Klarinet Archive - Posting 000842.txt from 2000/02

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Rage and Shame
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 22:36:47 -0500

Today I was at the music store (to be un-named in this post). I needed to pick up some reeds, a new swab, etc.

Well, being a mouthpiece guy, I had to browse what was in stock at the mouthpiece rack.

I came across some Larry Combs LC3's. I recently came across a person here in the Chicagoland area who played one of these, and she sounded pretty good.

So, I grabbed one off the rack, and bought it. My aim was to measure it, play around on it for awhile, then maybe sell it on eBay. This is a good way for me to check out different mouthpiece designs, measurements, etc.

So, I pulled this thing out tonight, and put my best Legere #4 on it. The reed COLLAPSED.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

OK...get out the measuring tools.

This is what I found:

1.10 Tip
_____

8+ 6+
16 11+ (Good God)
26+ 24
52 40

Yes...you read right 52! (This is longer than most bass clarinet mouthpiece facings!!!!)

And the 16! and 26+ is also ridiculous. The most these measurements should ever be...at least on a soprano clarinet...is 12 and 22

For those not facing conscious, a "normal" facing would be something like:

1.10
___

7
12
22
34

Or, for a very close mouthpiece, Like R. Hawkins makes:

97

4
10
20
30

I checked the table for flatness....and, yes, you guessed it, the entire left side of the table is SUNK. It touches the straight edge in two minute areas. Think of the squeaks this thing could make.

In other words this mouthpiece is nothing but a piece of CRAP.

Now, big deal, right. I'm a big boy, with a job, and a few bucks don't matter. Also, I can probably re-face this sucker, and make a really nice mouthpiece out of it.

But what about some poor kid, whose parents plunk down some money, for what SHOULD by all rights be a decent piece of equipment??????

Buyer beware? Lovely.

Shame on the Leblanc Company, who made this............

Where is your quality control???????????

It appears you have NONE. (It's real cute BTW......WWW.GLeblanc.com right on the side of the mouthpiece.)

And Mr. Combs...if you are lurking out there....you should take a look at the shit (pardon my language, but it's the best term I can think of) that they're putting your name on!

Walter Grabner

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