 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chickenlady12
Date: 2014-03-08 17:22
Around 1974 I purchased a Yamaha Clarinet YCL-32. It came with a mouthpiece that says "Yamaha M-2 Japan." I haven't been able to find out anything about this mouthpiece. Since the clarinet is intermediate I was hoping the mouthpiece is a step up from the beginner ones.
When I took a clarinet class in college, the teacher said I needed to buy a $100 mouthpiece. Could not afford it at the time....however whatever mouthpiece he recommended would probably cost many more hundreds today. I should have tried to buy it back then.
Does anyone know anything about this M-2 mouthpiece?? Is it plastic?? Hard rubber??
There is nothing wrong with the clarinet. Still plays great.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-03-09 05:02
It is a hard rubber mouthpiece. There are quite a few members of this board that find the Yamaha mouthpieces to play for them. I am not one of those members. You can still get Vandoren mouthpieces for under a hundred through Woodwind Brasswind. The most commonly used are the 5RV Lyre, M13 and M15.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: pplateau
Date: 2014-03-09 05:02
You could purchase a "student" mp from a custom maker like David McClune or Clark Fobes for about $30 . They are very good and approximate the results of a $200 custom.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2014-03-09 06:37
I still have my old YCL-32.
Try a Vandoren 5RV or 5RV-Lyre.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: TomS
Date: 2014-03-09 02:14
Ditto on the Clark Fobes Debut. About $30 street price. Most players like this MP. It's made of Acrylic Plastic. It responds very well. I have several.
The Vandoren 5RV-lyre is popular and plays well ... seems to have a warmer sound than the Fobes (at about $90). The Vandoren is hard rubber. I've had several of these as well.
If you get the 5RV-lyre and don't find it to your style, send it to Dr. David McClune for refacing and re-voicing and you will be happy.
I'd try the Fobes, 1st.
Tom
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Author: TAS
Date: 2014-03-10 08:22
Theodore Johnson TJ3
Worth every penny of the $220 + - investment.
TAS
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-03-10 15:06
Crystal mouthpieces are problematic in MANY respects. Some of them just start off life as a flawed blank; they are much harder to reface and or adjust; they break more easily than other materials; it's hard to find one that does not play "stuffy" or just muddy sounding.
Personally I would not recommend going down this road if you haven't already. And if you have......godspeed.
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-03-10 20:06
I disagree with Paul Aviles. I've had and played a crystal MP for 30 years and it's far from stuffy. In fact, it's brilliant.
Barring mishap, and with reasonable and intelligent care - the type of care I would assume clarinet players apply to all of their equipment - they last a lifetime.
And why would you think that they "just start off life as a flawed blank" any more often than any MP?
bruno>
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-03-11 02:44
The best mouthpiece I've ever had was a glass one, labelled Leblanc. I'd had it in my junk box for years after acquiring it with a clarinet bought on EBay, and found it while looking for something else. I cleaned it up and tried it, and it was absolutely brilliant. I just could not believe how good it was. Then I dropped it and it turned into a collection of shards. I've never found a glass mouthpiece since that plays half as well.
Tony F.
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Author: FDF
Date: 2014-03-11 02:56
@chicklady12,
Why did your teacher think you needed a $100.00 mpc and what did he recommend?
FDF
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-03-11 04:54
Ummmmmm......I'm just saying' I've tried a much MUCH higher percentage of flawed crystal mouthpieces than ones that played "easy." I don't know exactly how they are made, but many have irregularities that are in the tone chamber and much harder to get to let alone correct (which as I said earlier is more difficult in the first place). There ARE some of us that have found great crystal mouthpieces, but if you are one of those, can you honestly say that you've been able to find a good second to have around just in case?
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-03-11 05:15
" There ARE some of us that have found great crystal mouthpieces, but if you are one of those, can you honestly say that you've been able to find a good second to have around just in case?"
Unfortunately not, Paul. I've tried quite a lot of various flavours, but I've never found one anything like it. While I haven't found any with obvious flaws in the material, they just don't work well and tend to be stuffy. I'm sure that mine wasn't a one-off freak and that there are other good ones out there, but they've eluded me so far. I've settled on a Selmer 85-115 as my ideal for the last few years.
Tony F.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-03-11 07:00
I did want to add a positive notion to crystal for mouthpieces. The part about them being hard to work is what makes the lay pretty much impervious to wear from the reed. So if it IS a good mouthpiece, it should stay that way. I would also like to once again suggest that SOMEBODY out there should try and make a Greenline material mouthpiece........same characteristics, but perhaps getting the basic form would be easier.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Chickenlady12
Date: 2014-03-11 10:58
When my clarinet teacher in college suggested I get a different mouthpiece, I was really surprised. I had never heard of needing a different one. I thought they were all the same.
I suppose he thought I could get better quality music from the clarinet.
I only made about $2/hr back then and couldn't afford much. A new mouthpiece wasn't high on the list.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2014-03-11 18:18
Did your clarinet instructor actually test play or inspect your mouthpiece? If not, and no other reason for an upgrade was indicated, I'd suspect that a bit of brand snobbery might have been a factor.
Yamaha, in 1974, was a producer of aggressively-priced wind instruments and was known for making brasswinds of sketchy quality--casting a dark shadow over the entire Yamaha line. It's entirely possible that your teacher assumed it was junk simply because it was a Yamaha piece.
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Author: wanabe
Date: 2014-03-13 06:59
I believe that you are right about that ''brand snobbery''. I was just bragging about my new to me ''N'' Noblet model 40. There's no snob appeal to an old beat up Leblanc, but I bought it from a charitable organization for next to nothing. I am fortunate enough to live near a tech that specializes in restoring woodwinds. Right now demand for instruments is low, so the instrument tech business is slow. That means that if you whine around just a little bit, you can sometimes get a deal. For me, it means that I get a not so snobby, completely rebuilt, really nice sounding clarinet for under $150.00.pool
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Author: Chickenlady12
Date: 2014-03-14 17:28
You are right....he may just not have liked my brand clarinet.
He never did put his mouthpiece on my clarinet and see how it played.
When I went to the music store last week to try out some mouthpieces, the "clarinet guy" put his mouthpiece on with a 5 reed and boy it sounded great. I tried several of their mouthpieces and didn't like the sound when I played.
I'm glad to know my M-2 mouthpiece is hard rubber. That is what I wanted to buy. Not sure if the hard rubber mouthpieces come in different qualities or just that some people play better on different types.
I am just really surprised that I couldn't find anything on the clarinet yamaha m-2 mouthpiece. Glad Paul Aviles above knew the answer to my question. I will still test out some mouthpieces to see what's out there and if they help.
I tried to contact Yamaha a couple weeks ago by email. They wanted me to register and then wanted permission to access parts of my computer...forget that. Then I found this BBoard and the people here are great. Thanks.
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