 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: davidsampson
Date: 2008-08-11 01:22
I currently play on Gonzalez bass clarinet reeds with a Walter Grabner mouthpiece. The tip of the reeds is a slightly shallower curve than the tip of the mouthpiece, meaning the corners of the reed hang over the tip of the mouthpiece, and the center of the tip of the mouthpiece goes out farther than the reeds. Is this negatively impacting how my mouthpiece/reed combination plays? To put it another way, should I do something to make the reed match the mouthpiece tip, or will the mismatch not cause any problems?
I have not noticed anything wrong, but then again the gonzalez reeds have never matched up so I might not know what I am missing.
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2008-08-11 02:14
Talk to Walter Grabner...perhaps he would alter the shape of the mouthpiece tip.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Grabnerwg
Date: 2008-08-11 03:13
Changing the shape of the mouthpiece tip is not a trivial exercise. It is easy to negatively impact the response and tone of the mouthpiece.
The width of the mouthpiece tip ril is crucially important. Too thick - too dark, even sluggish. Too thin and it's easy to squeak.
Changing the shape of the tip would change the width of the tip rail - it has to - there is no other alternative. Getting the tip rail right again will impact the baffle right at the most important point - where it emerges from the tip rail and begins its multi curved shape.
Altering the baffle changes everything.........sometimes positively, sometimes negatively, but it WILL make a change.
Better to alter the reeds. It's easily done with a sheet of 600 strength sand paper, held perpendicular to the reeds and stroking AWAY from the center of the reed. To get the other side of the reed turn it around and again start at the center and pull away from the tip.
Reed makers did this for a century or so before the reed clipper was invented.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
World Class clarinet mouthpieces
New and Restored Buffet Clarinets
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2008-08-11 23:35
Yes, the reed countour , ideally, should match the mpc. Few do. I have wondered why , for example, vandoren mpcs and reeds do not match. A slight discrepancy will make a difference.
richard smith
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Author: GBK
Date: 2008-08-11 23:47
You do realize that Vandoren uses (at least) 2 different tip curves for their reeds.
The tip profile of the Blue Box traditional reed is different than the (flatter, less curved) tip profile of the V12 reed.
...GBK
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