 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2012-11-04 20:06
I recently went on a desk dive and started going through the 60 or so mouthpieces that I had in my desk. The fact that I honestly "try" a piece of equipment before I use it on gigs or recording, tends to get people to send me things to try and evaluate. Well I recently found this mouthpiece that I really like and I had no idea where it came from. I found out who made it for me, more on that later, but I really eded up loving the sound and response of it.
Back around 1981 I was back down in the Baltimore area, having been transferred to the U.S Army Field Band, so I went back to have lessons with one of my favorite clarinetists Iggy Gennusa. He had just started making mouthpieces and I picked up two of his "prototype" mouthpieces. I played on these for most of the 80s and loved them. By loving I mean they were ubiquitous, I didn't think or care about trying or messing with mouthpieces. I few years later my clarinets were stolen and both my mouthpieces were gone. Life lesson #1 NEVER KEEP YOUR SPARE MOUTHPIECE WITH YOUR MAIN MOUTHPIECE! I never thought of it as a spare, I actually would switch off between the two. I went up to Iggy to pick up a few more mouthpieces but nothing ever felt like those first 2 that I had.
Cut to 2010 ( I know this because I can't throw out emails), Bob Bernardo who is a frequent list poster, I vaguely remember running across Bob at Peabody in the 70s contacted me and said that back in the day he was working with Iggy in developing a blank based on his Chedeville mouthpiece. He had those original molds and that there were significantly different than the ones that were used by Iggy in the later model Gennusa mouthpieces. I have no idea why, those were awesome. Well Bob sent me a mouthpiece made with that blank and all I can say is if felt like "home". Having always been a double lip player I found I could really "let go" with my embouchure and the sound still "held". Well I remember that some how the post office delivered this mouthpiece to my next door neighbor by mistake a few weeks later when his daughter noticed it she brought if over, I was probably involved in a major recording project or something, and most likely threw a reed on it blew a few notes put it in the "to be determined" box and went on with what I was playing.
Cut to 2012, I find this mouthpiece, and start putting it through it's paces and I really like it. I has a beautiful tone and a very quick response. I used it on a gig friday evening, I'm going to play it at brunch today. Is it the holy grail? Will it make you "run faster and jump higher?" It will probably be more like when list member, clarinetist and Eye surgeon Stu Hirch, Told me to put Zeis lenses in my eye classes, noting that I photographed with Nikon lenses and the last thing my images go through are Costco lenses. Dr. Stu was right Zeiss lenses are just down right better.
So maybe now that I've outed Bob on his mouthpieces maybe he'll enlighten us with more details. Until then I've included two quick sound clips recorded with this mouthpiece. Don't be afraid to share your thoughts.
Tom Puwalski, former Principal Clarinetist U.S Army Field Band, Author of "The Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer" and the new "Klezmer Basic Training"
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2012-11-05 01:02
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2012-11-05 02:32)
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2012-11-05 01:21
Bob Bernardo wrote:
>
> I don't know what the the "BOARD," will allow me to say,
> perhaps nothing!
We err on the side of no self-promotion across the board for everyone; it'd be best if people want to know details to email you privately. We welcome direct answers to questions that are posed to or directly concern manufacturers, but it would be very easy for this to become a bad version of a spam board if we let things go too far.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2012-11-05 01:57
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2012-11-05 02:33)
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2012-11-05 02:10
You misunderstood. I didn't say your post was spam or you were spamming the BBoard. We restrict manufacturers (all of them) from getting into lengthy discussions of their products - THAT would end up being a free-for-all here and the BBoard would become just another bit of spam in the world.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2012-11-05 02:34
To the people that read posts of this site -
I deleted all of my posts for safety of honoring the boards decision regarding "SPAMMING"
To the BBOARD - yes I understand your decision that I could be a SPAMMER.
Bob
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2012-11-05 23:52)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2012-11-05 03:04
The D700 is great camera. Zeiss makes some good camera lenses but they are not necessarily "better" or "worse". It's like clarinets, they are different and someone might like their advantages more than others. OTOH for eye glasses I've tried Zeiss lenses and IMO they are not better than a local company which I now prefer.
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2012-11-05 03:35
Clarnibass. Zeis lenses in my eye glasses are indeed better than the Costco ones I used previously. When I used to shoot with 4-5 and 8x10 Veiw cameras, I used mostly Schneider lenses and occasional Nikkor. My personal preference was for the schneider which IMHO had a creamier feel in zone Vii, Viii and iX where as the Nikkors were Sharper and higher contrast. I know lots of photogs that used more nikon lenses than Schneider. Now a days I shot mostly with a D700 and those lenses I have for that camera are great. or I will say this, if I take a crapy photo it's not the lens's fault.
But for my 53 year old eyes that need progressive prescription, I have an extra pair made at costco on the same prescription as the Zeiss and the difference is drastic.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2012-11-05 05:07
I don't know Costco. I believe you the Zeiss lenses are better than Costco. The place where I buy my glasses from has a few options for lenses including Zeiss and I prefer a local company (for other reasons, quality is the same).
My most used camera lens is a Zuiko f/1.4 from the 70s, eventhough it's only manual. Speaking of the D700... I'm actually just considering a D800 or D600 now... but kind of disappointed with Nikon QC IME... too bad Canon doesn't make a camera I want or I'd get one.
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2012-11-05 11:41
Here are some short sound clips. I was experimenting with a Mid-Side stereo Matrix recording. These were recorded on a mouthpiece made by Bob Bernardo. I'll do a little more extensive recording on it today, these cuts were quick and dirty. One of the thing that I have learned recording as much as I have is: that recording your self lets you know what you sound like recorded. It doesn't necessarily tells you what you actually sound like.
In the recording program I use, Logic it is possible change every other note and speed up and slow down the analog signal. I usually just press play record a take or two and then post it, depending what the purpose of the recording is to demonstrate. These cuts are complete play throughs, and I know there are a few things I might re record. But the purpose is to hear the how this mouthpiece sounded like when recorded.
http://soundcloud.com/klezmertom/tempo-di-gavotte-d-minor-mid
http://soundcloud.com/klezmertom/allegro-energico-e-minor-mid
Same piece as the above, a different performance, but just one Shure SM-33 in mono
Tom Puwalski, former Principal Clarinetist U.S Army Field Band, Author of "The Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer" and the new "Klezmer Basic Training"
http://soundcloud.com/klezmertom/allegro-energico-e-minor-4-the
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Author: William
Date: 2012-11-05 14:51
I luv this BB. Amazing how a discussion of mouthpiece can morph quickly into another subject entirely. ANYHOW, I like the sound of the B mpc as brilliantly demoed in the sound clips by T. For me, it would definately be a "keeper"--as is the clarinetisry of Mr. P. Nice........
It also am frequently amazed at "finding" a gem lying in my junk drawer of old mpcs. I wonder, however, to what extent my ears are influenced by a change of reed or method of personal embouchure technique?? Just a thought to throw out there........
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2012-11-05 15:11
I put Zeiss lenses on my Costco clarinet and it didn't sound any better than before.
Am I missing something here?
As far as mouthpieces, it's 95% self-delusion. You try a new mouthpiece, it feels different, you convince yourself it feels and sounds better, you play on it for a while, you adjust to it, and you sound like your old self again. No difference. So you get bored with that mouthpiece, try another Magic Silver Bullet special, and go through the whole routine again.
Good for the economy, though.
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Author: annev
Date: 2012-11-05 20:53
Hello Tom,
Your recordings are lovely and I really enjoyed listening to them!
Last year I bought a mouthpiece made by Bob Bernardo and I'm really happy with it. My teacher tried it, and he really liked it too. It has, as you said, a great tone and quick response. Bob makes a great mouthpiece and I would definately recommend them.
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2012-11-05 21:55
I agree it's 95% self delusion when you teat any piece of gear like I've seen people test things at the Clarinet fest. Even when I was "weeding" our what i had on my desk, I had 4-5 rees different brands and strengths. Once I found something close I played it for a few min. I found 4 that warranted a "play" more box. Over the next few days I played them. Out of those 4, this one started to pull away from the other 3 and some of my everyday mouthpieces. So I played it for a day or so and then did a few quick recordings. It's going to take me a month or more to decide if I will play something, so I rarely go with trail things I just buy them and try to make them work until I have an idea what it's all about.
I felt there was something special about this one a familiar feel that I remembered from years ago. I'm the first person who believes that any mouthpiece won't help you run faster and jump higher. But wearing shoes that fit is another story. Some times I've found that a mouthpiece doesn't sound that much different but it's way easier to play and then you play it differently.
No my biggest problem that I see on this list is that people really don't know how to evaluate a new piece of equipment. I've seen people take their beat up reed slap it on a $500 mouthpiece and pronounce it either "the best mouthpiece ever" or " a real piece of crap" when the reality is they don't have any more information then when they started. I used to do it too, and inevitably my body would "reject" what ever I bought in 3-4 days.
Tom Puwalski, former Principal Clarinetist U.S Army Field Band, Author of "The Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer" and the new "Klezmer Basic Training"
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