 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Lee Dietterich
Date: 2003-01-27 23:48
im thinking of getting one
have any of you been to his house in buffalo, ny?
how was it?
was he nice? what kinda questions did he ask you? how long did it take? were you there all day?
how did you like the mouthpiece?
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-01-28 12:23
I have one and it was like being fitted for a custom suit, or handmade shoes. Dan knows his business, so pay attention to HIM...
you're paying for his years of experience and keen hearing.
I spent more time driving the NYS thruway than in his studio.
Bring some carrots for his mule and rabbit (I kid you not).
Dan is something of a cranky genius - go in with an open mind.
I'm still playing the H3 he sold me, two years later and it allows me to practice longer without fatigue - the key to my (limited) progress with the instrument.
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Author: David Sapadin
Date: 2003-01-28 13:32
I agree that Johnston has a very strong opinions on how the clarinet should sound. But if he says that it sounds great and you dont think it feels great or sounds great, don't be afraid to stand up to him. He can be quite intimidating. He will sit you down and have you try models of all the different types of mouthpieces that he makes. Once you find the one that comes closest to what you are looking for in sound and how it feels then he will have you try a few more of those. If there is something that you dont like in it let him know and he will work his magic. If its going in the right direction let him know that to. Just because it gets a little better doesnt mean it cant get better than that. But of course be reasonable. Remember you are the one that is paying the money for it. Pick wisely my friend. I liked the H3 models. Hope that helps.
Dave Sapadin
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Author: old sage
Date: 2003-01-28 15:17
Maybe I was too young at the time, but a number of years back I went up with a friend to get a mouthpiece. He was not willing to make any adjustments. He felt that this mouthpiece was where it should be for his tastes. He pushed me toward one model even though I had a preference for another. He also would not let either my friend or myself play much beyond a couple of scales, saying that we would waste his time and that we should choose based on those first impressions.
Maybe I should have stood up to him as David suggested or he was having a particularly bad day. I won't waste time with hindsight. We both ended up buying mouthpieces. Mine was a piece of junk, I was never able to use it, nor anyone else who tried it. I should have driven up to Niagara Falls and just thrown my money over the edge. Oh well, live and learn.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-01-28 19:18
Viewing this thread and the [below] LeBlanc LL etc thread, I re-found my "J-S New York" OLD hard rubber mp, marked S and #32xxx, and with a MED Lavoz reed and Luyben lig, on my Dyn 2, found it to be excellent, will try it on others. It is as "dark" [perhaps supressing the energies in the highest harmonics??] as I have found in my mp box for this clar. I dont know of this mp's ancestry, perhaps Mr. J may respond to these comments and help us all. Don
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