 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Matt H
Date: 2005-11-02 19:09
I'm a comebacker after ~25 yrs away. Playing mostly with church orchestra right now (pretty easy music). Maybe I'll get a little more serious, maybe not. Other activities and kids limit time.
My wife had my vintage Noblet 45 overhauled to entice me back to playing. I never like it compared to my old school's Evette that I got to play. So I found an old (late 50's) Evette E12 and an Evette & Schaeffer E13 Master (similar vintage) on eBay. Got them overhauled via someone selling their services on eBay (for a LOT less than what she spent locally and he really polished up the keys too!). So now I have 3 clarinets. I'll sell one for sure (prob the Evette), but for marital reasons will need to keep the Noblet even though the 2 Buffets sound better (clearer, fuller).
So I have my old Vandoren 5RV which had gotten years ago at direction of either my director or clarinet instructor (too many years to remember). I started back out on a 2-1/2 reed (some Rico model) but have moved up to a 3. Since I don't play that often, I don't see myself getting much beyond that stiffness - possibly a 3.5 which is what I think I used when playing regularly as a teenager.
My question is given the stiffness of reed I'm using (I realize that not all 3's are of the same stiffness) and the frequency of my play (not even daily since I can sight read the pieces pretty well - choir and bell choir keep up the reading skills):
1. is my mouthpiece suitable for the task?
2. would the E13 be better with one mpc and the Noblet better with another?
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Author: Ken Mills
Date: 2005-11-02 20:51
Dear Matt H; When I bought the flagship of the plastic: the 15mm Vito V40, the large bore clarinet, the fine Woodwind brand mpc had the sidewalls quite noticeably filed further apart. Makes sense to me. Look up the bore of that Vandoren mpc, the square retangular opening from its chamber to its bore is quite smaller than others because it is designed for a Buffet or small bore French clarinet. At the other extreme, why don't you try the Selmer CP100 mpc. It is a monster, but maybe you should just try it on a small bore clarinet too as an experiment. Your Noblet is almost large enough for me, the flagship Vito V 40 is now just a small bore and polycylindrical clarinet. I have the last of the best, Ken
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-11-02 21:46
In general , yes. You have now joined the good group of mp/horn testers, always "looking for the rainbow", which includes me. When I find a good-playing combo, I dedicate that mp to it. Bore size matching seems important to me, so I check the mp's fit to the barrel using a little-finger test, which works for me. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2005-11-04 02:24
I have been running into many pitch issues from brand to brand of mouthpiece on a Buffet R13. Oddly enough, I just tried the Buffet mouthpiece that came with my new Greenline and it plays considerably sharper than the mouthpieces that I have sought out lately. This is a good thing, because most of my problems have been with "lowness." The bad new is that the particular notes that are at issue for me are still just as relatively low to the others (so if I make the "bad boys A=440, the rest of the horn is 20 cents sharp!).
The other bit of really surprising new for me was that the Buffet mouthpiece is actually very usable. If I had to, in a pinch, I could play a concert with all the reeds I've aleady worked up.
So..........this has become an apology to Buffet and the person in an earlier thread to whom I advised chucking the Buffet. There are better mouthpieces, but there are a LOT that are worse!!!
And.......when trying out a mouthpiece, once you find one that feels right and articulates well for you, check the pitch carefully with a tuner (that's if you do not have perfect pitch) starting with an open G then your standard tunning C and then everything else. I've had to abandon great feeling mouthpieces that would not tune well on my horn.
............Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2005-11-04 02:26)
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-11-04 03:11
I'm personally dissapointed in the slow response your query on matching mpcs to instruments.
I have a similar curiosity. I have a couple of "backup" and "antique" clarinets and my base-line Buffet. I have the feeling that the mpcs that work well with Boofy, don't do well with the othere.
In particular, I have a Selmer Signet that HATES the Vandoren and Mitchell-Luries that do quite well on the Buffet.
I don't know if the Signet is just a turkey, or if the two horns demand different chambers, baffles, bores, ...
I remain curious, but have previously advised matching mpc to a given horn and not to expect good results from taking a mpc proven on one clarinet and having it work well on another.
On the other hand, I've heard of directors legislating mpc use for a section--with no regard for the mix of clarinets or saxes in the ensemble.
Bob Phillips
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-11-04 03:29
Bob Phillips wrote:
> On the other hand, I've heard of directors legislating mpc use
> for a section--with no regard for the mix of clarinets or saxes
> in the ensemble.
A bigger issue is that every clarinet player has a different bite/embouchure/oral cavity/ etc...
If a school band director is telling the entire clarinet section what mouthpiece to buy, it may be time for parents to get involved.
Also suggest him/her to take a refresher course in woodwind techniques...GBK
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-11-05 02:33
Thank you, GBK,
but what about matching mouthpieces to BOTH
**the player, and
**the horn?
Bob Phillips
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-11-05 02:37
The barrel is the important link between the mouthpiece and the instrument.
_That_ is where the matching is critical...GBK
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-11-05 10:04
GBK is absolutely right, as usual. When you are searching for "the right" mp for a horn you must take the barrel into consideration. Unless you have prior experience or are a master mp technician finding the right mp is a case of trial and error.....mostly error. The end result is that you have a bucketful of mouthpieces lying around. Of course this is helpful when you get another horn. Much as I like LeBlanc products I've never had much luck with Noblets either. Congrats on the Master Model....it's probably your best bet.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-11-05 15:46
Thanks, GBK and Bob D
Now, I've gotta get out my Signet and all (3) of my barrels and go through the moutphiece bucket all over again.
Grin
Bob Phillips
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Author: allencole
Date: 2005-11-05 15:51
On brand vs. fit:
I've heard some of the newer Selmer mouthpieces sound very, very good on an R13, although I have not tried them myself. They seem to be particularly accommodating of people who use softer reeds.
On band directors and mouthpieces:
This one-size-fits-all thing among brass-playing band directors is a major thorn in my side, but a major share of blame might go to woodwind-playing band directors who are consulted on this.
As for parents, I am helpless when teaching in-school. They will generally argue the band director's choice when I attempt to caution them--as if I know less about my instrument than he or she does. When we are away from the school, I can usually get a little more of the parents' ear. (as if there were some sort of electronic fence around the school itself)
In partial defense of one-size-fits-all:
For high schoolers, a 5RV probably isn't a bad replacement for the stock mouthpiece in the case--if you're an average student getting no private instruction. There are two tremendous problems that need to be overcome:
1 - some colleges clearly train their band directors with a "my way or the highway" mindset in order to help them establish authority. In this situation, they can easily paint themselves into a corner because they have made edicts which were too broad and too detailed.
2 - Both students and parents tend to take certain isolated details too literally. And once something's pulled out of context, it takes on a life of its own. This usually happens out of the band director's earshot and thus avoids an opportunity for clarification.
Allen Cole
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