 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SamuelChan
Date: 2012-01-17 12:32
Hello people, I have a Vandoren M30 lyre mouthpiece, and Regularly uses Gonzalez 3.75 reeds. I found out I'm quite airy especially on the throat tones. After a thorough check, I found my embochure to be sealed, and the clarinet pads are sealed. Except there's a small gap between the side of the tips of the reed and mouthpiece window when the reed is properly aligned with the mouthpiece.Could this be the problem? And I found out Vandoren V12 reeds are a little bigger than gonzalez's. What are the difference between these two? When I tried with a 3.5 V12, the airiness is gone, and the reeds fit the mouthpiece.
Also, any recommendations of mouthpiece that fits the Gonzalez reed tip shape(?) any suggestions on these? I like the consistency of Gonzalez, but I'm stuck to the V12 due to this problem. Could it be psychological? Sorry for the bombard of questions too! Thanks!
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2012-01-17 12:55
Your problem is absolutely the leaks at the corners. Even a tiny corner leak messes thing up unbelieveably.
I shape reed tips with a Revlon Diamond nail file (though a fine emery board would work) so that the reed and mouthpiece tip match exactly.
If there's a fair amount to take off, I get the shape almost right by putting the reed crooked on a Cordier trimmer and shaping one side and then the other.
Also, avoid reeds where the corners are very thin. They look nearly white when held up to a light. These are fragile and also have tiny holes between the fibers, which leak air. You can see the holes with a 10x jeweler's loupe.
Ken Shaw
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-01-17 13:13
There are two possibilities: (1) that you, seconded by Ken, are absolutely right in thinking the airiness in the throat notes is being caused by a shape mismatch, or (2) that the Gonzalez reeds you're trying to use are just a little too hard for your comfort on the M30.
I'm not sure if, by "airy" you mean the notes are fuzzy-sounding and stuffy or that you actually hear air rushing out, like an air leak from the embouchure itself would sound.
I've used Vandorens for most of my playing life and have experimented a couple of times with Gonzalez reeds as well. Their strengths are not, in my experience, equivalent. If anything Gonzalez reeds (again, in my experience with them) are stiffer than Vandoren V12s of the *same* strength, and your comparison is between Gonzalez 3.75 and V12 3.5. That difference may by itself be enough to explain airiness/fuzziness, if that's the problem you're trying to solve. Have you tried a softer Gonzalez?
Karl
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Author: SamuelChan
Date: 2012-01-17 13:27
Ken,
I have not invested in a reed knife or any adjustment tools yet as I have yet to learn how to adjust my own reeds. Maybe I'll try out adjusting a few dud reeds and learn soon! Thanks for the info on thin corners too!
Karl,
I can't really differentiate between fuzziness and air rushing out from the clarinet, but I think it's most likely a fuzzy sound? More audible in the lower register of the clarinet, not as obvious in the higher register. I have not tried a softer strength of Gonzalez as I always thought it was my embochure problem.
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2012-01-18 03:20
Gonzales reeds in my experience run a 1/4 strength harder than Vandoren V12s. If you used a V12 3.5 and it sounded great, and you want to use Gonzales, I would definitely consider using 3.25. The 3.75 that you are using are more rounded to about a V12 4. See if that helps you. If the lower register sounds very fuzzy, chances are your reeds are too hard. Especially Gonzales because those usually give fantastic sounding low registers, just didn't like the 3rd register all that much, but that's opinion aside. Try some softer Gonzales reeds.
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Author: SamuelChan
Date: 2012-01-18 08:36
Okay thanks! Will try softer ones soon. So the two major possibilities are the small exposed mouthpiece window on each side of the reed tip and the strength. will try them out soon.
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