It plays incredibly well, has a gorgeous (and LOUD) tone, and is
amazingly in tune. Cundy-Bettoney hasn't manufactured instruments in years,
so I couldn't get any information on it. Anyone on the net know anything?