 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ben Shaffer
Date: 2017-10-07 01:21
I recently bought a Bliss Composite Clarinet.
Compared with my other 2 synthetic Horns the Bliss sounds outstanding.
The Bliss came with a Gennusa mezzo Plastic MP and that MP is pretty decent.
At this point I would like to make some upgrades to improve the sound even more.
So given that Morrie Backun designed the Horn I thought a wood Barrel from Mr. Backun would be a nice improvement'
He offers a Protege model in Cocobolo and granadilla, that said which might be a better choice?
Now my second decision is what MP to get
The Backun Protege MP or the Gennusa GE ** or *
Thanks for any advice,
hard to make a decision untested!
Ben
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2017-10-07 03:51
Some good mouthpieces that you can get for under $100.00 new are the Vandoren M13 Lyre, the Vandoren 5RV, The Reserve X0 and X5, and the new Selmer Focus. The M13L may play a little low in pitch on some clarinets and require a shorter barrel. The Focus has a nice sound but so far has been inconsistent in facing dimensions and may need to be refaced to play well.
Post Edited (2017-10-08 00:39)
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2017-10-07 20:43
I own a similar Backun Alpha clarinet, and have found the Pomarico Ruby Bright mouthpiece to be an excellent match for the instrument.
Don't let the "Bright" part of the name put you off. It's a mellow-sounding mouthpiece with a nice focus.
I have a Backun Fatboy and MoBa barrel and, oddly, both really mess up the tuning of my Alpha clarinet. If you feel you must upgrade the barrel, I'd start by auditioning a Protege barrel--the one Backun recommends for the Alpha--and make sure you can return the barrel(s) if tuning accuracy is compromised.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-10-08 12:41
Sounds like you did well. I've talked with Julian recently at the 2017 ClarinetFest and he said something about him and the company, Selmer/Leblanc coming out with a new model. A new Bliss model. It will be made by Leblanc although Selmer as we know owns them now, but Selmer doesn't seem to want to share a booth with them, leaving them alone to do their own thing. My connections with Julian are just simply friends for several years now. He and Backun really hate each other to the point of not talking to each other.
So we have to know his horns and his setup to get you in the right direction.
Here is what Julian is playing on. For those that don't remember me saying this he performed the Nielsen Concerto and it was probably the best classical concert I've ever heard. Well his gear is a special Zinner mouthpiece made just for him, it's not something you can get. He had it made just for him. The baffle and chamber are not as deep as what you get here in the US. Oh, some people may not know that he lives or is based in England. His reeds are very hard. 5 strengths. The facing is very short, only 30 with a tip opening of 1.15. 30 is unheard of and a tip opening of 1.15 with a 5 strength reed is also unheard of. Just thinking about this makes my lips bleed.
So based on what he is doing I would suggest trying a mouthpiece around a 1.10 to 1.15 but a tad longer facing. Maybe 38 to 40 with a 3 to 4 strength reed. I think this will get you that big Bliss sound out of the horn you have.
Do NOT get an M30 Vandoren, you will be flat all day. When I tried his horns they were light in weight and very easy to fill full of sound. Do not get a Zinner. Too dark for this horn. Oh, he is a monster jazz player too. Look for something like a used Ann Arbor Kaspar only, not a Chicago or Cicero Kaspar, these are too warm. It will fill the horn well. An older Selmer HS*, a Vandoren B45.
Email me I may have one to give you, not to sell. I have about 200 mouthpieces, including 2 Ann Arbor Kaspars collecting dust. Lets see if we can get that Bold Bliss sound.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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