 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ben Shaffer
Date: 2019-12-13 05:52
I recently picked up a new( maybe old stock) Portnoy BP02 Mouthpiece on eBay. I'm curious if these Mouthpieces are still made.
As I understand it Mr. Portnoy died around 2004.
So did production of his Mouthpieces end at that time or has someone else been making them after Mr Portnoy's Passing?
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Author: donald
Date: 2019-12-13 14:10
That Babbitt website gives the tip openings in some weird 3 digit number, what's that about? It's the 21st century matey...
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Author: oldreedguy
Date: 2019-12-13 14:43
I tried playing one that came with a 90 year old buffet A I bought on reverb.com! Can't play it worth a darn...the mouthpiece that is...the Profile 88 B45 works ok...Portnoy? Nada...maybe I should put it up for sale but it ain't worth it...unless someone here wants it...I know, put it in the classified section...
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Author: Ben Shaffer
Date: 2019-12-13 17:00
Well, OK this has given me some good Info. I've not received the MP yet, but the Seller offers returns. I'll report back on it, The Comparative MP is my VD M13
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Author: kdk
Date: 2019-12-13 17:58
donald wrote:
> That Babbitt website gives the tip openings in some weird 3
> digit number, what's that about? It's the 21st century matey...
The numbers look like thousandths of an inch. For a while the Brand kits had a tip wand (which I still use) that measured that way. But those numbers look large for a clarinet tip opening. A 1.00mm tip is about .039 inches. Even the .047 would be about 1.19 mm, and the other two would be even more open.
My roommate in college in the late 1960s (and friend and clarinet colleague until his recent death) played very happily on a Portnoy for several years that I knew him. He never played on anything nearly that open. So, it the one Ben bought is old enough, it may turn out to be very playable.
Karl
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Author: AndyW
Date: 2019-12-13 18:53
I'm doubling from saxophone, mostly playing jazz / manouche / choro, etc. and Portnoy is my go-to mouthpiece of choice.
I was using a pair of very similar BP02's till recently, now playing a BP03.
I would be interested on how to differentiate the older & newer models.
-A-
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2019-12-13 20:13
ReedGuy, I'll take it...
I studied with Portnoy and I know they are at least good ‘blanks’ to reface.
Write me off-line.
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Author: Daniel Frazelle
Date: 2019-12-14 01:18
You might also find this article from Ramon Wodkowski (in 2012!) of interest:
https://ramonwodkowski.blog/2012/09/23/portnoy-clarinet-mouthpieces/
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2019-12-14 19:32
Babbitt is a really fine company. I find that their facings are very good, but they often have that French Curve, so a refacer might have to flatten the table a bit. Yes Babbitt measures in thousandths of an inch. The Portnoy's are a bit open compared to the Vandoren's M13 and M15 mouthpieces. These measure around .39" to .41". Portnoy's start around .46" to .47" maybe.
A human hair is about .02" to .04" so Babbitt is pretty accurate. The company has been around for 100 years!
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2019-12-15 18:27
When I was a student in NY I played in the NY Orchestral Society Orchestra, a training orchestra at the time, and Portney was our Professional coach. The section met with him a couple times a month to go over the repertoire in his studio at Juillard. That was the time he came out with his mouthpiece and one session the just received a new shipment of his MPs and asked if anyone was interested in trying any, I believe we had four of us in the section. I was the only one that said sure so he played through about 6-8 and said, this ones good try it. I was studying with Russianoff at the time so he said take it to Leon and if he doesn't like it bring it back the next time we get together. I ended up buying it and playing it for a while, I can't remember how long. As a student in college I went through several looking for the "perfect' one. After i found the perfect one I'd play that until I found a more perfect one. :-)
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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