Klarinet Archive - Posting 000250.txt from 2006/08

From: "Ellie Anastasiou" <ellie_is@-----.au>
Subj: Re: [kl] $650 mouthpieces???
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2006 08:48:46 -0400

OMG...$650 for a mouthpiece? Are you going to throw in the clarinet for
that price? lolol.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Patton Hunnicutt" <bass9396@-----.com>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2006 10:36 PM
Subject: RE: [kl] $650 mouthpieces???

> Honestly,
>
> Let's keep it real. $650 is beyond ridiculous. If
> you can't make enough money to support yourself on
> mouthpieces alone...then get another job. Sob stories
> aren't helping your cause. I might spend $150 on a
> mouthpiece.....but that's as far as I'm willing to go.
> Moreover, we're not interested in the amount you
> spent developing the mouthpiece....we want quality
> product at a GOOD price. When I see these exorbitant
> prices I just laugh because I know it didn't cost you
> $325 to make a $650 mouthpiece.
>
> --- kurtheisig@-----.net wrote:
>
>> Michael,
>>
>> Very well said.
>>
>> We mouthpiece makers pour our lives into helping
>> others to meet their dreams. The endless years of
>> research don't get paid. It is certainly done more
>> for passion than profit. I know of no mouthpiece
>> maker that ever got rich, even when we sell
>> mouthpieces at "high" prices.
>>
>> If my clarinet mouthpieces were $650 each, just to
>> "get by" in my area, I'd have to make 21 a month
>> EVERY month and sell them all. If I lived in Dan
>> Leesons area add at least 5!
>>
>> In my area, when I mention a price of $350 for one
>> of my models, I am often insulted and demeaned. That
>> kind of treatment for long hours and great skill to
>> HELP the person?
>>
>> Thank God their are great pros like Pharoah Sanders,
>> Bert Wilson, Mauro Di Gioia, who are humble, polite
>> and THANKFUL!
>>
>> Kurt
>>
>> Kurt Heisig
>> Master Mouthpiece Maker
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> >From: Michael Norsworthy <m.norsworthy@-----.net>
>> >Sent: Aug 19, 2006 3:49 PM
>> >To: Klarinet <klarinet@-----.org>
>> >Subject: RE: [kl] $650 mouthpieces???
>> >
>> >Bryan,
>> >
>> >I like the fact that you always ask questions but
>> find the accusatory tone
>> >to be completely un-necessary and your pre-formed
>> opinions to be quite
>> >ill-informed at this point. Regarding the
>> questions you posed, I'll try to
>> >answer a few of them.
>> >
>> >Yes, Brad Behn did have a table at the Clarinet
>> Convention in Atlanta AND he
>> >sold a lot of these mouthpieces. (they're called
>> the Vintage Collection for
>> >future reference) People were pleasantly surprised
>> at their reactions to
>> >playing these mouthpiece for the first time and it
>> was a joy to watch people
>> >smile and say, WOW! I was privileged enough to be
>> invited by Brad to assist
>> >him at his table and watch him work in a completely
>> unobtrusive and helpful
>> >manner with each and every customer that walked up
>> to the table.
>> >
>> >Regarding the price... Brad gets this a lot from
>> various people and the
>> >explanation is always the same. Brad has
>> endeavored to create something
>> >special and UNIQUE by bringing back the old 1930's
>> Henri Chedeville rubber.
>> >He's spent an enormous amount of time, years in
>> fact, as well as large sums
>> >of his own money developing the rubber mix,
>> dimensions, blanks, etc and has
>> >built the mouthpiece quite literally from the
>> ground up. Involved are
>> >numerous fees from labs, chemists, rubber
>> manufacturers and other incurred
>> >expenses. This translates into a MUCH higher cost
>> to manufacturer the
>> >blanks that Brad works from and it's worth
>> mentioning that he's the only
>> >mouthpiece maker that I know of that's actually
>> manufacturing his own
>> >blanks. After he gets them, they require quite a
>> bit of work on the facing,
>> >chamber, baffle, etc. Put this all together and
>> you have your $650 price
>> >tag.
>> >
>> >Next question: is it worth it? You'll have to make
>> up your own mind about
>> >that. However, in my opinion and many others,
>> absolutely. I have a large
>> >collection of vintage mouthpieces (Kaspars, Cheds,
>> Bettoneys, etc) and can
>> >tell you that, from my standpoint, the rubber
>> sounds and vibrates in a way
>> >that suits me better than any modern material I've
>> played on. The advantage
>> >to this, I get the sound and feel of the old rubber
>> (which I prefer) and the
>> >mouthpiece can be easily replaced by a living maker
>> that I can talk to and
>> >work with to create something special for me.
>> >
>> >This is a high end piece of equipment made by one
>> of the master craftsman of
>> >our time. If one were to look at any other field
>> or profession, $650 for a
>> >piece of equipment is quite cheap, and our
>> mouthpieces usually far outlive
>> >expensive electronics and gadgets by years or even
>> decades.
>> >
>> >I'd like to issue you an invitation to try them for
>> yourself and make an
>> >informed opinion rather than an educated guess
>> about Brad's products. Also,
>> >for the record, Brad is one of the MOST honest
>> people in the market today.
>> >He, like everyone else, does need to make a living,
>> but his policies and
>> >ethics do not lend themselves to making a living at
>> someone else's expense.
>> >If you're not completely happy with anything you
>> purchase, Brad will work
>> >very hard to get you there.
>> >
>> >AND, if you're interested in Brad's products and do
>> not want to pay for one
>> >of the Vintage Collection mpcs, try his other
>> lines, you may find something
>> >that you will like.
>> >
>> >The complete story of his Vintage Collection is
>> available at Brad Behn's
>> >website: www.clarinetmouthpiece.com Please take a
>> look and see or judge for
>> >yourself, that's the way Brad would want it :)
>> >
>> >All the best,
>> >Michael Norsworthy
>> >www.michaelnorsworthy.com
>> >
>> >P.S. I am NOT paid by Brad to endorse his products
>> nor was I paid to work
>> >his table at ClarinetFest. I am simply a good
>> friend and clarinetist who
>> >highly respects his work and accomplishments.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
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