Klarinet Archive - Posting 000765.txt from 1995/05

From: Charles Evans <cee1@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Vito clarinets: good or e...
Date: Fri, 26 May 1995 17:24:34 -0400

> Vito clarinets certainly have seemed to corner the market around
> my area, as far as beginner instruments are concerned. Actually,
> Vito is part of the LeBlanc line.
>
> I remember when I was in high school our band director made it
> clear that a high school band was no place for a student model
> instrument of any kind.

When I was in high school it started in the 10th grade.. Jr high
was 8th and ninth .. but it's al straightened up now since the
high school was enlarged ANYWAY. By High School we were required
to have wooden clarinets. Moreover by Jr Hi (8th 9th) it was HIGLY
recommended. I got my LeBlanc L-70 (found out it was made in Feb.
1974 -- I inquired abtou this a few month s ago if any of you rememebr)
in the 8th grade. Dunno how much my folks got for my Plastifone
Vito student clarinet. However. I kept my ORIGINAL mouthpiece.. a
B-45 .. which I still use. My L70 came with a HS Star with a quite
chipped mouthpiece. never played on it.. just kept my B45. Since I have
gotten on this mailing group my lower jaw has been constantly dropped
in awe about all this discussion of you shoudlnt swab your mouthpiece
and all kinda stuff, real techinical stuff that I have never thought
of. Infacet i have never played on any other mouthpice.. how would I
even start on deciding what mouthpiece to buy. I play on Mitchell Lurie
4's right now.. but trying to get back back up to my old 4 1/2's and
5s that I played in HS/college (in 2nd year grad school now).. From
the 8th grade I've been told both Vandoren's and ML's are better and
Vandorens or more consistent. I've never been able to play well at all
ona Vandoren. I've recently got some new Vandoren 12's or something new
tyep that supposdadly are good for B45s.. So I bought some 3.5's and
4s.. every vandoren ive played instantly makes me sound airy as all
get out and about get an aneurism just to get a note out.. What
do yall think? No I don't or even know how to make my own reeds. IN
HS/College I used to do a littel fixing of my own new reeds.. like
sanding the base and dunking them in water a few hours and taking my
thumb on the top of the reed and pressing down on hte fibers 'to seal
them'.. Thats all I've ever known to do. Now, I go buy some ML 4th
just lick em adn in my mouth for a a minute or so and off I go.

Anyone got any pointers for me .. I've been playing since 6th grade
and started back full force recently with playing at schruch and with a
few professors in my dept so thats abtou 13 years now. Guess I oughta be
good by now :( :)

later

chuckles