 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mark P. Jasuta
Date: 2002-11-29 02:11
What is the best mouthpiece for the Silver King? How do you set up the articulated C# key? What does everyone think of this clarinet (Silver King by H. N. White)?
Mark
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Author: Willie
Date: 2002-11-29 03:43
The clarinet is one of the best metal clarinets around, much sought after. As for the mouthpiece, you will just have to experiment. No two clarinets (even same models) play the same, plus there other factors such as your chops, reeds, lig etc that all have different effects on how it is going to play. I use a 2RV on my Elkhart, but the same mouthpiece sounds terrible on my Holton. The Holton (mine) actually sounds better with an old cheapo white plastic mouthpeice from my junk box.
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Author: Fred
Date: 2002-11-29 03:46
The Silver King is a screamer. Which mouthpiece is still a matter for personal tastes, but in general I'd advise something with a fairly wide tip opening. I say that because the Silver King is usually used in jazz settings or by sax doublers. You could start with something like a Vandoren B45 and experiment up and down from there. The Vandoren 5JB is often spoken highly of, but it's on the extreme edge of wide open. It's great if you can control it; you'll be playing a 2-2.5 strength reed.
There are just a few metal clarinets that fall into the fine clarinet category - the Silver King is one of them. Hope you enjoy it (I love mine!)
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Author: jim lande
Date: 2002-11-29 15:25
I have not taken mine out in a while. I seem to recall that the socket in the barrel was either a little narrower or a little wider than most, which made if difficult to use the mouthpiece that I normally use. I think it was a tad small and made me worry about compressing the mpc cork.
I have two favorite mouthpieces: a Fobes an a Hite, and I used them on my Bb & A, respectively. I think I have a little brighter sound with the Fobes and so this combination accentuates the difference between my Bb & A, which is a good thing when jamming.
Anyway, I like both mouthpieces on most metal clarinets and also on my R13. I have about 25 vintage mpcs and tried them all on a couple of horns and I consistently like these two the best. However, I have a Pan American Moderne which won't play with either, but sounds only mediocre an old no name mpc.
So, start with your fave and whatever else you have and see what you like.
As to the articulated key, I don't recall any special problems. (The one on the Selmer requires two springs to be tensioned against each other and drove me nuts.) Probably you will have to use a slightly thinner or thicker pad or use you pad leveling tool as an aid to bending keys, slightly.
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Author: Mark P. Jasuta
Date: 2002-11-29 19:22
Had my daughter try it with a Vandoren M15 and #4 traditional reeds and a Vandoren B45 Dot with #3 traditional reeds. Although it sounded ok (a little fuzzy) with the M15, It was really screaming with the B45. A BIG FULL sound.
Mark
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Author: Fred
Date: 2002-11-29 19:33
Sounds like you've found a good match, Mark. Is this just for your daughter, or will you be playing it too? What style(s) of music will you be using it with? And just for clarification, my comment about the 2-2.5 strength reed was for the 5JB only.
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Author: Mark P. Jasuta
Date: 2002-11-30 02:33
My daughter is the clarinet player. I play the sax. I began collecting a few metal clarinets when she started playing. I taught myself how to work on them. The first horn I did a repad on was an alto sax. The Silver King I have been talking about was in pretty poor shape when I got it. Took almost 3 weeks to get it apart. Once apart the rest was easy. I use amber shellac for all pads because I feel it is the best, and contact cement for cork. The tools I use for heating are a heat gun for pad installation and a small "pencil" hot air tool for "floating in" where very localized heating is required.
Mark
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