 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ctt489
Date: 2003-03-21 06:01
In reading this off of Tom Ridenour's website
tip: medium
curve length: medium
resistance: medium
reed requirement: medium
What mouthpieces and reeds would fall in this catagory?
My teachers (both) have always recommend the medium catagory over open/short or close/long facings lengths and tips.Don't know why.
I've been using a Vandoren B45 for 9 yrs.
Thanks
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-03-21 06:17
I would suspect that medium reeds would also fall there. Somewhere around 3-3.5 size. I think the lay and opening depends on what styles of playing you do. The more open the mouthpiece, the more versatile the sound. That's why jazzers tend to have more open mouthpieces. They can bend pitch more than I can. A closed mouthpiece I think gives a very focused sound, however what if that sound is a little out of tune for certain notes? You can't really bend it to make it more in tune. The length of facing I believe is just preference. Some people prefer long facing, some people prefer short, some medium.
As a general rule, A longer facing or smaller tip opening should use a higher strength reed. A shorter facing or more open tip should use a softer reed.
As for what mpcs fit this, the list is WAY too long to start now.
http://www.weinermusic.com/MOUTHPIECES/CLARINET%20MOUTHPIECE%20CHART.html
That should be a brief overview of a lot of mouthpieces and where they compare. However this is just tip opening. if you want medium, look around where the B45 lays or the Gigliotti 3 lays (since he has 1 - 5, I guess 3 must be medium). Then look for other mouthpieces in the same or adjacent columns. However this probably isn't all the mouthpieces out there. For the length of the curve, simply pick a mouthpiece with the opening you want, and look it up on their website.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-03-21 11:59
The B45 is an open mouthpiece for sure, so you will defintely find adjusting to a more closed medium tip to be quite different. I also wonder if Ridenour suppies exact measurements for his facings? this could be of some assistance in helping your search....
David Dow
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Author: jez
Date: 2003-03-21 12:29
The chart sfalexi guides us to is very interesting, but how are these figures arrived at? All measurements for tip-openings seem to be in thousandths of an inch but don't tally with the published dimensions of some of the manufacturers; for example Vandoren claim their B40 & B45 to be 119.5 (metric) which I've always believed to be 47 thou. This chart has them as 44. Are these as measured by Weiner and show the true state of things, or have they just taken claimed dimensions, in which case have I got my conversion wrong or have they?
All this info about tip-openings is meaningless without knowing something about the length as far as the feel of the mp. is concerned.
jez
Post Edited (2003-03-21 13:31)
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Author: Wes
Date: 2003-03-21 15:32
The tip opening is a commonly identified parameter of a mouthpiece but there are many other factors that affect mouthpiece performance. Many mouthpieces come from the factory with less than optimim facings. A lot are distorted. The manufacturers cannot spend much time on facing a mouthpiece or they cannot make a profit. Thus, it makes sense to try many mouthpieces before buying or else to have a mouthpiece expert check and fix them. Good luck!
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Author: jim S.
Date: 2003-03-21 15:50
jez:
I think your conversion is correct, so either Weiner or Vandoren is inaccurate.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-03-22 12:32
So that you don't go to far afield (or spend too much money) try the B40 on for size. The curve shape is similar to the B45, with a closer tip and a more constricted internal volume.
The B45 can be a great mouthpiece, but your teachers are trying to build more flexibility into your sound.... medium parameters allow you to modify your tone more readily.
I wouldn't dispose of the B45 altogether, but for the teacher's approach find something a little bright.
Morgan RM-10
Best fitting Greg Smith
Best fitting Clark Fobes
Get a fitting with Dan Johnston (my recommendation)
Order the IMS catalog and look over the mouthpiece comparison charts.
9 years of comfort will be difficult to leave behind... bear with the trial, hmm?
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Author: ctt489
Date: 2003-03-23 01:25
I would think the B45 has a 'bright' tone in comparison to other pricey mouthpieces (Bay, Pyne, Hawkins, Kasper 'Cicero'...etc.
Is it better to have a bright comfortable mouthpiece and longer barrel 67-68mm on either Bb or A or the other way around, darker covered mouthpiece with smaller barrel?
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Author: PJ
Date: 2003-03-23 23:55
I don't claim to know all there is to know about the clarinet, tone production, and so on, because I probably don't, but I do have one thing I'd like to add to this thread. I've always been taught that a darker, more covered sound is best as long as it has the slightest bit of edge to it so that the sound carries. For me, medium/medium facings always did the trick...until my last mouthpiece died (ouch!). Up to this point, I'd only heard of Kaspars, Pynes, Smiths, Streets, etc., but never played on one leaving me with no idea on where to go. I began a relentless search attempting to use oppinions to guide me. It didn't take me very long to get frustrated and ready to give up.
One day A VERY DEAR CLOSE friend who has played for many many years handed me a Cicero Kaspar that had been refaced by one of the 'masters' to try when I broke my mouthpiece. I have no idea what tip opening or how long the facing is on the mouthpiece, but I DO know that it is the most wonderful thing I've ever played on. Every mystery that I've tried to solve in tone were brought to light when I began to play. Upon hearing me play on this work of art, the friend told me to keep the mouthpiece and enjoy it and wished me much luck and success with it. GREAT FRIEND (considering they probably could have sold this thing for a small fortune)!!!
Now, this isn't to say that you should go out look for a Cicero Kaspar. The lesson to be learned here is that it doesn't matter what anyone can suggest to you. YOU have to try all the different facings, lengths, types, blah, blah, blah, blah and on and on until YOU find the right one for YOU. A teacher can help you by listening to you audition giving you a second oppinion, but what works for one doesn't always work for the other.
Good luck! Maybe you'll run into a 'good friend' like I did! 
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Author: Clarence
Date: 2003-03-24 00:04
A good mouthpiece is a good mouthpiece. With all the mediocre to bad mouthpieces out there, it is unlikely that you will try a 'good' mouthpiece. Cutting through the BS is the hardest part.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-03-24 16:39
Another option would be to find a mouthpiece that gives the dynamic range and general tone that you want, and to send that mouthpiece to get refaced. I decided to go this route. I found a mouthpiece which I loved to play, sounded great, but I realized it gave me a little trouble with articulation and some squeaking. I sent it away to get refaced. Nothing major, not destroying the qualities I liked, but opening it up a little bit, and making sure that the facing was of good symmetry (or maybe just making sure it's not TOO asymmetrical - I don't know, the tech knows what works best). And if you're close to a very good "mouthpiece refacer person" (the most technical term I know to call them!), it'd be easy and great since you can show up one day, and hopefully, if he/she is patient, try it out and keep adjusting it till your satisfied.
Another option that was posed to me on one of my earlier posts was to order a good mouthpiece blank and to get faced to what you wanted. But for this, I would try out some commercial mouthpieces to find out a general whereabouts as to what facing and opening, etc. you find comfortable to play on. The tech needs a place to start from with a blank.
And yet another option I've heard of was a witty little statement that I can't remember who said it, but I've seen it quoted. Something about the way to choose the "perfect mouthpiece". I believe the procedure is to go out in the ocean with a box full of mouthpieces. Blindfold yourself, pick one out of the box, then dump the rest overboard. Uncover your blindfold, go home, and learn to play on it.
Basically, don't spend SOOO much time looking for that perfect mouthpiece. There are so many great quality MPCs out there, after playing one for a while, you will subconsciously adjust your emboucher to the mouthpiece and will learn to play that mouthpiece to it's fullest. I just rediscovered this. After sending my good mouthpiece away I fell back on my "reserve" mouthpiece with is a much shorter facing and a little more open tip. The first few days of practicing on my backup, I sounded horrible. Now I'm making that mouthpiece sing more sweetly than I've ever heard it play. Still not as great (tone wise) as my good one, but it just proves that you adjust to the mouthpiece, rather than finding a mouthpiece that's adjusted to you.
GL on the search. And try to keep your sanity as you look over and decide which of the 400 available mouthpieces you want to try next.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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