 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: columbus
Date: 2007-03-16 00:19
My teacher just let me borrow a Richard Hawkins B and it plays sooo nice. I regret buying that Hite Premeire two weeks ago . She also offered to sell it to me for $80. I'm definitely gonna take her up on that offer.......
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2007-03-16 03:30
I'm thinking about trying a Hawkins B because I've heard they're really good. Can you describe anything specific about why it's so nice? What reeds and ligature and instrument are you using, and do you think it plays so well because it suits your combination?
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-03-16 08:16
I just got a second richard hawkins B (a new mouthpiece? ME?!?! it's so shocking . . . ! ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif) ).
In MY meager opinions, it plays and articulates very well, has a great sound, and sounds great with (for mine) a 3.5 reed. I'm using a reverse bonade ligature (my rovners seemed to deaden the sound a bit too much on it) and I haven't yet tried V12 3.5's, but they sound good with Grand Concert 3.5s and even with a rigotti gold 3.5 (although if I were to get a rigotti gold, I'd probably lean towards the 4 as it seems a little too weak for the mouthpiece).
Currently using an R13 Prestige, but I can't wait to get back home to my opus!
Alexi
PS - It also sounds very good with a 3.25 legere quebec, but I'm thinking of buying a 3.5 legere quebec and a 3.5 fibracell to see if those will still sound good and it'll still last long.
PPS - Like I said, I have two. The first one I bought from Richard Hawkins' website, at full price. It's great, so I figured I'd get a second. And on the classifieds on this board, I noticed someone selling a richard hawkin's B for 110 and I bought it and it turned out to be better than the one I bought from the website. So maybe you can try two or three and see if you can choose from those as there definitely are differences between mouthpieces of the same maker (the two mouthpieces I have also seem to be from different periods in his making as the stamps on the mouthpiece are different sizes and styles so that might account for a big difference too).
PPS - So you found a mouthpiece you like a lot, for $80, and it's a richard hawkins B. I think you could be set for quite a while with that purchase. Or you could end up like me and buy a new mouthpiece on average . . . . every six months about.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2007-03-16 08:40
I've had the same mouthpiece for 6 years, I haven't even thought about changing until recently. Wanna send some of those mouthpieces my way Alexi?!
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-03-16 08:47
Don't know if I can spare them. I only have about ten professional, hand faced mouthpieces as backups in case my two hawkins get broken. I don't know if I can really spare them . . . . . .
US Army Japan Band
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Author: columbus
Date: 2007-03-16 15:14
I like the Hawkins because it just plays well. It's very free-blowing and it makes me want to improve my playing because it kinda reveals bad technique, but rewards you when you play right. That's just my $.02 though.
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Author: claritoot26
Date: 2007-03-16 17:05
I do agree with Columbus. If my embouchure and air support aren't up to snuff on a given day, it is more obvious in the sound with my Hawkins B. But, it sounds quite nice when I'm playing well. I use 4.5 V12 on it. I think Hawkins himself and some others I know use Legerre Quebec 3.5. Either my Vandoren Optimum or the Gigliotti ligatures work nicely with it. It doesn't seem to work with the Moennig barrels that well. Mine plays better with either my stock Bb barrel on my new R13 Prestige or my Chadash barrel on my old R13 A. This mouthpiece seems to have very good projection, which is good for playing in orchestras. $80 is a very good deal indeed! The prices of mouthpieces in general have gone up quite a bit in recent years. That's less than half the price of a new one. Good find!
I have tried the R recently which I really liked, but the price is a bit much right now. Maybe someday...
Happy tooting,
Lori
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Author: columbus
Date: 2007-03-16 17:45
Oh yea i forgot to say that I use reg vandoren 3.5/reg gonzalez 3.75 and a normal metal lig. It makes my Normandy resso-tone sound good.....until I upgrade in the fall for college haha
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