 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kchui999
Date: 2006-12-21 16:31
I've been playing bass clarinet on and off for my school musicals, plays, etc., and can never seem to get the right reeds that will let me play comfortably throughout the entire scale of the instrument. That is, until a friend of mine suggested that I use a tenor sax reed. As it turns out, my javas sound ten times better than what i get from blue box bass clarinet reeds.
Has anyone else noticed this, and will they really work in the long run?
Chui
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Author: EuGeneSee
Date: 2006-12-21 16:40
I live in a rural area, 40 miles from the nearest music store, so I can't always find a good selection of reeds when I need them. So, I often use alto sax reeds for my alto clarined and tenor sax reeds for my bass clarinet. Use of these substitutions give me a greater range of choices in brands and hardneses. Whether the reeds were originally intended for clarinet or sax doesn't seem to matter one iota. Eu
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-12-21 16:41
I've always used Java tenor sax reeds on bass - some people will specifically buy or order bass clarinet reeds and wait for them to be in stock whereas tenor sax reeds are already on the shelf, and chances are they're better (and there's more of a variety).
Same with alto sax reeds on alto clarinet.
Do what works best.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2006-12-21 16:51
For the reverse, I use bass clarinet reeds for tenor and alto clarinet for alto sax all the time. I recently picked up 40 boxes of La Voz alto reeds for about $2 a box and my BC reeds for a $4 a box.
The AC reeds are a tad narrower but there is an excellent seal on the MP and they seem to work just great. BC reeds play just great and they seem to be my favorites. FWIW, I use very open sax MPs.
Post Edited (2006-12-21 16:52)
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2006-12-21 17:58
Lenny Pickett of the Saturday Night Live band blasts away on his Mark 6
Tenor with BASS CLARINET reeds. Berg Larsen steel mpc 130/0 I believe.
So perhaps what is good for the goose, is good for the gander....or whatever.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-12-21 18:07
I'm pretty much "with" the above opinions. Not much diff/advantage, usually, But, I do look at the "coverage of the mp rails" when trying new reeds, as Hank said, referring to the important "sealing " necessity. Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-12-21 20:27
What's easier - making mouthpieces to fit existing (and standard sized) production reeds, or making a huge variety of reeds which would only be fit for their specific purpose for a variety of mouthpieces, each of which has a completely different shaped table but for the same instrument?
Or to put it in a simpler way, are mouthpieces generally designed with the specific reed type in mind?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-12-21 20:58
I don't know, Chris, but as has already been pointed out, the following equations hold true in nearly all instances:
alto sax reed = alto clarinet reed
tenor sax reed = bass clarinet reed
baritone sax reed = contra-alto (EEb) clarinet reed
Of course some will argue with the above, but it's worked for me for 35 years, and for many other players too.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-12-21 21:08
Also (with a few slight adjustments) Bb clarinet reed = Eb clarinet reed
...GBK
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2006-12-21 21:30
Now, if someone will just come up with the common equivalent that will also fit the mouthpiece for the G clarinet, we'll be set.
I've found baritone sax reeds to be less than ideal for contra-alto clarinet, and that tenor reeds can tend to be too long to properly fit all bass clarinet mouthpiece tables. However, application of a razor saw to the butt end of the reed takes care of this problem quite nicely.
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: Roger Aldridge
Date: 2006-12-22 16:52
The tenor sax and bass clarinet reeds I use are cut with different profiles.
Here's what I've experienced:
ON TENOR SAXOPHONE
Bass clarinet reeds do not play as robustly on tenor as thicker cut tenor reeds. With tenor reeds my sound has a stronger tonal core. The sound is vibrant and ringing. My sound is not as vibrant with bass clarinet reeds. Sounds kinda limp.
ON BASS CLARINET
tenor reeds do not respond as well as bass clarinet reeds on my bass. The quality of sound is not as rich.
This does not surprise me. Think about the differences between tenor saxophone and bass clarinet mouthpieces. My tenor mouthpiece -- a custom made Morgan 6C -- has a very large round chamber. However, even with its large chamber it's not in the same ball park as the chamber size of my Grabner LB bass mouthpiece. Also, the facing curves are different between the two mouthpieces.
It's possible that one might get better results with bass clarinet reeds on different tenor mouthpieces. Also, a typical music shop has a pretty large selection of tenor reeds having different styles of cuts. It's possible that a different cut might give me better results on bass. Never the less, I'm quite happy with the reeds I'm using on each instrument.
It always comes down to finding the particuar things that work best for us as individual players. If tenor reeds work really well for you on bass continue using them by all means.
Roger
Post Edited (2006-12-22 17:04)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-12-22 17:56
I was hard pushed to see any differences between a blue box Vandoren tenor sax reed and a blue box Vandoren bass clarinet reed when I compared the two side by side several years ago.
Same with their alto sax and alto clarinet reeds.
Did Vandoren make reeds for Buffet and Selmer?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: stevesklar
Date: 2006-12-22 18:42
and some people also use Soprano Sax with Bb soprano clarinet and vice versa.
Though the sop sax reed is wider in my 1 or 2 comparisons
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Author: Kchui999
Date: 2006-12-22 19:38
Yes, i did forget to mention that i just use my soprano clarinet reeds on soprano sax, which actually give a bit fuller of a sound.
I suppose it just depends on the reed itself rather than what the reed is supposed to be used for.
Chui
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Author: thomas.b
Date: 2006-12-23 12:26
I l o v e Vandoren Trad. 3.5 Tenor-sax reeds on my Buffet 1193-2 Bass. I use a Pmarico 2 mp. I tried Javas, Bass clari reeds, GCS... but nothing compared to bluebox sax reeds. They help me to avoid this direct barking kind of bass clarinet sound, I like more a soft, sweet, mellow? sound....hmmm difficult to express for me in english... sorry....
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-12-23 13:38
I understand exactly what you mean there Thomas - I know too many people that like the bass clarinet to sound like a chainsaw, but I prefer the full, thick, deep and reedy tone in the low register and the almost pure sine wave-like tone when played at ppp and subtone levels, and also the broad, round tone of the upper register - not a thin buzz.
Only thing with the Pomarico mouthpieces is the tip is more curved than the reed tip on Vandorens, but I can still get a good seal.
The shape of the Vandoren reed tip curve fits my Lawton sax mouthpieces perfectly.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Michael E. Shultz
Date: 2006-12-23 16:00
When I was in high school back in the early 1970s, the accepted dogma was that Charles Bay Alto and Bass Clarinet mouthpieces were designed for Alto and Tenor Sax reeds respectively. This was a plus because Alto and Tenor Sax reeds were both cheaper and better than Alto and Bass Clarinet reeds (or so it was believed at the time).
Most of the Soprano Clarinet players used Charles Bay MO-M mouthpieces, although a couple had Portnoy BP02 mouthpieces. No one was pressured into this setup, it was just common knowledge (in my school) that this was the way to go.
When I was transferred from Bass to Contralto Clarinet, I then had to make do with a Selmer C* mouthpiece. Since it was a school-owned instrument (Selmer rosewood), it did not make sense for me to buy my own mouthpiece, as I would have had no use for the mouthpiece after graduation.
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
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Author: Roger Aldridge
Date: 2006-12-23 22:57
This discussion inspired me to give tenor reeds another try on my bass. Please know that I approached this with an open mind and a spirit of curiousity.
The results were exactly the same as I had before. Bass clarinet reeds have a much more vibrant sound and are more responsive in all dynamic ranges than tenor reeds on my set up. Simply put, tenor reeds -- and I tried several strengths -- sound stuffy on my bass. Also, I need to say that there is not a hint of chainsaw coming from my Grabner LB mouthpiece with bass clarinet reeds. Rather, it's like how Chris described his sound.
It may be that tenor reeds give better results on particular bass clarinet mouthpieces and facings than others. (After all, certain brands and cuts of tenor reeds give better or lesser results on particular tenor mouthpieces and facings than others....of course, depending upon the tonal conception of the player.)
Anyway, it ALWAYS comes down to what works best for the individual player. One size does not fit all.
Roger
Post Edited (2006-12-24 01:49)
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2006-12-26 12:16
A professor at U. of Hawaii once said in a Bs.cl. masterclass that the Tsax market is bigger and more profitable than the Bs.cl. market so he always uses Tsax reeds as they are far more consistant- in his opinion, companies pay more atention to their quality.
-S
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Author: graham
Date: 2006-12-26 14:19
I have compared Alexander Superial Classique Tenor reeds and the same make/brand of bass clarinet reeds and there are distinct differences that on my set up make the true bass reeds more advisable. However, the tenor reeds produce a very full and super smooth piano and mp dynamic, and create a gutsy if rather uncouth forte. It's when trying to go louder that it all can fall apart and tonal coherence is lost. The bass reeds seem more contartined and do not unlitmately go as loud, but they stay a great deal more coherent up to the top volume levels. The quieter notes are not so well padded and smooth however, though they usually still work well enough.
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