Klarinet Archive - Posting 000061.txt from 1994/07

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: C clarinet mouthpiece
Date: Mon, 4 Jul 1994 18:16:12 -0400

Clarke Fobes suggests that the B-flat clarinet mouthpiece might not
be a viable substitute for one specially designed to be used on
a C clarinet. I am intrigued enough, that I want to do two things:
first, I would like to buy one Clarke,and that is a firm order. Just
let me know when I can drop off my C so that you can work on the mp
with my clarinet to hand.

Second, your comments reminded me of just such a mouthpiece story involving
a basset horn mp. When I got my first basset horn, I took a lesson from
anybody and everybody who had ever played the instrument. One of them was
Paul Howland, a NY freelance player who was the brother of the man who
was band director at Fresno for years and years, now retired. Paul is
also dead and I believe that his b.h. is now owned by a clarinet player
in Denver. I tried to buy it, but I was too late.

Anyway, Paul bought the basset horn from the widow of the man who
owned it and died suddenly. It was an old Buffet bh judging from the
case which was the orignal one. Paul estimated it to be from around
the time of WW1. I can't comment since I don't know much about the
matter.

But what was important was the fact that, while there was no mouthpiece
in the case when he bought it (ca. 1940), there was a space for one. And
what is important was thatthe space was too short to hold a traditional
clarinet mouthpiece.

So Paul concluded that the b.h. mouthpiece had to be shortened to make it
fit in the space provided in the case. But since cutting the b.h. mouthpiece
down by a millimeter or so would change the pitch, he compensated for this
by boring out the m.p. And that is exactly the kind of mouthpiece that I
use today. Charlie Bay made two of them for me; one for each b.h., and if
you used my horn (as I think you have done in the past, Clarke), you must
have played on that mouthpiece.

So what you are saying about the C is very compatible with what Howland
said about the b.h. And all because of the space provided in a case made
ca. 1914-1917. How little things impact us!!!

I know you are going to the clarinet convention, but do the C m.p. for me
when you get back. OK? Deal? $5.32 top price and that has to include
the recorking and a lunch that you pay for.

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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