 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2005-08-04 14:00
I just purchased one of Walter Grabner's new Kaspar series--the CXZ_K14 and have to say "well done." It has a really fine tone and great projection. Intonation in the altissimo was also right on (with a little cooperation from my embouchure). It is worth the $160.00. I'll be using it a lot in my upcoming schedule. He's also a fine fellow to work with and gets the mouthpiece out to you right away. He did send a couple (as is his custom) and that also helps. But, wanted to put in a good word for him and let the board know that he's an honest and conscientious fellow.
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2005-08-04 19:00
I purchased a Grabner about 3 months ago. I purchased the Grabner during a field trip to WWBW. During my many month "trial period" I demoed: Hite Pro mpc, VD M15/M13/M30, Fobes, and Gennusa. For me, the Grabner was the best of the bunch, without a doubt. I purchased the CXZ-AW. I love it's beautiful lower register. The altissimo is clean & easy to work with. Overall, I felt it opened up my playing, allowing me more expression & color. Most of the other mpcs were too bright - particularly the VDs. I felt the M30 was the best of the VDs I tried. The Gennusa was very close to the Grabner in overall affect. I did not like either the Fobes or the Hite. The fact that I didn't like the Hite surprised me as my previous mpc was a Hite Premier that plays better than either of my current VDs or most of the other mpcs I demoed. BTW, the Grabner wasn't on my initial list of mpc's to try as I hadn't heard a lot about them. I'm glad I did though! FWIW, my clarinets are Yamaha SEv A/Bb.
So to boil this down........ I love my Grabner. Like Brenda says above, well worth the $160.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-08-04 23:31
Brenda,
In relation to the chedeville style MPCs, do you sense a definite difference in sound/feel between Kaspar and them? I've purposely avoided Kaspar style mouthpieces really only because I only have experience on chedeville's and never wanted to buy a mouthpiece and risk having to KEEP it just to see the difference between the two styles. Is there a very noticeable difference?
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2005-08-05 00:30
Wow, Alexi, that's such a matter of personal preference that I hardly know how to answer you. I'll just say that in my personal experience of playing mouthpieces throughout the years I've found that the Kaspars give me what I need and want as far as tone quality and projection. I used to only play Bay Chedevilles. Then I made the mistake of selling my beloved Bay Chedeville to a Russian clarinetist I was playing with in an orchestra in Israel--after he begged me for 2 weeks non-stop. He said, "Oh, I've always wanted one and we can't get them in Russia." Whine, whine...so at the end of the last concert I sold it to him. I was in a panic when I got home because I couldn't get another one from Charles Bay because I discovered that the genuine Chedeville blanks he had been using were all gone!! Anyway, he sent me some of his Chedeville-style mouthpieces and some of his Kaspar-style ones and I chose the Kaspar. The next experience was I decided to purchase an authentic Kaspar from a friend who owned a couple of dozen. He sent me 7 to try and I fell in love.
Long story to say this. Genuine Chedevilles can be a marvelous thing. Genuine Kaspars are also marvelous things. But, I love my Greg Smith Wooden Kaspar Cicero 13 and I really love the new Grabner Kaspar style CXZ_14. I lean almost exclusively now to the Kaspars. They have a bigger sound--richer in the altissimo.
As I said, it's a matter of personal preference. If you have an opportunity to try a really good Kaspar or one of Greg Smith or Walter Grabner's Kaspar-style mouthpieces you would really like them. I think.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-09-29 01:19
I wrote above . . .Quote:
Brenda,
In relation to the chedeville style MPCs, do you sense a definite difference in sound/feel between Kaspar and them? I've purposely avoided Kaspar style mouthpieces really only because I only have experience on chedeville's and never wanted to buy a mouthpiece and risk having to KEEP it just to see the difference between the two styles. Brenda responded . . .Quote:
Wow, Alexi, that's such a matter of personal preference that I hardly know how to answer you . . . As I said, it's a matter of personal preference. If you have an opportunity to try a really good Kaspar or one of Greg Smith or Walter Grabner's Kaspar-style mouthpieces you would really like them. I think. Well, Brenda, you were right. Curiousity got the best of me (and with a new job I had the $$$ to splurge . . . (I swear I'll end up filing Chapter 7 due to excessive clarinet expenditures). Tried it out, love it. Seems to me that Grabner does some awesome work. So I'll be sticking (for a while at least) with his CXZ_K11 mouthpiece, with my backup being a Gigliotti MP on an otto link blank refaced by (sure enough . . . ) Walter.
Next ideas? Maybe a new barrel. Maybe a whole new clarinet (although for some reason I really doubt it . . . mine seems pretty good comparatively speaking to any others I've tried). Sigh. The neverending quest of some clarinetists for the "perfect setup".
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
Post Edited (2005-09-29 01:21)
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2005-09-29 02:50
Just bought my R13 and a K11 mp from Walter Grabner. I love the clarinet and mp. At first all of my 4 V12's were too hard so we bought 3 1/2' V12's and those were still too hard and I had lots of resistance (a crazy amount of resistance.) Well, I adjusted some of my 3 1/2's after soaking them for 2 5 minute periods and now these reeds and mp play like a charm. The mp is great and so is the clarinet! Walter is fantastic!
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Author: nickma
Date: 2005-09-29 08:03
Here's a further vote of confidence for Walter.
I love his K11, absolutely brilliant. Better than all the Bays I've ever tried, preferable to my Morgans (though these are very good), just the loveliest mpcs I have ever tried. Everyone who tries my Grabners them wants one too. K14 is very nice too, very very free blowing, though I think I prefer the K11 for articulation.
Now, his barrels are marvellous. And he'll match them to your instrument if you send him it. All for $140. That's value.
Nick
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Author: voggorb
Date: 2006-12-04 18:38
Hi, I know this topic is old, hope it doesn't matter...
I am thinking about getting a new mouthpiece for my Buffet RC. At the moment I have a Yamaha Custom 5cm, but I'm sure there are lots of better mouthpieces available. I play mostly jazz, but im not after a mpc with extremely large tip opening like 5JB, etc (I like Eddie Daniels' sound for example). Though, I do want the mpc to be rather freeblowing, and so I have a few questions:
1) nickma said that the grabner K14 is "very very free blowing", and I wonder how it is compared to the vandoren B40, which has a much larger tip opening if im not mistaking. If I like the B40, will I like the K14 do you think?
2) Are the Greg Smith kaspar style mpcs much better than the grabners, or is the difference not worth the extra $65 (grabner k14 $185, greg smith kaspar $250)? I know that you really can't say if a mouthpiece is "better" than another...but you know what I mean!
3) Is it a good idea to be going for smith/grabner, or have I missed something equally good in the same price range?
all opinions are welcome!!
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-12-04 19:14
Maybe you find an older mouthpiece of good quality and can have it refaced after your ideas?
--
Ben
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