 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Max S-D
Date: 2005-02-24 06:18
I am looking for a new Mouthpiece. Right now I am playing on a Fobes Nova with a 1.00 mm tip and Gonzalez #4 reeds. I am looking for a mouthpiece with more projection and a little more flexibility to bend pitches, etc. (not too much though!). I need a piece that will work in concert band, orchestral, chamber or jazz settings, although jazz is a lower priority than the others.
Basically, something with more projection. I was thinking the Morgan RM15 or Vandoren B45.
Do these sound like what I need? Does anyone know of any other mouthpieces I should look into?
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-02-24 07:11
If you buy a Vandoren mouthpiece I recommend the B40 over the B45. In my opinion the B40 is a very good mouthpiece, one of the best in its price range.
Never tried a Morgan but I hear (from people on this forum) they are very good.
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Author: Roger Aldridge
Date: 2005-02-24 12:54
Max,
A Morgan RM15 and Vandoren B45 will both be quite a change from your 1.00 mm Forbes. In my experience, there's no contest between a RM15 and a B45. The RM15 is in a whole other league. I've found it to be a superb general-use mouthpiece for a wide range of musical styles and ensemble settings. One thing I'd suggest is to see if you can try a Morgan RM10 (1.10 mm) and a RM15 (1.15 mm) to see which you prefer. In reading your message, I have a gut feeling that a RM10 may be the one for you. It tends to have a more focused sound along with a high level of projection. I've used a RM10 in jazz ensembles -- including a big band -- and it held it's ground. As you'll discover when you try a Morgan mouthpiece, it has a number of subtle design features (such as a thin-walled duckbill beak and extremely high quality hard rubber) that contribute to it's tonal qualities and projection.
Good luck!
Roger
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Author: sinkdraiN
Date: 2005-02-24 16:53
Agreed...take the B45 off the list. You will really enjoy playing an RM15. Ralph Morgan's mouthpieces are very consistant.
The B40 is a much better and safer mouthpiece than the B45. The B45 takes a lot of control to tame the shrillness. The B40 has a much bigger resonant tone.
I love the tone of the B40 but the resistance makes it a difficult piece to play. A morgan RM15 is my daily driver because it produces a wonderful tone with very little effort.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-02-24 16:56
My comments about the B45 are fairly well known. Search on my initials and B45 to find a few threads to read.
It is possible to find an acceptable B45, however with only a small sampling of mouthpieces to try, the Morgan (if you like the duckbill profile) will undoubtedly have more consistant examples ...GBK
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Author: Max S-D
Date: 2005-02-25 06:07
Thanks for all the replies. I had been leaning more towards the Morgans, so I'm glad to hear that you all like them.
I was also wondering what strength reeds you would reccomend for trying out a mouthpiece with a wider tip like this. Should I move down? stay the same?
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-02-25 10:29
I play Gonzalez 2.75 reeds on a mouthpiece with a 1.21 tip. Does this information help you? I don't know. I'd guess you should move down. I doubt a 1.15+ mouthpiece will play with 4+ reeds, but it's possible. I suggest you try every strength from 2.5 to 4 when you try the mouthpieces.
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2005-02-25 13:09
I played a gig in December where the other two clarinetists (both ex-US Navy Band) were playing Lomax "Chicago" mouthpieces. I was very impressed with the size and beauty of sound they were both producing. I made a New Year's resolution to try some Lomaxes myself (but like most New Year's resolutions I haven't pulled the trigger yet). Anyway, this might give you another option to pursue!
Larry
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Author: sinkdraiN
Date: 2005-02-25 18:39
I play V12 3.5 on an RM15. However, most players seem to prefer softer reeds with Morgan mouthpieces. Actually let me say it this way. You do not need the usual strong reeds to get a big sound out of a Morgan. They play just as full with softer reeds.
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Author: Celeborn
Date: 2005-02-26 18:05
Let's not forget about the Pomarico Jazz models. Quite open, but dark sounding and less expensive than Morgans.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-02-26 21:33
Very often just a slight adjustment to a junk mouthpiece will turn it into a Cinderella...and slight mishandling of an excellent one can turn it into junk.
Most amateur players dont' take proper care of their mouthpieces.
Bob Draznik
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-02-26 22:45
BobD wrote:
> Very often just a slight adjustment to a junk mouthpiece will
> turn it into a Cinderella...and slight mishandling of an
> excellent one can turn it into junk.
> Most amateur players dont' take proper care of their
> mouthpieces.
>
If you have a junk mouthpiece that you don't use anymore, I'd send it away to get refaced. It'd cost relatively little (depending on who does the job), and usually comes back MUCH better. I have refaced mouthpieces by Dave Spiegelthal and Walter Grabner and they both play excellently. COMPLETELY worth the refacing charge. And even though I don't play them anymore and use something else as a primary, they were still completely worth the money I spent to have them refaced.
Could be a few dollars spent and might become a top performer. And if not, at least you know you'll probably be able to depend on it as a backup.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Kel
Date: 2005-02-26 22:55
Go to www.junkdude.com, click on mouthpieces, then on Morgan. There is then a link to clarinet facings (or something like that). That will take you to a chart that shows what reed strengths Ralph Morgan recommends for his various mouthpieces.
Post Edited (2005-02-26 22:59)
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