Klarinet Archive - Posting 000136.txt from 2001/08

From: "CLARK FOBES " <reedman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Jazz mouthpieces
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 12:59:55 -0400

While I don't play Jazz, I do make a "Jazz" mouthpiece that has been very
popular with a lot of players who play Klezmer, Trad jazz and Dixieland
style. Tip opening alone does not dictate qualities that one would construe
as a "Jazz" mouthpiece. In fact, I suppose any mouthpiece that has enough
flexibility to bend notes might be suitable for jazz. Gary Foster uses
several of my mouthpieces depending on the style of playing, but he prefers
my 4L for jazz style recording. This is not my "jazz" mouthpiece and anyone
that knows Gary sound knows that he likes to play with a lot of warmth and
does not play with the "edge" in his sound that one might hear in some
styles of Jazz.

My "jazz" mouthpiece has a 1.20mm opening, but it also has a very high
baffle that makes it bright, flexible and powerful. It is the baffle profile
and the long facing (19mm) that gives it these qualities. I have arrived at
1.20mm at my upper most limit for clarinet tip opening because of the
problem with intonation that can occur when one goes much out of this range.
A good example is the Van doren 5JB, which has a tip opening of around 1.40
mm. I consider this more of a saxophone type facing.

I also make a 1.20mm opening mouthpiece (6L) with a more traditional
baffle style and it is quite resistant compared to the "Jazz" mouthpiece.

One last point about Van Doren facing descriptions. The chart
indications by Van Doren are ideals and the mouthpieces are highly
inconsistent with regard to tip opening.
Also, the facing lengths that are indicated are much longer than what I have
measured with my .0015 gauge. We use this gauge traditionally to measure the
end of the curve, but obviously this measures a spot that is short of the
point where the curve meets the table. Perhaps Van Doren has a way of
measuring with light that gives the true point where curve and table meet.

Clark W Fobes

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