 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sexafone123
Date: 2007-02-25 12:02
I need to find reeds for contralto clarinet, but there is only one company that seems to make them specifically for the instrument, marca. Ive heard that you can use contrabass clarinet or bass sax reeds for it. If anyone knows for sure, respond.
thanx much,
Kemp
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2007-02-25 12:39
With a Selmer C* mouthpiece on a Selmer Bundy 1440 contra-alto, I prefer Rico Royal #3 baritone sax reeds. I've tried several other reeds, mostly rated for contrabass clarinet. Some of the literature on some brands of contrabass reeds (especially Rico brands) lists contra-alto, but with the other reeds, I found that I had to shave them down quite a bit to make them fit on the mouthpiece, with indifferent results that may be due to my lack of skill at monkeying with reeds. The Rico Royal bari sax reed gives me a good result and doesn't have to be cut down to fit the mouthpiece. I like a big, bold tone from a low-pitched clarinet and I get that best with a sax reed.
Of course, the reed that works for my clarinet, my mouthpiece and my crackpot, oops, I mean *individual* preferences may sound horrible on yours! To figure out which reeds came closest to fitting my mouthpiece and were therefore worth buying and trying, I took a rubbing (like a gravestone rubbing) of the mouthpiece lay: put a piece of typing paper over it and rubbed across it lightly with the edge of a pencil. Then I cut out the shape, so that I had, in effect, the template of a reed. I took that template to the music shops and compared the size with the reeds the shops sold. Since I was already using alto sax reeds on my Selmer alto clarinet, trying a bari sax reed for contra-alto came naturally. I also used the template as a model for shaving down reeds to fit.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-02-25 13:16
Selmer mouthpieces for Eb and BBb contras have the same outside dimensions, differing only in the bore and tenon sizes. I use (re-worked) ones on both my Eb and BBb contras.
I've settled on Vandoren bass sax reeds as what works best for me. I buy the #5 strength, since they warp badly down the middle.
I first sand down the edges on a sheet of 400 grit sandpaper over a sheet of plate glass, until they're a tiny bit narrower than the lay of the mouthpiece.
Then I cure them by several cycles of wetting, drying and sanding the bottom absolutely flat and shiny, on 400 grit the first time, and then on 600 grit.
By the time I finish, they are reduced to between 2-1/2 and 3 strength -- just strong enough to avoid a flapping sound on the bottom notes.
Fortunately, contra reeds last practically forever.
I think Legere has also made reeds that fit. I haven't tried one, but they would probably be ideal.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Merlin
Date: 2007-02-25 13:42
Legere contra reeds work great. I have a large stock of Selmer Omega contra alto reeds, but they sit in a drawer, since the Legeres work so well.
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Author: LCL
Date: 2007-02-25 15:31
I have used Rico Contra-alto and Vandoren Bari-Sax Reeds in the past, but now use Legere Bari-Sax exclusively. I have the prototype Walter Grabner mpc. and use a # 2 1/2 slightly thinned by light longitudinal sanding using 400 girt paper on the reed surface and not the side against the table. Yes, it's unorthodox and likely not recommended, but it works for me. Transverse sanding will ruin a Langer!
Best of luck,
LCL
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Author: nahoj
Date: 2007-02-25 19:27
I use a Selmer BBb contrabass C* mouthpiece with Vandoren contrabass clarinet reeds nr. 2 and it works very good for me. Plays like a whistle.
Note that there is not always a difference between contrabass and contra-alto clarinet mouthpieces as well... or at least they can be perfectly interchangeable (i.e. on Leblanc contra's, as they all have the same bore).
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Author: buedsma
Date: 2007-02-26 11:28
i'm using a bassclarinet mouthpiece on the contra-alto .
Works fine, no reed problems
gr
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Author: BassetHorn
Date: 2007-02-26 15:22
GR, I am interested to know how bass clarinet mouthpiece could be used on a contra alto... Is it a Buffet contra?
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Author: DancingMan
Date: 2013-05-27 08:44
BassetHorn wrote:
> how bass clarinet mouthpiece could be used on a contra alto
Dredging up an ancient thread, I know, but I used a bass mouthpiece on my Bundy contra-alto for a while, before I managed to get my hands on a contra mouthpiece.
I had to wrap many layers of electrical tape around the tenon to get it to fit.
Also, the neck needed to be pulled out much further than it needs with a contra mouthpiece (the bass piece plays significantly sharper).
Other than that, it worked just fine, but was a bit of a nuisance when the tape worked loose.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-05-27 11:57
DancingMan -
If you can afford the US$340 cost, I think you'll get *much* better results with Walter Grabner's contra-alto mouthpiece http://www.clarinetxpress.com/contraalto.html.
Remember that you buy it only once, and you get great tone and response every time you play.
Ken Shaw
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Author: LCL
Date: 2013-05-27 22:19
This quote from Walter's site is mine:
“Got the Contra-alto mouthpiece yesterday and tried it out. It is fantastic!! Big, rich, fat sound! When I got (former mouthpiece) I have been using for about two years and compared it to the Selmer C* the horn came with, I thought, wow what an improvement! Now after putting yours through it's paces, I can say, wow what an improvement. Thanks a lot!"
And as far as I rememeber I had SN #1; and as I stated above, it is a humdinger!!!
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Author: alto gether
Date: 2013-05-28 22:24
I use a Fobes mouthpiece on my Bundy contra alto. It fits bari sax reeds - I use Legere #2. If you have a mouthpiece that requires a hard-to-get reed, that's a fix you may want to consider.
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Author: DancingMan
Date: 2013-05-29 05:24
I am now using the Bundy #3 mouthpiece, with Rico orange box bari sax reeds. Not very happy with it. It regularly chirps if I am not über-careful with my embouchure. Awaiting arrival of Legere reeds to see if they work any better.
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Author: super20bu6
Date: 2013-05-29 11:08
On my Selmer/Bundy Contra Alto...I use a Fobes Nova mouthpiece with #3 Bari Sax Fibracell Reeds....Rovner Dark Ligature. I tried the Legere Contra Alto reed...but it felt "too slick". I prefer the Fibracell reeds on Contra...at least I "feel" like I have a cane reed when I'm playing. I've never had an issue with the Fibracell reeds chirping on my Contra. The Fobes mouthpiece works extremely well for me on the Selmer/Contra. I also use the Fobes San Francisco for Bass Clarinet...again with a Rovner Dark Ligature and Fibracell Bass Clarinet #3's.
Now..if anyone has a suggestion for a Ligature to fit the Fobes Nova Bari Sax mouthpiece...I'm open. The only ligature I have right now that fits is surprisingly, the Eb Contra Alto Rovner Dark.
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