Klarinet Archive - Posting 000262.txt from 1999/08
From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Rubber v. Plastic
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 22:59:01 -0400
This thread on mouthpieces has been very interesting. I've truly enjoyed
reading the many thoughts and opinions expressed.
Several years ago I set myself to the task of improving the tuning of
several of my students' instruments. The instrument that became the
focus of my attention were Vitos. I thought, "Why not? As a repairman, I
see and work on a lot of them. Maybe, just maybe I'll learn some things
in the process."
I did my best to be objective--hard, hard job. When checking tuning I
would play all around, up and down scales, play arpeggios and then, like
a fly, land on a note, turn and then look at the tuner. I would do this
with every note and every fingering for every note until I had at least
a triple sampling of every note from lowest E to third leger space, high
F#. All of this went on a line graph tuning chart I drafted on my
computer. I documented everything I did as I went along, so any one
instrument may have had five or six different charts showing progress or
even bad results as I made adjustments and changes on the instruments.
I checked out different barrels too.
When I started testing mouthpieces, I found out some very interesting
information. Of particular interest was that (at least on Vitos) many
Vandoren mouthpieces played very out of tune. I recall several B45
mouthpieces being particularly bad. They seemed to play overall sharp,
but gave very flat tuning in the throat tone area.
I wanted too, to get a feel for just how much bad stuff was out there. I
went to several music stores and bought some of their inexpensive
mouthpieces. I collected no names, a UMI Precision, a Rico Graphtone, or
whatever they call it, student Selmers (OEM), Vitos, Yamahas, etc. Some
of them were sooooo bad. They were bad in every possible way--bad
response, uneven response, poor tuning, ugly tone--you name it.
There is a place for and a very big need for good quality, starter
mouthpieces. I don't recommend $90 for a beginner. They're going to
trash it in just a couple of years anyway, but they still need something
that works reasonably well.
I must confess I have not tried the Fobes' student mpc. I have tried the
Hite, Tom Ridenour's Encore and Ralph Morgan's ProTone. For around $35
all of these mouthpieces are a true value. They are a huge leap in the
right direction. Band directors need to know that they need to exert
some influence on their students when the students go mouthpiece
shopping. Sometimes a kid will break a mouthpiece and MOM will go by the
cheapest thing in the store. Can't blame the store because they know
that there are some who just don't or won't pay any more. It's a matter
of education and communication by the band director. It is very
important that he do his best to keep the junk mouthpieces out of his
band. They will doom the band, the clarinet section and make life hell
for the player.
Now, I realize I'll be stepping on a lot of toes, but here is MY
opinion. I hate Vandoren B45s. I consider them hard blowing, bright or
even shrill in tone and many play severely out of tune. I might use one
for some dixieland, but that would be maybe the only possible situation.
Maybe they were a wonderful mouthpiece at one time, but I sure haven't
found one I like. There are so many good mouthpieces out there I just
don't understand how they could have become so popular.
Last comment. Mouthpieces change. So and so dies. So and so leaves the
company and is no longer there to maintain quality control. From season
to season and year to year, Chiquita bananas from Central America have
historically been more consistent than most commercially produced
mouthpieces.
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