Klarinet Archive - Posting 000098.txt from 2003/08

From: CBA <clarinet10001@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Mouthpiece selection - from a B45 to ??
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2003 20:43:12 -0400

Jeremy,

Is your B45 a "Series 13" mouthpiece? Vandoren makes most of
their mouthpieces in a regular and a series 13, for a flatter
core pitch. If it is, it is tuned much flatter for the American
market to compensate for higher pitched professional
instruments. Unfortunately, if you have an instrument pitched
specifically at 440, the Vandoren Series 13 mouthpieces are
severely flat.

I wouldn't put all my eggs in a basket about the materials of
the mouthpiece either. I have found many plastic/acrylic
mouthpieces to be superior to many hard rubber and crystal ones.
It's all in the hand-finishing. I do believe that most
mouthpieces that are rubber have a better possibility of
becoming a great mouthpiece, since it seems to be easier to work
with (so I have been told) than plastic. That being said, most
mid-range mouthpieces, such as Vandorens, are not extensively
hand finished, nor do they have a hand carved baffle. It rides
in the same category as the wood vs plastic debate. There are
not a lot of options if you want a plastic clarinet with
professional hand finishing...it's not that plastic isn't as
good for instruments...clarinetists are just elitist about the
material grenadilla, and don't want to pay for a professional
plastic instrument, just like people don't necessarily want to
pay over $100 for a plastic mouthpiece.

Interesting, as many professional oboists have been using
plastic upper joints for years, and pay MORE to get them than
their grenadilla counterparts. Someone needs to make a
professional plastic mouthpiece, maybe?

Jeremy, since you are in town, I have 3 Fobes Debut mouthpieces
here that I stock for new students. You are more than welcome to
come by and try them out...along with 20 other moutpieces,
including a few Vandorens, Clark's San Francisco mouthpiece, and
many other big names...could be a reed party in the
making...LOL.

Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds - New York City
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--- Jeremy A Schiffer <schiffer@-----.edu> wrote:
> > I would caution blaming very bad intonation on a moutpiece!
> In my experince
> > other things will play a greater role in intonation
> problems. Tone hole
> > sizes, barrel lenth, pad hight. If that is your reason for
> switching
> > mouthpieces, have your clarinet looked at by a very
> competant repair
> > person. Make sure the horn is in correct adjustment before
> mouthpiece
> > hunting.
>
> Tom,
>
> Here's my reasoning for blaming my mouthpiece:
>
> First, the instrument was overhauled less than a year ago by a
> Very
> Compenent Technician. It needs a little tinkering, but it
> still in
> excellent shape.
>
> Second, and primarily, when I put on a Pyne "Polycrystal"
> mouthpiece
> (read: clear, hard plastic), the intonation is spot on. But
> with the B45,
> in order to get the third space C in tune, the throat tones
> are 15-20
> cents flat, and the second ledger line C isn't much better.
>
> Unfortunately, while the intonation and response are great on
> the Pyne,
> there's something about the sound quality that I don't like. I
> don't know
> if it's a problem with all hard plastic mouthpieces, but it
> has an 'edge'
> to the sound that I don't like. It seems to be a little
> thinner in texture
> than the Vandoren.
>
> Isn't the Fobes Debut plastic? I guess I worry that it may
> have the same
> problem I found with the Pyne.
>
> Thanks for the suggestions, I will look into those (and I may
> look into
> the higher level Pyne ones as well). If anyone else has
> anything to add,
> please do so.
>
> jeremy
> http://klezmer.org
>
>
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