Klarinet Archive - Posting 000568.txt from 2001/08

From: "F. S. Sterns" <fssterns@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] crystal mouthpieces
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 11:42:16 -0400

Bill Hausmann wrote, in part:

>
> That's right. The Vito Dazzlers all come with matching mouthpieces
> (red, green, blue, white, yellow) that are identical except for the
> color. Black is, of course, traditional (and clarinetists are
> NOTORIOUS traditionalists), but the white Brilhart mouthpieces with
> black tooth inserts were quite popular for a while. They don't make
> the white ones anymore, but the black ones with white inserts are
> still available. It is just a style thing -- if the white ones played
> any better, people would have kept buying them.

Don't forget the Claude Lakey clarinet mouthpiece [another black with a
white insert], likewise the Beechler Diamond Inlay [black with a white
diamond inset] and the latter's "Great Neck Original," [a pure white
model that's supposed to be identical in every way, sound as well as
appearance, to the 1940's original.

Of course, these are for jazz musicians but maybe they would work for
others in the smaller facings. With all respects to Dan Leeson, they
have a "very bright sound." [The noise you hear is me ducking behind my
bullet proof shield!] :-)

Bill is quite correct...the white is for style. But we have an old
saying we recently made up in the big band sax section: "The white
mouthpiece...which Charlie "Bird" Parker played...may not have exactly
the sound you want, its intonation may be somewhat lacking and its
responsiveness may leave something to be desired...but it sure looks
*cool*!" :-) Fred Sterns

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