Klarinet Archive - Posting 000015.txt from 1994/10

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: David Holt's inquiry about best mouthpiece
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 18:33:53 -0400

David Holt has just joined the board and he asks about a particular
mouthpiece brand and ligature as purportedly being the best. Specifically,
the VanDoren B45 and a Luyben ligature.

David, you will probably start fistfights. There are many opinions about
what is the best this or that, and even opinions about whether or not it
is possible to find such a thing as the best this or that.

Mouthpieces fall into that category.

My view and mine alone: it is wrong to thing that any mouthpiece is
the best, for the natural question depends on how consistently that
mouthpiece is made to the same standards of excellence.

I have played on some wonderful B45s and some awful B45s. I don't know
if VanDoren has been able to achieve uniform quality in their
manufacturing process or even if the party or parties from whom they
buy their blanks have achieved this wonderful target.

When you students need a mouthpiece, they should sell their brothers
and sisters into servitude for life to get the money to get the best
mouthpiece that they can get, and that may be a B45 or a Selmer HS**
or a Pyne or a Bay or a goodness knows. That depends on the mouthpiece
and their head.

But please do not encourage all students to get the same mouthpiece
types, brands, sizes, facings, etc. There is no good reason to
presume that such a decision will get you anything and there is
ample evidence that you will get into serious trouble, no matter
what brand you suggest.

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
(leeson@-----.edu)
(dnl2073@-----.edu)
Any of the above three addresses may be used. Take your pick.
====================================