Author: GBK
Date: 2006-01-30 00:57
My primary mouthpieces are a pair of Vandoren crystals. (I also have 2 back-up ones.) These were tediously selected from more than two dozen that I tried in the early 70's. They have served me very well over the past 30+ years.
Like most clarinetists, I own (and at one time, played) many mouthpieces by all the big names: Kaspar, Chedeville, Borbeck, Greg Smith, Fobes, Pomarico, etc... but always gravitate back to the same pair of Vandoren crystals.
The blanks were probably made by Pomarico, but the facings were unique to Vandoren and do not match any of the older Pomarico facings.
Although crystal mouthpieces can range from fabulous to awful (probably due to a lack of control in the final cooling/finishing of the raw material), if you are lucky enough to find a "live one", it is a joy to play.
Like all mouthpieces, but particularly crystal, the fragility issue is a concern.
Have a similar back-up mouthpiece, just in case...GBK
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The Clarinet BBoard
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