 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Alyra
Date: 2003-12-31 01:36
I read in another post that Buffet Mouthpieces are not advisable (i did not want to hijack that post by asking there). Why is this so?
I am currently playing on a Buffet clarinet from 1985 I think. I *think* It's a B12 model (Plastic, brushed wood look) and it has it's original mouthpiece. Should I eventually look at a different mouthpiece?
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Author: ChrisC
Date: 2003-12-31 02:33
I would assume that it's because the mouthpieces that come with student models, at least, are made of plastic and poorly faced. Generally, it is advisable to try out a number of different mouthpieces and find one that suits your needs rather than just using the one that came with the instrument.
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-12-31 05:27
I don't know about other Buffet mouthpieces, but the Buffet "Crown" is widely considered to be non-wonderful. The Crown is molded plastic. It gets little if any attention after molding other than corking and inspection ("Yep, it's there"), and uniformity from unit to unit is pretty much absent. Now and then, within all that minute randomness, one that plays well occasionally appears.
Regards,
John
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Author: theclarinetist
Date: 2003-12-31 05:53
Technical aspects aside, the buffet stock mouthpieces I've played on make me sound like a bagpipe! That's the only reason I needed!
Donald Hite
theclarinetist@yahoo.com
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-12-31 06:19
On the other hand, if you made one that could cause a bagpipe to sound like a Clarinet, I'd buy it. 
Regards,
John
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Author: lycfmtkl
Date: 2003-12-31 09:16
I suggest you buy another mouth piece , e.g. Vandoren 5RV etc.....and see how it differs from your original buffet. You 'll find some difference indeed.
Happy New Year
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-12-31 11:31
Most of the current mouthpieces shipped by Buffet with their clarinets and saxophones are made of injection molded plastic that has been finished by a computer-controlled mill.
They're not up to the standard of more carefully made mouthpieces from smaller manufacturers. (The curve of the facing is nothing objectionable, they're just a little uneven as a result of the last step in manufacture.)
Given a little adjustment, they're playable as are most mouthpieces.
******
It's just that for relatively little money, you can get a tremendous value from Fobes or Hite, that makes these freebies appear unappealing.
After all, you spend considerable time and money to buy the instrument, it seems a shame that the mouthpiece may not also be selected at purchase.
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Author: Alyra
Date: 2003-12-31 12:02
What mouthpiece would be advisable for me? (keeping in mind I would be considered a student) - I want something decent, that lasts, and suits my buffet Bb.
(Going to consider getting from the US if it works out cheaper than buying in Oz)
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Author: Haegar
Date: 2003-12-31 12:24
Here in Germany there are two (perhaps more) different MPCs are shipped with the B&C clarinets. I got an "F3A" marked B&C labeled MPC with my E13, but I know it's made by ESM - Ernst Schreiber Mouthpieces (http://www.esm-mouthpiece.com/englischeversion/index.html).
The F3A is a more open (perhaps for american understandings very open) MPC and so I looked for some alternatives
* Vandoren (several different types) I checked e.g. three different B45 and all are so different, that I think they were wrong labeled!
* Pomarico chrystal the same, four MPCs all quite different
* Otto Link (I really love my STM on my sax) looks and feels really, really cheap
* Meyer not possible to get in a "reasonable" size here at the moment w/o buying it first
So I called ESM and step by step they send me (and I told them I'm a total amateur!) at least in three chunks 12 MPCs to get the one I'm looking for! All was in very good "condition" (quite in contrast e.g. to the Otto Link) and check out the new "Heaven"-Material.
Perhaps B&C shipped different MPCs to the US, but I wouldn't say the ESM are the cheap and crappy MPCs.
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Author: ken
Date: 2003-12-31 13:30
Their blanks barely meet minimumn standards but they actually play pretty darn good to me applying a little wet emery cloth, cunning and cuteness. v/r Ken
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-12-31 13:47
The above replies pretty much say it all. It's sort of like buying a beautiful wedding gown, new shoes, etc and than having someone hand you a bouquet of plastic flowers. It's not that they're "bad" but that there's better available.
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Author: Donn
Date: 2003-12-31 14:16
If the mouthpiece material is not bad, might try refacing by Dave Spiegelthal. I think he could make a piece of PVC pipe sound good! He sure helped mine.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2003-12-31 14:28
Also keep in mind the following items:
1) Buffet is a clarinet designer not a mouthpiece designer.
2) Advanced and pro players are going to pick a mouthpiece that suits them and that will differe from player to player so there is little point in putting a good mouthpiece in it that in the end the purchaser will discard.
3) Mouthpieces are really only included because the less sophisticated buyer expects it to come with a mouthpiece.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-12-31 14:49
Good comments, S B and Ken bring up VG points. After making MINOR repairs to a student cl, I play it with one of my known-good mps, then their [cleaned] mp. If the latter is quite poor [and/or has a scratched table/tip] , with their approval, I'll lightly flatten the table on fine emery paper/cloth, which reveals the curve-length and its uniformity, and then decide whether to recommend a new one, or try to improve the curve [step-wise], with polishing on newspaper. I limit anything I attempt to well below the refacing science that can be found on "mouthpiecework@yahoogroups.com", which I find interesting/informative re: my feeble efforts. Just MY thots. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: john gibson
Date: 2004-01-01 20:29
I recommend Pomarico crystal.....even their grenadilla MPC IS EXCEPTIONAL... but their crystals are superb.....all they do are MPCs...
that means they take care to make them "perfect". I have four crystals and one wooden from them.....and I will NEVER part with them......
JG
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Author: Vytas
Date: 2004-01-02 01:10
Nobody mentioned Hard Rubber and Wooden mouthpieces from Buffet.
Wooden mouthpieces are excellent!
Buffet wooden mouthpieces (1920s-30s) have Chedeville style scooped/curved baffle and are very similar to Ch. Chedeville mouthpieces. The logo is engraved on the back near the bottom. I guess they were actually made by Chedeville. Excellent blanks! but usually these mouthpieces are warped, and need to be refaced in order to get an excellent playing one.
Buffet 'three lines down and one up' HR mouthpieces have straight baffle and are pretty open. IMO, these mouthpieces have the highest rate of inconsistency in bore specifications, interior dimensions and rail thickens and need a lot of work to make them playable. Not all of them are even suitable for re-facing. I worked at least on dozen of these mouthpieces with a quite good results but would stay away from them in the future. Too much work!
Vytas Krass
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Author: thomas.b
Date: 2004-01-02 15:59
I don't know why, but I also think that these mps are bad. I owned a Schreiber Prestige (Oehler), I have Buffet clarinets (E13 and Bass low c). All these instruments were delivered with ESM-mps (fabricated in Germany). None of them is satisfying me. They are easy to play but in my ears they sound "cheap". For Oehler and Boehm soprano clarinets I found mps that fit very good for me (both Viotto G3-facings on Zinner blanks, Vandoren White Master 3). For the bass clarinet I am still looking for a good mp.
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2010-08-12 20:13
I see its an old topic, but I found no other place for my question.
I saw a Buffet C crown mouthpiece. It has three lines down and one up, as I know it indicates a Chedeville blank. I read here these mouthpieces are made from molded rubber. So did the Chedeville company made blanks from molded compound too? I thought they were famous from their rod rubber mouthpieces.
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Author: ddavani
Date: 2010-08-12 20:39
When it comes to stock mouthpieces, I have not seen a company who has put out a good mouthpiece to go with one of their clarinets, let alone a student clarinet. What I recommend for a beginner mouthpiece on a B-12 is maybe a Vandoren 5RV "lyre" 13, or something of the sort. Vandoren's mouthpieces aren't excessively expensive compared to other high level mouthpieces on the market. Other many of these other mouthpieces above are good as well.
-Dave Davani
http://allclarinet.blogspot.com/
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2010-08-12 22:40
A C-crown mouthpiece with 3 lines down (lower ligature area) is actually a good mouthpiece.
The C-noncrown was also ok.
As Vytas stated above, These were Chedeville type blanks. They were stock Buffet mouthpieces until the mid 1960s or so. Evette also supplied them.
They were about about a 105-106 tip and medium lay.
Decent material for your favorite facing guru to work with.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
Post Edited (2010-08-13 00:03)
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2010-08-13 07:07
Thanks for your answers, I have several vandorens, but now I would like to try a customised mp from the old rubber formula. Thats why Im searching for this material. I heard Vytas is a good mp maker and refacer too. Has anybody tried mps refaced by Vytas?
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