Klarinet Archive - Posting 000434.txt from 2002/09

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Question about Woodwind Company mouthpieces
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 22:48:04 -0400

At 09:45 PM 9/20/2002 -0400, Walter Grabner wrote:
>Years and years ago (I'm not saying how long ago) I played on a Woodwind
>G-8 mouthpiece. (Then a Vandoren, a Kaspar, a Pyne, a Borbeck...etc.).
>
>But I really hadn't run across Woodwind mouthpieces for quite a few years.
>
>Recently I received a few Woodwind mouthpieces in the mail. (That's part
>of the fun of this job, people send you all kinds of stuff!) Anyway, a
>couple of these, in the K series, seemed fairly good.
>
>I have a question for the list. How many people out there play Woodwind
>company mouthpieces? Which are the models which are most popular? Are
>there any to stay away from?

The Woodwind Company is Leblanc's mouthpiece-making arm. I currently play
the K10M and am VERY happy with it. It is responsive, smooth, and has
excellent intonation on my Selmer Series 10. The K10M is the standard
mouthpiece that comes with several Leblanc models, including the Concerto,
Infinite, Esprit, and Sonata, as well as the Noblet 45 and 40 and Vito V40.

By the way, the "M" stands for "medium" and refers to the facing
length. There are also K10S and K10L models, as well as K2L; K5S, M, and
L; K15S, M, and L; and K20S. I'm not sure what the numbers represent, but
it is my understanding that Tom Ridenour had a hand in their design. The
K10M is described as having a "medium" tip opening also. I use a Mitchell
Lurie 3 1/2 on it, where I had been using Mitchell Lurie 4 1/2 on my
O'Brien OB* crystal, my previous regular mouthpiece. The K10M does not
"run out of gas" like the O'Brien does when pushed.

Bill Hausmann bhausmann1@-----.net
451 Old Orchard Drive
Essexville, MI 48732 ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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