Klarinet Archive - Posting 000041.txt from 1998/06

From: Matthew Hanson <mchanson@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] answer the questions, please
Date: Mon, 1 Jun 1998 10:09:15 -0400

>Which Rico reeds were you talking about that these "younger" players >are
>using? The obvious implication is that they are using the low-end >Ricos--it
>is students who have less money to spend and less knowledge about cane >who are
>the main consumer of low-end Rico reeds. And you still haven't >verified the
>correctness of that statement you made above about the relative >consistency of
>Vandoren and Rico cane. Well?????? If they were so consistent, wouldn't >you be
>using them yourself? Yet you said, "I personally do not use Rico reeds on my
>low clarinets as often as other brands". By the way, the high-end Rico >reeds
>aren't available for contraalto or contrabass--the best you could do >would be
>Royals, which, though they are french-filed, are not high-quality cane >like
>Vandoren.

Elise, you seem to be making assumptions based on what you have used.
And to answer your questions, which I have already done privately, but
since you insist on dragging it all out for everyone to see, I use
several different kinds and shapes of reeds for contra playing.
I do use Vandorens, but will rarely do so on Eb contra unless I'm using
their bari sax reeds. You may not understand this since you use a
Leblanc Eb contra. To solve your confusion, take a look at a Selmer Eb
contra mpc. You shall find that the whole mpc is in general much smaller
than your Leblanc. Since you don't know this, you're ranting at the
assumption that I am the ignorant one. Whether you have charts on the
inner dimensions of the mpcs or not, that doesn't mean you know whether
or not the tenon will fit, and it does not. This is my main point. The
Leblanc (Woodwind Co.) mpc has a much quicker flare in the cone of the
bore and is huge at the tenon to fit the Leblanc contra bore, not the
Selmer.
Once again, I'll state
BBb contra mpcs are interchangable
EEb contra mpcs are not

The size of the Leblanc mpc tenon is bigger than the Selmer and Bundy
entire neckpipe socket. Because of the bore difference, it would be like
trying to put an alto clarinet bell on a bass. It just won't go on.
The Selmer mpcs can be altered to stay in the Leblanc neck, but it
requires that the WHOLE tenon be corked absurdly thick, the height of
the mpc. Even still, the ending result is usually horrilble as the bore
size is much, much different. This is just fact.
These differences are much more significant than the interchangability
of various mouthpieces on alto and bass clarinets.
More on reeds.. You are very right about the Rico contra reeds.
However, I do use the middle to lower end reeds (filed of course) for
specific kinds of playing. I like the cut of their contra cl and bari
sax reeds for Eb contra, but not BBb contra, as they are too narrow. It
is for BBb contra that I use Vandoren's wide contra reeds. You could use
Vandoren's contra reeds for both Leblanc EEb and BBb contras since, as
I've stated before, they were designed for the Leblanc. Please stop
harrassing me because I don't use them on my Selmer.
You asked what Rico reeds I use on contra. I use the Hemke (made by
Rico) baritone sax reeds on contra. I also sometimes use Marcas. I use
them for intonation and proportion reasons. If you can't understand
that, please don't keep flaming me so immaturely.
You ask me to answer your questions, but why should I even take the time
to if you are constantly flaming me for doing so? Please ASK the
questions BEFORE you flame. I mean, really. Do you know how silly it
sounds to flame someone for the use of their equipment and then turn
around and act so curious and sincere about why they use it?
Your comments have been difficult to respect. I see no need for you to
be so forceful.

I, Matthew Hanson, own Selmer, Leblanc, and Buffet clarinets.
I use many different kinds of reeds for the various instruments, some
even hand finished. I use what works for me. When did this become wrong?
Matthew Hanson

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