 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: tim
Date: 2003-02-24 17:15
Clarinet players are obsessed with the "set-up." I recently started playing again after a 28-year break and have followed, with some amusement, the constant bantering about reeds, ligatures, mouthpiece and barrels on this bulletin board. I am not a fine musician by anybody’s standards and I wondered if all this really made a difference to people at my level. I bought a high-end plastic mouthpiece and Rovner ligature and started tooting. I chipped the new mouthpiece and went to back to the old low-end plastic. I noticed no difference, which bolstered my belief that clarinetists are neurotic. That was before this Saturday. Through a religious experience, no doubt, I was converted.
My old 1958 wooden Conn clarinet broke its second key (a divine intervention). The first had been a trill key, which stayed in place just fine with a rubber band swiped from the bunch of broccoli in the refrigerator. With the second break, I was forced to take it to a real repair shop. While there I decided to evaluate some low-end wood clarinets and weigh their costs with the cost of overhaul. So the salesman, a neurotic clarinet player, (God-sent no doubt) set me up in a room with a bunch of clarinets and my trusty old plastic mouthpiece, Rovner ligature and a Rico Royal #3 reed. I tooted, he listened. Then he said in a condescending way, "What kind of set-up do you have?" After taking a look, he said, “I'll be right back.” I cannot be sure but I think he may have snickered on the way out the door.
He arrived with four mouthpieces and as many reeds. He lined them up in order of cost, said, "try these" and left. I tried them in order. The first three were nice, but so is my plastic thing.
The last attempt was a B45 (no dot) two tone, with my Rovner and Rico Grand Concert #3.
WOW
I rushed out, pulled my old Conn out of the repair pile and tried the set-up on it, leaking pads, rubber bands and all. Still WOW.
It gets worse. Even thought I certainly could never afford it, he let me try a Selmer Artys. Of course I tried it with my new set-up. It was great. But maybe with a Vandoren V-12?? How about Gregory Smith mouthpiece?? I might even try it with a rubber band ligature. Hmmm?
I am now thumbing thought the yellow pages searching for a good therapist.
Are there any good support groups?
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-02-24 17:25
"...Are there any good support groups?..."
1-800-BUY-MORE-STUFF (have your credit card available)...GBK
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Author: Richard
Date: 2003-02-24 17:47
Tim, you’re right on target!
I’ve also ‘returned’ after a 40-year break to mayhem and madness. I played Tenor sax for eight and doubled on Clarinet for six years. I fondly remember the tenor – a Selmer Mark VI – and I still have the Clarinet – a Signet Soloist. And, that’s about it; I don’t ever remember buying a single reed (I must have but it certainly wasn’t a remarkable experience.) Now I have more reeds, books about reeds, tools for reads, and carpentry experience than I have music books or playing skills. And I’m not even going to get into the mouthpieces and ligatures I’ve collected in the last six months!
Not long ago some one on this web site expressed a very accurate observation: When sax players get together they discuss music and technique; when clarinet players get together they complain about reeds. Amen
If you do find a therapist – Please Share
Richard
By the way Tim, what kind of reed cap do you use?
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Author: tim
Date: 2003-02-24 17:54
it was a plastic one. it came with the Rovner. I am thinking of asking my wife to buy me a silver plated one, maybe with small diamond inset. do you think it would help the intonation of the clarinet?
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2003-02-24 18:01
My new thumbrest cushion has worked miracles for my projection.
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Author: Richard
Date: 2003-02-24 18:13
Whoops - my wife put her food down on the dimond studded silver reed cap. But, ugh - what kind of thumbrest cushon do you recoment?
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Author: ken
Date: 2003-02-24 21:52
Welcome back Tim, after a long hiatus. In case you've forgotten, dedicated clarinet playing is still a "progressive disease"; don't forget to mention that to the shrink. v/r Ken
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