 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Topher
Date: 2004-07-28 19:46
I have recently been considering replacing the mediocre B45 mouthpiece I use on my bass clarinet with a Charles Bay mouthpiece, as everyone I have talked to tells me they are the best, and becuase of all the 'pieces I have ever played, his are my favorite. Unfortunately, I have been unable to contact Mr. Bay, as the website and e-mail adresses I have found on this board do not work. Is there a phone number I could call, or a new e-mail adress? Any help is appriciated. Thanks!
topher
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Author: William
Date: 2004-07-28 21:25
Charles IS hard to get in touch with. I, too, am a fan of his soprano clarinet mpcs and still carry a custom copy of my Chicago Kaspar that he made for me in 1971 as a back up. However, I have tried his bass clarinet mpcs (as well as a ligiture) and am not impressed. Compared to my VanDoren B45, they were quite stuffy and unresponsive, particularily in the upper register. My current bass mpc is a Walter Grabner model CXBS which I love and highly recommend. He also refaced my B45 and improved its performance.
And, Walter is easy to get in touch with, less expensive than Charles and most willing to make certain you get a mouthpiece that is right for you. I think he is still a sponser of this BB, but even if he isn't, I still would recommend his mouthpiecies.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-07-28 21:37
topher -
Charles Bay runs a small operation, and he brings it all to the ClarinetFest, which just ended. He may be home by now. His website is definitely gone, but you might try the email address and phone numbers, or even snail mail: Charles Bay, PO Box 3935-C, Westlake Village, CA 91359 USA, Email: cbay@baywoodwind.com, tel: (805) 497-8161, fax: 805-497-8208.
Google will retrieve many dealers who carry his equipment. See, for example, WW&BW, http://www.wwbw.com/Woodwinds-Bay-p2134773897d19.music.
Perhaps someone who went to the Fest picked up a card or catalog from his booth, with current contact information.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: LeOpus1190s
Date: 2004-07-29 04:38
Topher -
There are FAR FAR FAR better mouthpieces for bass clarinet made by other makers and at cheaper prices might I add. Now I can imagine your disapointment with your B45 but a Bay mouthpiece won't be much of a step up.
Selmer C* has been a classic top choice for many bass clarinetists. Also Walter Grabner makes a top notch bass clarinet mouthpiece.
I'm sure i'm going to get some heat about not praising Bay's not so stellar craftsmanship but I'm being honest.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2004-07-29 10:54
LeOpus1190s wrote:
> Topher -
>
> There are FAR FAR FAR better mouthpieces for bass clarinet made
> by other makers and at cheaper prices might I add.
In your opinion only.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-07-29 14:06
Charles Bay is an excellent bass clarinetist, and he makes fine though IMHO overpriced bass mouthpieces.
The Selmer C* is a good, middle-of-the-road design, but it's nearly impossible to find a good one. Their facing machines are worn and out of adjustment, and so few bass mouthpieces are sold (compared with soprano mouthpieces) that it doesn't pay for them to fix the problem. The rubber is good, however, and the C* can be adjusted to play very well.
Walter Grabner reworks the C*, and all the feedback on his work says it's outstanding. I think Roger Garrett does the same. Clark Fobes also makes excellent, high-priced bass mouthpieces.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: William
Date: 2004-07-29 15:03
Again, in defense of Charles Bay (whom I know personally and respect), his custom soprano mouthpieces are as good--if not better (IMHO)--than anyone elses. But his bass clarinets mouthpieces--again, IMHO only--do not measure up. Walters customized Selmer C* bass mpc is--also IMHO only--as good as BC mouthpieces get, and is the one I use.
From your "Office of Redundency Office" for your review, and reconsideration (again).
(Seriously, it is unusual for Charles to miss a convention like ClarFest--hope all is well)
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Author: Brad
Date: 2004-07-29 15:11
Dr. Bay makes some nice pieces. I own a 1981 vintage BC mouthpiece that I played on for a while (I was studying with him at the time). I don't have the measurements, but the tip opening is much larger than any other BC piece I have played on. I wasn't thrilled with the sound after a while and moved on. I do still use his ligatures for both bass and soprano. I agree with Ken Shaw in that you may be better off ordering them from one of the large resellers like WWBW. You will be able to compare different makers mouthpieces and be able to return them with ease if they don't work out.
I am currently using a Grabner which I am quite happy with. A very nice piece and an exceptional value that is worth a try is Roger Garrett's. I recommend these to my students who don't have the means to shell out $100+ for a BC mouthpiece.
Brad C.
clarinetist@verizon.net
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Author: Topher
Date: 2004-07-29 15:53
I have to say that I am kind of suprized by the response I got from this post. In all the past searches I have done on Mr. Bay, it seemed that his bass pieces were thought highly of. I had wanted to avoid the irritatingly repetitive "what mouthpiece should I buy?" question but it seems unavoidable. I would like to try the best pieces there are, pretending price is not an issue, and it sounds as if I should try Grabner and Clark Fobes pieces, but I am still trying a Bay, at some very strong suggestions from proffessionals I know. Any other suggestions for pieces, or are those three good bets?
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Author: William
Date: 2004-07-29 16:26
FYI--J. Lawrie Bloom, bass clarinetist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, uses a mouthpiece with the same specs as one of Walter Grablners models. Walter told me that Mr. Bloom has tried his mpcs and likes them.
(Office of Redundency Office--again)
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Author: LeOpus1190s
Date: 2004-07-29 16:41
William -
I wouldn't speak for Mr. Bloom. As im sure you know, professionals have closests full of equipment (well soemtimes they do). Doesn't mean they actually use everything thats in there.
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2004-07-29 17:16
I use a Bay mpc. on my bass. To me it was a big step up from the Vandoren B46 I had been using. I found the Vandoren stuffy and unresponsive. But I agree with Ken that Bay's pieces are overpriced. Ralph Morgan's pieces are just as good and about half the price.
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Author: William
Date: 2004-07-29 18:19
LeO,
Sorry for the confusion. It was WG that told me J. Laurie Bloom uses a mpc with the same specifications of the a model which he makes. Not certain about which one, however. I did not mean to "speak for" Mr Bloom or in any way infer as to which particular makers mouthpiece he might use personally.
But, as you have suggested, Mr. Bloom may have a closet full of mpcs that he has tried, and since he had auditioned Walters bass mpc(s)--and "liked them" (according to Walter)--that may be of interest to Topher who is interested in "some very strong suggestions from proffessionals".
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Author: msloss
Date: 2004-07-29 18:23
Brad Behn is also cutting some nice mouthpieces. He has a small operation, but still is very focused on setting his 'pieces up to a player's individual spec. He's pretty liberal with his trial and adjustment policy, so there isn't much risk. Custom does come at a price though -- they are more expensive than a C*.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-07-29 20:27
As the song from Oklahoma! goes, "I'd like to say a word for the Pomaricos" . My first "good" BC mp was a Bay, which I traded off for a B45, which I didn't like either!. Yes the C* [a good one] is fair. Finding 2 old GG's [made by Pom], I had one refaced by Dave S, which became my favorite quickly. The other [a #3 incidentally] was nearly as good, but D S now has it for his reface. My new mp from Pom is a #3 mellow for my Selmer Alto cl, and so far it is much better than the 5 or 6 others I have. Just my experience, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2004-07-29 21:17
I suggest trying out Clark Fobes' mouthpieces. I played a couple of his bass mpcs at clarinetfest, and they were very nice. I use an old Selmer C* bass mpc that was refaced by my friend Tom Pawulski. When Clark measured the tip opening, he exclaimed "Oh my, this is very open!" Haha. I thought it was funny.
Anyway, Clark's mpcs are good in my opinion. I also know friends that play on Bays, and they like them well enough. But then again, they also just bought a Fobes. Sad that Bay didn't come to 'fest, I wanted to try his mpcs. Only ppl like Weiner and other dealers had a couple of his mpcs. :-/
--CG
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Author: SFroehlich
Date: 2004-07-30 00:53
One reason that Bay is spoken highly of by Bass Clarinets is because he was really the first mouthpiece maker to give the Bass some serious attention.
I currently play on a Bay MO-M that I picked up a decade ago. However, I think that instrument design has perhaps moved on past the classic Bay bass clar mouthpiece. It really began life in the era when the one and only horn was the Selmer Model 33. The Bay mouthpiece was designed to work with the improved angle mouthpiece to warm up and "broaden" the sound of the C*. The model 33 is a fairly big bore horn with a broad sound. It had some tuning issues, but could be both warm and evil in a way that I find hard to duplicate on more modern horns.
I think some of what is going on here is the age-old debate on what a Bass Clarinet should sound like. Should it be pure like what is considered ideal in a Bb these days, or should it have a reedier, edgier quality. As the Bass enters the Clarinet mainstream, I think that more and more people are opting for the pure tone as you're seeing more Bb teachers teaching bass rather than sax folks. The C* does this better, no question.
I haven't had a chance to buy one of the modern, reworked C*'s, but I'm playing on a Kohlert that Dave S. restored about 3 years ago, and the design is very similar to a Selmer 33. It makes a big sound, and that works well in my ensemble (the Ausitn Symphonic Band). The Bay supports that very well, but I struggle a little with subduing my reeds so that they aren't too reedy. When I played on a C* on a Model 33, it was the other way around, I had to work hard to get some depth to the tone.
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