Klarinet Archive - Posting 000264.txt from 1999/08

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Rubber v. Plastic
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 23:06:00 -0400

On Wed, 11 Aug 1999, Richard Bush wrote:
> 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.

Absolutely! As a beginning band director, I used to have the stores stock
5RVs in the cases. I liked them - and they were hard rubber. The store
did enough business to put them in for only a few extra $. Besides, when
a store rents at list and then adds in the interest - it doesn't hurt them
any to keep the band director happy so eating $15 markup isn't going to
kill the incredible profit on the rest of the deal.

Oops....sorry, I obviously don't know anything about the business right
Clark? ;)

> 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.

I agree with you regarding B45's. They are even hard to reface. But
consider the kid who takes a teesy bit of mouthpiece, plays on a hard reed
and blows very little. The B45 sounds dark and smooth. Get them to take
lots of mouthpiece, use air correctly, and to use good embouchure (upper
lip) support - and bammo! The edge is there. Of course, I don't
understand that part of clarinet playing teaching either do I Clark.

> Chiquita bananas from Central America have
> historically been more consistent than most commercially produced
> mouthpieces.

Now THAT' a quote I'm going to type and put up on my wall! Great one!
Roger Garrett
Professor of Clarinet
Director - Concert Band, Symphonic Winds & Titan Band
Advisor - Recording Studio
Illinois Wesleyan University

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