 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: larryb
Date: 2004-02-03 17:00
I've searched the archives and found a lot of helpful discussion of basset horns, but my question has not been directly answered, so here goes:
does anyone know what kind of mouthpiece to use for a Buffet basset horn built in the late 1970s? I don't have the instrument in hand yet, and the dealer didn't know the bore size. All we know is that it comes with a stock alto clarinet mouthpiece. I have no problem testing as many alto mouthpieces as possible to find the best mouthpiece-reed-horn combination, but I was somewhat thrown off track by the discussion on Stephen Fox's website, which declared that the (their) "medium bore" basset horn (around 17.0 mm) should only use a german mouthpiece, since French ones are not built for that bore size.
My understanding is that current Buffet basset horns have 17.2 mm bores - does this mean I need to search for a German mouthpiece? Were earlier ones larger in the bore and therefore more compatible with standard alto mouthpieces (eg: vandoren B40, B44 or 5Rv)?
Does any of this matter?
Hoping that arnold, graham, alphie and other basset horn afficionados are on line and ready to help. GBK - please do not scold me for asking the question, I can't take the criticism.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-02-03 23:13
Hi Larry - You ask intriguing questions, I have very little experience with the {vunderbahr} Basset Horn, but quite a bit Re: alto clarinet, the next larger family member. So, I'll sure bow to the judgments/opinions of true B H players, Arnold in partic. For sop, alto, bass cls, I'm a believer in bore-size matching. My best ALTO is a Selmer Paris, bore about 17.0 mm. Its? stock mp, a Sel C* is 17.0 the smallest of my several mps.. Other? altos, LeBlanc at 18.0, are generally large[r] as is their B H. Dont know about Buffet, but it should be given, since [I believe] it is a contributing factor to the unique tonality of the BH, and might [should] be as small as 15.5-16.0 . I asked your "which mp" question early and got the answer, use your Bb mp. I did and "felt" I had to lip-tune some notes. My belief is that the "exit" bore of the mp should closely match that of the neck/barrel, and my closest match would be my Sel C* alto. My new and somewhat untested Pomarico 3 [glass, TKS Riccardo] for alto is slightly larger as is my previous best HR. SO, my opinions are 1. to try alto mps, in partic. the smaller ones with measurements, and 2. go to "custom" mp makers [I include Pom] with this info, solicitating their advice/help, since the cost of a great mp is small compared to the BH $'s. Other opinions?? Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: graham
Date: 2004-02-04 07:58
I do not know about the old Buffet, but the latest model (which you so correctly say has a bore of 17.2mm) is tuned to play with an alto mouthpiece. I have tried the smaller B flat shaped mouthpiece and the tuning is way out. The Uebel basset horn, c. 17mm bore is tuned to play on a B flat shaped mouthpiece, though the bore of that is very different to the standard b flat mouthpiece. The Fox web site is probably refering to this kind of basset horn when refering to the German mouthpiece. As your basset seems to come with an alto mouthpiece, the neck probably is sized for an alto rather than a B flat. That would suggest it also used an alto mouthpiece, and it is doubtful you could get it to operate with the smaller mouthpiece. What you want to do is get hold of a subtle sounding alto mouthpiece that doesn't honk too much.
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Author: beejay
Date: 2004-02-04 13:33
My Buffet basset horn of recent vintage came with a Vandoren B40 alto clarinet mouthpiece, which I was unable to master. Although it was rich and warm in the chalumeau register, I couldn't get the darn thing to stop honking on the higher notes. I tried a Vandoren RV5, with no greater success. Finally I bought a piece from Ed Pillinger in London, which solved the problem. I think that getting exactly the right mouthpiece is more critical with the basset horn than with a soprano clarinet. Bflat mps do not work at all. I've never tried a German one.
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Author: Arnold the basset hornist
Date: 2004-02-04 13:56
Hello,
it's true, If you are not satisfied with the mouthpiece delivered together with your basset horn, it's a hard thing to find one you like - especially with a few instrument like mine.
My basset horn's bore size is 17.0 mm (as I mearured).
Generally no tenon of today available basset horn mouthpieces will fit into the socket of my basset horn's neck, so, finally, all my mouthpieces are more or less customized orders.
Beside the original one, I bought a vandoren alto cl mouthpiece, where the tenon had to be adapted.
The next one I ordered was the same vandoren alto cl mouthpiece, but refaced - relatively long and wide open, allmost a jazz mouthpiece.
The third one I ordered was an standard german basset horn mouthpiece,
tenon adapted, refaced (medium volume), and the bore of that mouthpiece was widened, too.
The forth one is a Püchner basset horn mouthpiece, I could try at my basset horn using a different neck (the wife of the person, who sold this mouthpiece, got allmost the same basset horn as I own and had the neck adapted to fit to the usual tenon size). Finally I got it's tenon adapted to my neck.
Now I own different mouthpieces for different requirements, allthough I usually play only one of them due to the little time amateurs often find for practicing.
Good luck (but I think your basset horn uses a more regular mouthpiece),
and, if you have the chance to test different mouthpieces, then test them.
Arnold (the basset hornist)
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Author: larryb
Date: 2004-02-04 14:53
thanks for all the advice - i look forward to play testing many mouthpieces, and will report back the results
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