 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2006-04-08 07:08
After reading a Wikipedia page written in Japanese that tells Glotin is going to stop reed manufacturing, I searched Glotin's homepage,where I did not find any info about this. (I wonder from what source the Japanese author, provably a professional,got that information.)
In stead I found a very interesting thing.They say (in French) that they have begun to sell Chedeville mouthpieces:since they say that they mergered Chedeville in 1976, it is not Chedeville 'model' or 'style'.
Now is 30 years after the acquisition. It seems a kind of mystery.
http://www.glotin.fr/htm/index_clarin.htm
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2006-04-08 13:41
They made a good profit on reeds, which are rapidly replaced by users.
Mouthpieces are MUCH more work, and are only necessary (in the business model) as a holder for the disposable item.
That said, the new version of the Chedeville mouthpiece is hideously expensive, and probably no better than any other machine made mpc.
Better to spend the $300 on a custom-made, or at least hand-finished mouthpiece from a living maker.
Any Japanese makers to supply you?
It seems that the county is clarinet-kitchigai... certainly an opportunity for a maker to arise from the neighborhood?
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Author: crnichols
Date: 2006-04-08 14:17
Glotin's Chedeville mouthpiece is not machine made, and certainly not by the same methods as mass produced Vandoren mouthpieces or the like. Chris Hill used the Chadash-Hill Blank (take a look at the Chadash website for information on how these are produced), hand-finished them, and sent them to Glotin. Glotin merely stamped their logo on them and marketed them. A few years ago, you could get the same mouthpiece for a slightly lower price directly from Mr. Hill, without the Glotin stamp on them, which is what I play on. For the aforementioned reasons, those Glotin mouthpieces are much better than 60 or 70 dollar machine made mouthpieces. Please do some research before announcing your assumptions. It's not that difficult to click on the search link, you'd find a great deal of information in the archives on these mouthpieces.
Christopher Nichols
1st Infantry Division Band
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2006-04-08 16:17
I have 3 of the mouthpieces made with chadash-hill-glotin blank.All hand faced by the guys working on them. I have found them to be no better than then a vandoren. Two are not as good as a vandoren. The one that is I had refaced by someone who's work I've use before and who's facings I have on other mouthpieces I use. So I can say, that I don't believe it's the facing work or the Baffle, I think I don't really like the blank material.
The previous it Tom Puwalski's opinion, other users may claim different results! I'm sure someone has.
Tom Puwalski, former soloist with the US Army Field Band, Clarinetist with Lox&Vodka, and Author of "The Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer"and most recently by the order of the wizard of Oz, for supreme intelligence, a Masters in Clarinet performance
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-04-08 16:22
"those Glotin mouthpieces are much better than 60 or 70 dollar machine made mouthpieces."
I would only add the fact that I know many top professional orchestral and solo clarinetists (including some of the most successful soloists in the world) that play Vandoren mouthpieces. I don't know anyone who play the Glotin mouthpieces.
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2006-04-08 19:21
Clarnibass,
There are quite a few professional players who play our mouthpieces. They include members of military bands, as well as members of the Baltimore Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony, and freelance players.
There are many mouthpieces out there that work well for people, so please don't make blanket statements putting down what others believe is the best for them.
Chris Hill
Post Edited (2006-04-08 19:26)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-04-08 20:42
Chris Hill, I'm sorry you understood what I said this way. I simply said that I don't know of anyone who play Glotin mouthpieces but never said they are bad, and I didn't mean to put down your or anyone else's mouthpieces. I especially want to make it clear that I don't have experience with Glotin mouthpeices and have no idea how good or bad they are.
What bothered me is the "blanket statements putting down" other mouthpieces by other posters. How can someone put down for example Vandoren while some of the very best players use them.... I stated facts while someone else stated opinion presented as fact....
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2006-04-09 17:32
For what it's worth (maybe 2 cents? ), the CH mouthpiece faced by Chris is what I currently play as my main mouthpiece. After some moving back and forth between vandoren M15 and M13Lyre, Behn's zinner, Livengood's zinner and Chris' CH, the CH has become what feels best for me. My mouthpiece search is documented all over the BB.
The Behn and Livengood are the darker rounder pieces and are very easy to play. The Behn was my main mpce for a while. However, after playing them for a while I found them a little limiting in what I can do to the sound. For example, I can't really honk with them, and sometimes I want to do that.
The M15 sounds great at first, but after a few minutes I find it alittle unresponsive. My theory is that the facing is so long that reeds tend to close up on it and they become difficult to handle.
The M13Lyre is a great mouthpiece, and played by many orchestral players. They are a littel resistant, but I find I need this resistance to be able to get a wide palette of different sound colors. It also projects really well in an orchestra.
The first time I tried the CH, I though it was impossible to play, tto resistant, did not work with my reeds and felt uncomfortable. I just felt I had to fight with the darn thing constantly. Yet, in a blind test, my girlfriend (a flutist) consistently selected it as the best sounding piece of the lot. Her words were cleaner and clearer sound especially in the throat notes and a little brighter.
I decided to give it a chance and I sent it back to Chris along with my favorite M13Lyre for adjustment. He refaced the CH so that it felt more like my M13L and I have to admit he did an amazing job. He and others also recommended I try Rico GC evolution reeds on them and they indeed do work much better than VD on Chris' mouthpieces.
My current combinations:
1- CH with GC evolution 3.5
2- M13L with VD regular 3/3.5
There is nothing wrong wit the Behn and Livengood, they just don't fit my concept of sound as well as the other.
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: Bnewbs
Date: 2006-04-09 18:02
"Her words were cleaner and clearer sound especially in the throat notes and a little brighter."
Thats interesting that it is brighter. I have CH blank based mouthpiece (faced & voiced by Grabner) that has the darkest most silky smooth tone of any mouthpiece I have played. It plays darker than the Vandoren (M13 & M15) Zinner based and mouthpieces (Grabner, Fobes, Lomax) I have tried. I agree that its more resistant, I had to send back to have the facing lengthened and now it really doesnt fight me at all, and is still so dark, rich and smooth. Tuning is out of this world even. Works great with VD 56 #3.5+ and Oliveri Elite #3.5s.
Ben
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2006-04-09 21:01
Ben,
I am still not sure what dark or bright mean. In any case, I suspect your mouthpiece is quite different from mine. If it was voiced and faced by Walter Grabner with a Kaspar design in mind it is probably a whole different kind of tuning than what Chris did to mine. I'd love to try yours to compare!
Anyway, I appreciate Tom's comment as we do get a lot of product praise on the BB, but little honest but fair criticism.
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: Bnewbs
Date: 2006-04-09 22:37
I should explain a little better. When I play mine against kaspar-style zinner mouthpiece mine plays darker. Where as you say that compared to M13Lyres and M15s, which are more in the chedeville style, yours plays brighter by comparison. A coule of other people I have talked to thought the blank has a tendency to play a little darker than most. But as long as it does what you want it to thats all that really counts. Of course Chris could have made any number of adjustments to make it play brighter and more clearly.
Ben
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-04-10 14:00
I just bought a Glotin Chedeville on eBay but haven't gotten it yet. I'll try it out and let you know what I think. I've heard good things about them.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-04-12 21:07
I just got the Glotin Chedeville and have only spent a little while on it. I am still mixing and matching reeds. It has a very nice tone and great projection, however, right now I'm really having to blow hard to get air through it--harder than I like to do. So, it may have to have a refacing for my purposes. However, it is a very nice professional mouthpiece. I have spent WAY more for mouthpieces that didn't play as well as this one. Beautiful tone.
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Author: Bnewbs
Date: 2006-04-13 01:23
That seems to be pretty typical of the CH Blank, My former teachers Glotin Ched is that way, it seems Sylvains is that way, my Grabner/Hill takes alot more air than any other mouthpiece I have. but after getting used to putting more air through it I have very few complaints. I had the facing lengthened which helped the resistance, but it still takes alot of air.
Ben
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2006-04-18 12:59
After hearing so many comments that our mouthpieces are overly free for some people, I find it unusual, yet oddly refreshing to hear comments the other way. If a mouthpiece is too resistant, you could consider using different reeds. If Gonzalez or Grand Concert Thick Blank reeds are too resistant, for example, then Grand Concert Evolution or Vandoren blue box might work better for you. If the Evolution is too resistant, try the Gonzalez.
Brenda,
I have some ideas on making the mouthpiece less resistant for you. Please write me offline.
Chris Hill
Post Edited (2006-04-18 14:28)
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-04-18 20:19
To update my post, I've found the right reed/ligature combination and now find the Glotin Chedeville to be perfect as far as resistance goes. It just takes a bit of changing around to get the right feel. I lowered the ligature a tiny bit and it made all the difference. It has a real pretty singing tone (like the old Chedevilles), so I think Chris and co. have something good going for them.
And, thanks Chris for the suggestions. You're an asset to the clarinet community.
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Author: frank
Date: 2006-04-18 21:15
I have owned 6 Glotin Chedeville mouthpieces. I gave them away. Why? I felt the tone was thin, brittle, and stuffy. It sort of felt and sounded like a plastic mouthpiece to me. I think the examples produced by Glotin are not up to snuff. Maybe reworking by a mouthpiece maker is in order. I play a discontinued Vandoren M14 and find it superior to most mouthpieces I have and tried. This is just my personal preference of course. I know of a colleague or two who have great success on the Chadash/Hill blank. To each his own in the product world.
Now, I must admit that I get quite aggrivated when I hear mouthpiece snobbery regarding price=better. I think many amateurs and even some pros judge products on what they see and their imaginination as opposed to what they hear and common sense. Just because X player uses X mouthpiece, or because it costs a ton, it does not make it good. Vandoren gets slammed all the time because it is a great affodable value and mass produced. We need not mention here all the great players who use Vandoren, which in fact, far out number any other one maker. I literally have a drawer full of modern and vintage mouthpieces (about 60 - don't ask!) from famous makers that DO NOT get played. I find the consistency among hand finishers actually WORSE than the consistency of Vandoren. This makes sense since most mouthpiece makers do not use CNC machinery like Vandoren does. Neither is better or worse. I like equipment that is easy to play and gives me the result I desire.
The image is everything idealism is sometimes the sad truth in anything we do on planet earth. I prefer to play a cheapo, mass produced Vandoren simply beacuse it works for me. Sounding like ass on a $500 mouthpiece to be "cool" and to have bragging rights is not an option for me. Grow up! lol
Reformed Equipment Nut (still struggling daily)
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Author: Vytas
Date: 2006-04-18 22:55
frank said:
*****This makes sense since most mouthpiece makers do not use CNC machinery like Vandoren does.*****
That's BS!
Glotin Chedevilles have been produced using CNC machinery and then hand finished and faced by the craftsmen/mouthpiece maker.
Vandoren mouthpieces produced entirely by machinery (including facing) and then hand adjusted by Vandoren employee who doesn't even play the instrument.
I'm not saying that Vandorens are bad. Actually some of them are very good but please don't confuse apples with oranges.
Vytas Krass
Professional clarinet technician
Custom clarinet mouthpiece maker
Former professional clarinet player
Post Edited (2006-04-18 22:58)
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Author: frank
Date: 2006-04-18 23:08
Vytass-
I said "most", not all mouthpieces are not made entirely by CNC. AND... I meant the mouthpiece refinishers, not the initial process of making a blank. I should have specified that in my post. I do not think Hawkins, Smith, Grabner, Fobes, Bay, Pyne, Morgan, Lomax, Gennusa (Redwine) et all are using CNC to make an ENTIRE mouthpiece from scratch, ala Vandoren. Correct me if I wrong, but the aforementioned individuals mainly rework ready-made blanks. ???? Oh... do you use CNC to make your own mouthpieces from scrach? I am curious. To be honest, I could care less if a mouthpiece is made using CNC or made from whittling a piece of rod rubber with a Swiss Army knife. I ONLY care if it plays easily and well. Where can I buy your mouthpieces? I would love to try them, BTW
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Author: Bill
Date: 2006-04-18 23:27
I bought a Glotin Chedeville around 1996. Chris, were these yours? It generated some discussion on the old "Klarinet" mailing list (not the BB), and a young (and, at that time, unknown) Brad Behn got involved in the discussion.
Around the time I started playing (~1993), it was in poor taste to describe a mouthpiece (or reed, or clarinet) subjectively. A learned - if sometimes bombastic - gentleman who was in the forefront of discussions in those days wouldn't have it, and argued you into the sod if you said something was "French" or "dark."
I thought the Glotin was "glassy," edgy, and pretty in its sound. At the time, others noted the blanks came through with imperfect facings - chirps, etc. This was 1995-1996.
I have a Chad-Hill mouthpiece that is simply lovely. A keeper. And I have a Vytas Krass "Henri Chedeville" style mouthpiece that raises the bar on everything.
Best,
Bill.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
Post Edited (2006-04-18 23:59)
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2006-04-19 00:42
Bill,
The ones I made were from 2002-4. I don't know who made the earlier ones, but I have reworked some of them into very good mouthpieces. They did take me several hours of work, however.
When making these blanks, I was very unoriginal: I figured that if I made mouthpieces from the original rubber, and made them to the same specs as some good old Chedevilles, it would end up sounding a lot like the 1930's Chedeville I was playing on. Guy helped me get rubber of the original formulation, and I worked on the specs. They won't work for everyone, but I'm glad I've made some people happy.
Chris
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-04-19 05:31
"Vandoren mouthpieces produced entirely by machinery (including facing) and then hand adjusted by Vandoren employee who doesn't even play the instrument."
This is interesting. I'm not at all saying you are right or wrong, but I'd like to know how do you found this information? Especially the part about "by Vandoren employee who doesn't even play the instrument."
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2006-04-19 11:14
If you go to the thread Greg mentions, you'll see some helpful information in his posts.
Chris
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2006-04-21 18:33
Thank goodness Glotin is not going to make those awful reeds anymore!
David Dow
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Author: Bill
Date: 2006-04-22 01:41
OMG! I love Glotin reeds. I seek them out.
Bill.
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Author: Phil O'Connor
Date: 2006-04-22 09:23
The Gaia reeds were WONDERFULLY colorful in sound- albeit in size they are firmer than the Vandorens most have come to know and utilize (but not exactly love) Another man's junk is another man's tresure-
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2006-04-23 03:25
Chris,
You said, "The ones I made were from 2002-4."
Might I ask, what's happened since then? Are they still making the mouthpieces...?
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2006-04-24 03:54
As far as I know, Glotin clarinet products are no longer being made.
Chris
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-04-24 15:21
Chris, why aren't they being made? Do you mean the mouthpieces (such as the one I bought) stopped being made in 2004?
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2006-04-25 03:34
I heard that Mrs. Glotin sold the oboe cane business, and I haven't heard what happened to the rights to the Chedeville name. Their reed machines were bought by another reed making company.
I still make mouthpieces to the same basic specs as the ones I made for Chedeville, although I think I've gotten better at it over the past few years. The ones I made that were marked "Chedeville" number only about 160, so you have a rarity.
Chris
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2024-03-15 04:46
i have what i am sure is one of these glotin chedville mpcs for alto clarinet. its certainly is the right age for this period . at first i thought it dark and stuffy but i recently tried hartman synthetic reeds on it and holy cow what a transformation. this thing sings now and articulates like lightning. rich full sound throughout the entire alto,s range. it outplays my entire collection except my fobes. the only marks on it say glotin of paris. one top ligature line and 2 bottom. facing appears to me done all by hand. best part is i paid only 35$ for it . its a keeper for sure
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