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 B40, B45, B45lyre
Author: Jon 
Date:   2000-06-01 18:03

Is that a great difference in the tone when using either the B40,B45 or B45lyre?
Which plays with the darkest or fullest tone?
Any comments abt the 3 mouthpieces?

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 RE: B40, B45, B45lyre
Author: stephen 
Date:   2000-06-01 21:04

Non of our comments will help you, because mouthpieces don't realy have the same exact feel for any 2 people. The best thing you can do is go to a local instrument dealer, and see if you can try out the mouthpieces that you wish to know about. I hope this helps you out some.
Sincerely,
Stephen

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 RE: B40, B45, B45lyre
Author: stephen 
Date:   2000-06-01 21:04

Non of our comments will help you, because mouthpieces don't realy have the same exact feel for any 2 people. The best thing you can do is go to a local instrument dealer, and see if you can try out the mouthpieces that you wish to know about. I hope this helps you out some.
Sincerely,
Stephen

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 RE: B40, B45, B45lyre
Author: Ron D 
Date:   2000-06-01 22:20

I tried out all of the mp's you listed at IMS near chicago but since i am still a beginner I could not give you a good comparision as to the tone, I setteled on the B45lyre because of the open tip, it was a heck of a lot easier to use than the others and requires a soft reed for best results. As I improve I will probably try out the Vandoren 5RV lyre or rely on the advice of the folks at IMS about other brands. For now the B45lyre is a good match.

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 RE: B40, B45, B45lyre
Author: stephen 
Date:   2000-06-01 23:27

If you want a good mouthpiece, You should consider the Jerry Hall JC2. That is what I own. They are known throughout the world, and I bought my mouthpiece from jerry hall himself. He is a very nice person. You can find it for sale at a number of places, such as ww and bw, or he works at Nuncies, in Alabama! i hope this helps you out.
Sincerely,
Stephen

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 RE: B40, B45, B45lyre
Author: Hiroshi 
Date:   2000-06-02 02:30

If you use 3.5 or thicker reeds, B40 may not be suitable.
It was developped for thinner reeds. When I was young, I used a B40 with Vandoren 2.5 or 3, and I liked its tone:compact and with good projection, but not loud.

I tried B45 but did not like its tone. I felt my tone with B45 is somewhat dispersed.But it does not mean it is not for you either.

One thing about present Vandoren mouthpieces. I make it a rule to check their table flatness after I bought them. I found almost all recent tables have been not flat whereas my Vandoren 2RV I bought 30 years ago had been perfectly flat. If it is not flat, it should be made flat by ourselves or by resurfacer.
(On the other hand we should know some mouthpiece like Zinner has intentionally concave tables to enhance reed vibration.)

Among off the shelf mouthpieces, I think present Selmer's C85 series are worth trying. I think they are improving in their quality. They are almost as good as hand made mouthpieces.

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 RE: B40, B45, B45lyre
Author: beejay 
Date:   2000-06-02 09:53

I played the B45 for some time with Van Doren No. 3 reeds, and although my teacher liked the tone I was getting, I found it quite stiff to blow. So I went and tried the three mouthpieces you mention, and came away with a B45 lyre, which I play with Glotin 2.5 reeds. I'm happy with the result, since I can get the same sound as before with much less effort. But a word of warning: Try as many mouthpieces of the same model as you can. I tried six B45 lyres, and really liked only one. I've never played on a hand-made mouthpiece, so I cannot tell you whether or not that would be a big improvement. But a lot of professional musicians here in France play on Van Doren mouthpieces, and I've always found them to be well made and good value for money. If I could add a small plug for one of the sponsors, the biggest improvement I've made to my Buffet-Crampon RC was the addition of a Spriggs ligature. .


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 RE: B40, B45, B45lyre
Author: paul 
Date:   2000-06-02 14:51

I haven't tried the B45Lyre or the B40, but I use a B45 on a regular basis and I used a 5RVLyre for a couple of years - all as an adult novice.

The B45 is a bit more open than the 5RVLyre, so for me it's a little easier to play with Vandoren V-12 2.5 or customized 3.0 reeds. I also use Legere 2.5 reeds on these mps with decent results, but not as good as natural cane (again at an adult novice level). Both of these mps had to be worked on by a good woodwind tech to get their tables flattened down. Once this was done, the mps' behavior markedly improved.

I also have a custom made pro grade Borbeck 13 mp, which plays about like the B45 (very similar dimensions, etc.), but the tone is absolutely wonderful on my Festival clarinet, even as an adult novice. I paid dearly for this mp (4 times the price I paid for the Vandoren mps and worth every penny, IMHO) and it's now my hands down favorite mp. Mr. Borbeck was a joy to work with and this particular product is absolutely top quality. [Sorry, for the free "plug" Mark C, but personal testimonials are still okay, right?]

If you can get a chance to do it, test play lots of mps on your horn and get the mp that fits your needs and your musical tastes. It makes a huge difference in the tone you can produce on your horn. Plus, from my own personal experience, a finely crafted mp can make a pretty good horn sound and play absolutely fantastic, even for an adult novice. Just be prepared to thin your wallet for the really good stuff.


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 RE: B40, B45, B45lyre
Author: Mike_M 
Date:   2000-06-02 16:05

I had a similar impression (as Hiroshi). I played a B45 for many years. I found it very responsive and easy to play - taking a 3 ½ to 4 V12 reed. Last year my private teacher, who was trained in Russia, advised me to try the B40. I found the tone was much more interesting than the B45, it seemed to have better projection and it was freer blowing. It takes a much softer reed. I didn’t find that it lacked volume at all. In fact, my teacher could practically shatter the windows!

Anyway, after about a year of playing the B45 I became discouraged with it. I wasn’t able to play for more than about 90 minutes, then all my face muscles would begin to quiver. I think the long lay and open tip were just more than I could handle.

Eventually I switched to a Gregory Smith Chedeville (www.gregory-smith.com). It helped me get closer to the kind of tone I'm working for - more of an "American sound". It's very evenly voiced and responsive over the entire range.

Hope that helps.


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 RE: B40, B45, B45lyre
Author: David Dow Symphony NB 
Date:   2002-04-30 12:10

In alot of situations working orchestrally I have tried quite alot of different mouthpieces and really think the B40 has the most malleable tone of all the designs, the player also must pick from batches of mouthpieces until he finds the right one. Strangley enough with many handcrafter american facings I have found a tendency among many mouthpieces to become shrill and coarse in the upper register altissimo in spite of alot of maniuplation of reeds etc. Greg Smith apparently makes finely crafted mouthpieces which I have yet to try, but I have two decent Kanter's and an Opperman which is decent so I am not really in the market. The B45 is really a band stlye sound which I find very unfocused and bright...again its the players choice but I feel the B40 to be excellent.

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