 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ashley91489
Date: 2006-12-12 20:13
I'm interested in getting a new high quality mouthpiece and I've narrowed it down to these two brands.
Overall, which brand did you prefer and which mouthpiece of that brand?
For Fobes, if you've tried more than one model, which did you prefer?
And if you've tried more than one Grabner, which did you prefer and why?
The description on the Grabner CXZ_LB is exactly what I want but I'm wondering if it really does do all it claims and also if one of the Fobes models fits that as well.
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Author: swkeess
Date: 2006-12-13 01:09
I bought a Clark Fobes San Francisco Model HB mouthpiece to replace my original VD B45 mouthpiece and liked it a lot; it made a definite difference in tone depth and projection. Then I tried a Walter Grabner CX_BB_PERS mouthpiece and liked it more - the upper register notes speak more easily and the tuning is spot on in all registers. After catching a bad case of GAS (which seems to afflict many other members of this board as well!), I also purchased one of Walter's first version of the current CXZ_LB mouthpieces (then called the CXZ_BZ) and absolutely loved it. It projects beautifully through all the registers and makes playing in the clarion and altissimo registers easy. If I were going to buy just one mouthpiece today I would definitely choose the CXZ_LB without hesitation. Walter is also very helpful with advice and has prompt service.
Susan Keess
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-12-13 05:04
I've tried two mouthpieces from Fobes and one from Grabner. I don't know what was the Grabner model I've tried, but it was good. I bought both Fobes mouthpieces, one is my backup. The models are HB and PR. 99% of the time I use the HB. The Grabner was very good but not as good as either of those, though he has many models which I haven't tried. I didn't order the Grabner mouthpiece directly from him (I tried it when I was in WW&BW) but on another time I did order something from Grabner and didn't have the best experience..... but if you just order his mouthpieces you probably won't have any problems.
Since you are in the USA I am assuming you are planning on mail ordering the mouthpiece? Maybe you can order a few from Grabner and a few from Fobes (from a store, I don't he sells direct anymore)? I'm sure you wil find at least one mouthpiece you will be happy with from all of them.
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Author: LCL
Date: 2006-12-13 13:06
I have a Fobes AP and Grabner CX_BB_90, both of which have about a 1.900 mm tip opening that I like. Both play well on my Leblanc Model 430 Low C, although there is virtually no enthusiasm for Leblanc BCs on this board. However for me the Grabner has the edge in terms of performance. I play community band music and have for 22 years, although I have 50-years of BC experience. Both Mpcs. serve me well.
Regards,
LCL
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2006-12-13 15:08
I bought a CXZ-LB from Walter and have been very happy with it. Gives a nice sound through the range of the instrument (I have a Selmer to low C) and definitely the best bass mouthpiece I've used. Maybe a BIGGER sound than the Fobes too. Walter is a busy man these days because his products are really good and he strives for perfection. Something all too rare in today's market place!
My Fobes mouthpiece came from a dealer and it was one I did use until the Grabner arrived.. A nice mouthpiece and certainly one I keep as a spare. If I hadn't found the Grabner I would've thought it was the best bass mouthpiece I had played!
Eefer guy
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Author: BassetHorn
Date: 2006-12-13 15:15
Walter sent me a great playing Lawrie Bloom bass mouthpiece, one of the best I ever played. Also try Roger Garrett, I got an amazing one from him too.
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Author: SFroehlich
Date: 2006-12-15 04:52
When I was looking to buy I actually got my section together with a bowl of diluted vinegar and we tried the following:
2 CX_BZ
2 CX_BB_PERS
1 Fobes San Fransisco CF that I picked up off of eBay
My old Bay MO-M
A older Selmer C*
I also had a decent variety of ligatures and Legere reeds around to try with the above.
Personally, I went with one of the CX_BB_PERS, as it had the sound I was looking for and given my playing situation, I was willing to sacrafice some response.
The Fobes and one of the CX_BZ's were purchased by a local school through a teacher that was there. The other (better) CX_BZ was purchased by one of my section mates.
I sent the Bay off to Walter for refacing - well worth it.
My overall impressions:
The Fobes responded incredibly easily - very agile and forgiving, but lacked projection. A great mouthpiece for solo or orchestral work, but not for the band-type stuff I do.
The CX_BZ was very close to the Fobes in response and projected much better, but just didn't work quite with my Kohlert instrument.
The CX_BB_PERS projects very very well, with a warm, rich, smooth sound, and has good response. Its not as insanely agile as the above two, but is definitely no slacker in this area. In some ways, its what a C* should be.
I would definitely recommend that if you have a C* sitting around that you send it off to Walter for his CX_BS treatment - he did a great job bringing the essence back out of my Bay and that's not a mouthpiece he's particularly enamored with (nor really am I anymore). I still use it for more jazzy work - its great for that, but limited in flexibility compared to the CX_BB_PERS.
Last tip: get at least two of each model you wish to try from Walter (directly) - he will typically send two with fairly different characteristics - from different regions of the tolerance range - which will give you a pretty complete picture of the range of options available in each model. He will of course work with you based on your impressions.
Post Edited (2006-12-15 04:53)
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-12-15 14:36
I've used both Fobes and Grabner mouthpieces and prefer the Grabner Kaspar models. I"m playing the CXZ_K14.
I can't remember the Fobes model, but it was one of the high-end models.
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