Klarinet Archive - Posting 000016.txt from 2007/08

From: "Kevin Fay" <kevin.fay.home@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Acoustical Properties of Materials (was: Clarinet Manufacture - Differences between French and German - Wood is a "Living" Material)
Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2007 22:37:10 -0400

Bill Hausmann posted about his blind taste test:

<<<The results of the mouthpiece test was essentially the same. The
recorder was approximately 5 feet from the player. Two metal Otto
Links, a Brilhart Tonalin, a hard rubber Link, an Acrylic Sugal
(extensively refaced) and a Wolfe Tayne metal were used, using the
same reed on nearly all (if it worked) and the same ligature when
possible were sampled playing the same lick. Almost no difference
could be detected between the various samples.>>>

Um, Bill - I'd agree with you, but these mouthpieces are really rather
similar to each other. The Links have pretty much the same interior design,
the Wolf Tayne is based on Wolf Tannebaum's Link, and the Sugal also has a
similar chamber.

If you were to compare these with an old Buescher or a Rascher, or a
Vandoren Jumbo Java, there would be a great deal of difference I'd think.

I don't know that the 10M and the Committee are all that different, either -
both are American big-bore horns with the thick brass that makers used to
use. (The fact that you have both is also making me drool a bit).

This would be even more interesting on clarinet, though - there is
comparatively little variation in clarinet mouthpieces, and even less in the
clarinets themselves. Dan Leeson ran a blind test over the internet a while
back to see if folks could figure out who played "French" and who played
"German" - his point being that it's pretty meaningless.

(OTOH, there is certainly a tonal difference between Johnny Dodd and Daniel
Bonade. Don't think it's the mouthpiece, though.)

kjf

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