 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ed
Date: 2003-03-18 18:24
Some people like them, but I have always felt the B45 is too open
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-03-18 18:25
The B45 is a flagship model of the Vandoren line and tends to be the one that most people insist is the finest mouthpiece ever made. As for that I have mixed feelings and have come across a few b45s that were excellent. generally however, I have found them to be widely insconsistent from one another and have seen many with measurements way off the mark from one another. For example my student has one that is quite alot more open than the 1.19 mm designation advertised...in fact its about 1.22 according to my tools....
the other aspect of a mouthpiece design like this is the fact the mouthpiece is produced in droves due to its promotion....most B45s are alright, but I just find in the area of tone the sound to be shrill and somewhat harsh especially in the throat area.....
B45s also tend to play with softer reeds and require embouchure development of a pro....however, thats not saying some students can't adapt to their playing charachteristics......
B45s are also quite inflexibly sharp unlike the B40. where the tone on the B40 is focused, the B45 is somewhat more spread and prone to breaking up especially in certain register...ie.alltissimo.
As for indiviual needs the B45 certainly is not where I would choose mmy money. I also have a student who sounds great on this set up and therefore feel each mouthpiece has to be addressed individually. The B45 is certainly my least favorite of the Vandoren line.
David Dow
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-03-18 18:58
I totally agree with David Dow.
The Fobes Debut and Hite Premiere are both about half the price of a B45 and have a more carefully applied facing. Also, the variability from mouthpiece to mouthpiece is much less than the B45.
Either one would be a fine choice for beginning to intermediate students...GBK
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-03-18 19:01
In a word, yes. That does not mean a B45 would be "best for you," which can only be determined by your selection process. That is a special effort, one which later might be repeated as your playing skill develops.
But there are certainly a lot of B45s in the hands of players. Almost anyone has the impression that the B45 is a better mouthpiece than those issued with new student Clarinets, so if you don't know where to turn for a better MP, the Vandy B45 might be the ticket.
I have two of them, both acquired with used Clarinets, and I occasionally play one (one of them plays better for me than the other -- see David Dow's earlier comments). The B45 is not my favorite mouthpiece, but it's a good one, nonetheless.
On the other hand, I have no experience at all with the "Yamaha Band Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece."
Regards,
Joh
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Author: clarinetplayer
Date: 2003-03-18 19:12
Lol, I was looking at another one...the Selmer Goldentone Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece #2 F. Which eer one I do get is only temporary until July or August. Well, thanks for everyone's input!
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Author: Suzanne
Date: 2003-03-18 21:57
Why does it matter if the B45's are individually inconsistent? You only need to own one (or maybe two if you want a back-up), and if you try several, and like to play on this type of tip opening, you will most likely be able to find a good one. I know pro's who play on this mouthpiece and sound great, but it is not for everyone. Mouthpieces are too individual to make blanket statements about.
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-03-18 22:48
As stated before, B45s aren't the most consistent mpcs out there, but I do like the older (slightly more closed) ones. I guess the newer ones aren't bad if you're looking for something that open, though, but I found the response to be pretty bad.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2003-03-18 23:11
Well I found the B45s to be fine. However, the player needs to control it. If you don't, you'll have problems.
Basically, a more open mouthpiece allows more flexibility but unless the player can control it, you can have tonal problems.
A more closed mouthpiece doesn't require so much control from the player, but the trade off is less flexibility. By flexibility, I'm referring to the ability to change the "tone color" by embouchure and breath control.
So based on the combination of your own abilities and playing preferences, "you pays your money and takes your choice."
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2003-03-19 04:09
It's good for me, I've used one for a couple of years now. I have no idea if it would be good for you!
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Author: sinkdraiN
Date: 2003-03-19 13:11
Back when I first began to double on clarinet I bought a B45 for no other reason than so many people play them. I figured when I develope the chops I'll find a new mouthpiece that works well. The B45 has always been a love/hate relationship. The longer I played on it, however the more I liked it. Recently, I tried morgans, forbes, other vandorens, custom pieces, etc. and havent found anything i like better than the B45. I find this very surprising considering the frustration I had on this piece when I first started using it.
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-03-19 15:04
clarinetplayer: This thread has become a good tutorial on the individuality of mouthpiece selection.
GBK points out that there are other well-favored mouthpieces which cost less. Some like the B45 nonetheless, but Ed says it is too open. sinkdraiN says the B45 is fine but took a long time to master. Perhaps these two comments relate to Dee's finding (with which I agree) that the B45 is a mouthpiece that offers good flexibility, a characteristic which is not appreciated by all, since it means the player's embouchure must more actively control the tone produced. Some players enjoy that flexibility (especially attainable when a stiff reed is not used), but some do not.
This thread should show you that the best way to select a mouthpiece is to play on many and pick the one that works best for you. An excellent teacher may be able to offer some guidance through personal attention.
Regards,
John
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2003-03-19 15:57
Clarinetplayer:
FWIW, I have played at various times over the last few years on a B45, an M15, and a Yamaha 4CM.
I don't like the sound I get from the M15. I have also been unable to find a reed that matches well with the mpc. This mpc has the profile 88 beak & is a series 13. I find it the easiest of the 3 to play in tune. I don't think I like the profile 88 beak either.
The B45 has some nice attributes - it's very punchy and has a very large dynamic range. I use Mitchell Lurie 3.5/4 reeds with this mpc and find that they work well. Unfortunately it's not a series 13 (purchased before they came out with this lineage) and gives me the greatest difficulty playing it in tune.
The Yamaha 4CM is the mpc that I'm currently using & have used now for about the last 4 months. I find it to be a very nice mpc - not quite as easy to play in tune as the M15 but infinitely better than the B45. It's not as loud or as punchy as the B45 but I find it easier to blend in with the rest of the orchestra/band. The standard Yamaha band mpc is the YAC-1206 though, which I think may have different specs. You may want to check
I use the same reeds on the B45 & the 4CM, and they are both played on a Yamaha SE-V.
I hope this helps a little. As others have said though, one person's gold is another persons junk.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: Eileen
Date: 2003-03-19 16:36
I really like the B45. I love the tone and have not found it difficult to control even though I recently resumed playing after a 17 year hiatus. I use a #3 V12 reed. You should check the chart from the Vandoren website about what strength of reeds go with which mouthpiece as your reed strength preference could influence your mouthpiece decision. I play 2nd and the 1st also uses a B45. It seems easier to play well together with similar set-ups.
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Author: tim
Date: 2003-03-19 17:46
I am not the most experienced player by a long shot. But, as I posted a while back when I tried a B45 at our local music shop I was so impressed that I bought it immediately. I have used my old during practice to see if I was just overcome by the moment and I still like the B45.
Of course I look forward to trying others in the future but it was light years ahead of the plastic student mouthpiece thing that came with the clarinet.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-03-19 19:19
I suppose it is what one intends to do with their plaing that counts most. In the case of the B45 I find it quite tiring to play in long orchestral concerts and have found too it tends to play quite sharp...I was also quite a bit more dissapointed by the B4513 and yet I do have an old B45 that is excellent. One of my former students had an awful one! I told them to steer clear of it, and they were happy once they changed. The real qoal is to be selective and find a mouthpiece that can used for practicing on for hours without tiring! Not an easy thing to find....
David Dow
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2003-03-20 16:07
Here are some monkey-wrenches in the works:
Buying a mouthpiece is like buying picking a spouse: there is absolutely no generic solution. I can't tell you how many mouthpieces have stunk for me but gotten glowing reports on this board, and vice versa.
Some friends love B45's, and some hate them. Some play really in tune with them and other hate the intonation. Some find them wonderful, some too stuffy, etc. etc. I had a teacher once who got a fabulous sound on the Buffet mouthpiece that came with his horn, a feat which nobody else could seem to equal.
Everyone's comments are to some extent valid. If more people say good things about a product than bad, you should consider it. On the converse, if there is more bad than good, you still may want to try it out to see for yourself.
Go with a friend (or two) somewhere you can try out a lot of choices. Bring an electronic tuner to check intonation. Bring several brands and strengths of reeds. Play on a couple sample mouthpieces of each brand and facing, until you settle on some that work the best *for you*. When you find something you like, send the rest back and play on as many as you can of your selections, to pick an individual mouthpiece. Have your friend(s) listen and try them as well.
There are mail order places that will send you trial mouthpieces with a credit card. Because this method is self-limiting in terms of quantity and time, I would not recommend it unless you already know which single model mouthpiece you want to buy.
Good luck!
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