 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: zorib
Date: 2007-05-13 21:32
I have been playing clarinet for about seven years now, and I have tried all sorts of mouthpieces from Selmer to Vandoren ex: B45, 5RV, M13, HS*, HS**, B*, B46, B40, B45dot, and C85/120. I am currently using a Selmer B*, but I think it is time to step up to a custom/refaced mouthpiece.
I am unhappy with the uneven response of the B*, although I love the tone quality.
I play a Selmer 10G(Bb) and a Selmer Odyssey(A),
Using a Selmer B* mouthpiece, 3.5+ Vandoren 56's (reeds), and a Bonade inverted ligature.
Any suggestions???
<><><><><><><><><>
Selmer 10G Bb and Selmer Odyssey A;
Selmer B*, Bonade (inverted), 3.5 Vandoren standard.
Zori Babroudi.
Post Edited (2007-05-13 21:57)
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2007-05-13 21:34
Yes. Stop messing around with mouthpieces. Those custom jobs won't improve your playing.
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Author: CEC
Date: 2007-05-13 23:13
Hi zorib,
Check out the "Mouthpieces & Barrels" link on the right side of this page.
Best of luck!
Chris
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Author: Ed
Date: 2007-05-14 00:42
Of course, there are lots of opinions, but I have found that some of the most even and responsive mouthpieces out there are made by Clark Fobes. You can check his site and read more about his mouthpieces at:
http://www.clarkwfobes.com/
Although Clark no longer sells direct, you can call him and he will be happy to discuss your needs and what will be best for you.
Good luck
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Author: Dano
Date: 2007-05-14 01:11
I believe most woodwind and brass musicians search for "the right mouthpiece" right up to the day they die. It seems you find the right one and after a certain amount of time, it becomes "the one that used to be the right one" or left for certain times when you need to have them do what they do well. I have purchased refaced mouthpieces from Vytas Krass and they were the right ones and still are, for certain music. He does a good job. I think that if you "stop messing around with mouthpieces", you have lost interest in your clarinet. Just an opinion.
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Author: grifffinity
Date: 2007-05-14 02:34
If you are having response issues...which is a fairly broad description at that...take a look at your ligature. The reverse Bonade can be a great ligature if it is propertly adjusted. When the lig is on the mouthpiece, check to see that the metal bands of the lig are not touching the edge of the reed. If they are, this will dampen the reeds vibration. It is amazing what a properly adjusted reverse Bonade sounds like compared to when it is not. Many old timers cut out the center of the lig as well to increase vibration. Muncy Winds sells them in this "cut out" style.
My advice - first check your lig.
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Author: cpark
Date: 2007-05-14 03:21
"but I think it is time to step up to a custom/refaced mouthpiece. "
I would not automatically assume than any custom mouthpiece out there is a 'step up'. People need to get over that notion.
In fact Vandoren probably can make mouthpieces with more consistant measurements than most hand makers out there. That's not to say Vandoren is better either....different facings and opening work for different people.
-Chris
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Author: GoatTnder
Date: 2007-05-14 03:58
It might be worth it to find a mouthpiece technician near you. You can work next to them, starting with one of the mouthpieces you already have. And you can express specific concerns and try it along the way. Good luck.
Andres Cabrera
South Bay Wind Ensemble
www.SouthBayWinds.com
sbwe@sbmusic.org
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Author: Ed
Date: 2007-05-14 13:38
"In fact Vandoren probably can make mouthpieces with more consistant measurements than most hand makers out there"
Vandoren does make a good mouthpiece, but often their measurements vary quite a bit.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2007-05-14 14:29
I love the story, half-remembered, that Lancelot played the same Vandoren 5RV mouthpiece his entire career.
I think it's OK to have a million mouthpieces (for one thing, it's fun), but I also believe that (critical intonation issues aside) one "well-made" mouthpiece is just about as good as the next one. Really.
Bill.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: grifffinity
Date: 2007-05-14 14:39
Quote:
In fact Vandoren probably can make mouthpieces with more consistant measurements than most hand makers out there. That's not to say Vandoren is better either....different facings and opening work for different people.
There is a difference between "consistant measurement" and actual playability. A mouthpiece refacer/maker (such as Brad Behn, Ben Redwine - two makers from whom I have purchased mouthpieces ) does not rely on a computerized measurement to determine playability of a mouthpiece. They actually play test the mouthpieces they work on and make adjustments accordingly. True, no one mouthpiece will work for everyone, but at the same time if you like a mouthpiece makers work, odds are most of their mouthpieces (of the style you prefer) are playable for you.
The same cannot be said of Vandoren's which range from pretty good, to mostly average, to downright unplayable. 4 RV Lyre's I tested for a student were completely different from each other - no two were alike. On the other hand, 5 Gennusa Excellente I recently tested - 3 GE* and 2 GE, played similarly, with slight differences. The differences were so slight, that an intermediate student would not note the difference. That is quality control IMO.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-05-14 15:59
My experience is that Vandoren mouthpieces of same model are more similar than same model from "custom" makers. I also don't think Vandoren mouthpieces or "custom" made mouthpieces are necessarily better/worse. I've played Vandorens that were great or very bad, and same from "custom" mouthpieces. Some "custom" mouthpiece makers do use a computer actually (for example the maker of the mouthpiece I use, afaik).
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Author: grifffinity
Date: 2007-05-14 16:06
clarnibass wrote:
> I've played Vandorens that were great
> or very bad, and same from "custom" mouthpieces. Some "custom"
> mouthpiece makers do use a computer actually (for example the
> maker of the mouthpiece I use, afaik).
I'm not disputing that MP Makers have used a computer measurment system to some degree in the creation of their product, but it is the "hand finishing" and play testing that in my experience, produces the consistancy in their mouthpieces. Of the two MP makers I have listed: Brad Behn and Ben Redwine, all of their mouthpieces that I have tested have been consistant - definately moreso than my experience with Vandorens.
I cannot definitively comment about the consistency of other MP makers compared with Vandoren.
Post Edited (2007-05-14 16:07)
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Author: Old Geezer
Date: 2007-05-14 17:04
Why not buy some Zinner blanks and make your own facings?
It's not that hard...aside from those who have a miracle rubber formula and the secret measurments of chedeville etc. that's all any of the "custom makers" do.
As to those that personally test each mouthpiece...all that shows is what facing suits their embouchere, set up etc.
Why give up the search? It's fun, interesting, and certainly beats philately!
Henry Lazarus had eighty (80) plus!
Clarinet Redux
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-05-14 17:56
Quote:
Why give up the search? It's fun, interesting, and certainly beats philately! If only I could get the Mrs. to understand that.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: cpark
Date: 2007-05-14 20:33
Ed,
"Vandoren does make a good mouthpiece, but often their measurements vary quite a bit."
I'm not claiming the measurements are perfect, nor that Vandoren is the best option for all players. Are there are some makers out there with a more consistent product than Vandoren? Of course, but to assume all custom refacings are a step up is absurd. That was the point I was trying to make.
grifffinity,
"The same cannot be said of Vandoren's which range from pretty good, to mostly average, to downright unplayable."
I take issue with that statement and so would quite a few Orchestral players who use Vandoren exclusively. Is the consistency as good as a $500+ dollar custom piece from _____(insert famous maker here)? No, but at $65 bucks a pop, one can afford to test 12+ mouthpieces at once and pick a great one. Another advantage to that price is players can actually have a backup mouthpiece that is a very similar match to what they use.
Bottom line, different mouthpieces work best for different players. To state that Vandorens are at best "pretty good" is just ignorant.
-Chris
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Author: grifffinity
Date: 2007-05-15 00:03
cpark wrote:
> grifffinity,
>
> "The same cannot be said of Vandoren's which range from pretty
> good, to mostly average, to downright unplayable."
>
> I take issue with that statement and so would quite a few
> Orchestral players who use Vandoren exclusively.
>
> Bottom line, different mouthpieces work best for different
> players. To state that Vandorens are at best "pretty good" is
> just ignorant.
>
> -Chris
Chris,
I played on Vandorens for about 10 years, first the series M-13 and then 5RV lyre, so I do have "some" experience with the brand. Each Vandy I've owned has had to be tweaked in some way by a professional refacer. They were the best of the bunch I tried, but were still nowhere near perfect. My experience - most are playable, a few have been pretty good and yes, several have been unplayable. I have yet to find an excellent Vandoren straight out of the box.
I know several orchestral players and none plays on a Vandoren, although I don't doubt there are a few players out there who do. However, I would have to question if the vandoren mpc was perfect out of the box or needed to be adjusted. This is the issue.
While Behn's Vintage line may be over $500, he has other excellent mouthpieces which are in an affordable range...and he does hand finish these. And the Gennusa I play on was the same price as a Vandy, so there are equally affordable options outside of Vandoren.
Again, these are the two makers I have worked with and their work was by far more consistant than my experience with Vandoren.
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2007-05-15 00:45
zorib,
The critical factor in choosing a custom mouthpiece is knowing what you like in a mouthpiece and already be a confident player. Otherwise, I think it is a waste of money.
The number one thing to check for is intonation, then response, then sound. Although these three often go hand in hand
I have bought mouthpieces from Redwine, Livengood, Behn and Hill. I have also tried Fobes but did not buy. My top 3 mouthpieces are in order:
1- Chadash Hill
2- Vandoren M13-Lyre
3- Behn (chedeville design on a zinner blank)
I basically sent my favorite M13-Lyre to Chris Hill and asked him to make me something similar with his blank. He achieve this very well and the mouthpiece feels very much the same with a little something extra that I though was worth $200.
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2007-05-15 01:30
grifffinty,
I'm not sure how to respond to what you've written, because it's clear you are coming from a different area entirely, but what you say does disturb me. You say that every Vandoren you've owned has "had to be tweaked." Why? Was it for intonation, response, sound...? The best Vandorens are very well in tune, given that the player is doing everything correctly, i.e. not changing their mouth wildly for unnecesary voicing. The best Vandorens respond as quickly and easily as anything out there, provided you are set up properly and articulating correctly. As far as sound goes... well, I believe the basic sound of a player is the same on any mouthpiece so this isn't an issue for me.
You say they had to be worked on because they were "nowhere near perfect." Are those Behn Vintages and Redwine mouthpieces, then, perfect?
I know quite a few orchestral players who do use Vandorens and they are not refaced. I know this for a fact. Furthermore, most will tell you that refacing a Vandoren is completely worthless, as it takes it out of its natural tuning and evenness to something that might compensate for poor playing, but never really works the easiest.
Nobody is ever able to define why hand finishing is vastly superior. Granted, some extra care is put into each mouthpiece, but does that mean that the refacer is imparting extra playability that can't be accomplished in a well-designed mass-marketed mouthpiece? No.
Post Edited (2007-05-15 01:43)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-05-15 06:24
I agree with J. J. but just wanted to add that some of the best clarinet soloists in the world also play stock Vandoren mouthpieces.
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Author: donald
Date: 2007-05-15 08:06
i'd really rather not get drawn into this... but i have one comment
ok
many fabulous players perform on Vandoren/Selmer mouthpieces and sound GREAT. That doesn't mean they couldn't sound BETTER (or, sound GREAT with less effort) if they were playing another mouthpiece.
early last year i found that my favourite mouthpiece had warped, so after a concert (where i was complimented on my sound) i sent it off to be refaced. While it was gone i played a couple of concerts (and was complimented on my sound)... when it came back everything felt easier/better... reed selection and adjusting became much easier, as did eveness of articulation a tone... and i have since played many concerts where i was...complimented on my sound.
I suppose that if i had not had my mouthpiece tweaked, i'd still sound like myself, because apparently we all sound like ourselves no matter what equipment we use... apparently. But gee wizz, it sure made life easier.
donald
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-05-15 08:43
Donald, it also doesn't mean they wouldn't sound worse, or great but with more effort, if they were playing another mouthpiece. Maybe some just play these Vandorens because it is the best mouthpiece for them, is that not an option...?
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Author: donald
Date: 2007-05-15 10:40
of course- notice how i didn't say what brand mouthpiece i use...
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2007-05-15 15:08
I have been to many shows and conventions where I had the opportunity to be next to or across from one of the current merry band of mouthpiece artisans. People come with varying degrees of playing proficiency and experience but usually with very good playing abilities. I watch and listen as the artisan works one on one with each customer and can only be amazed and the progressive process of customizing the mouthpiece to the player. The number of interactive variables that contribute to the final product are too numerous to count but the talented and experienced artisan applies them skillfully with some gift for discerning the needed alteration necessary to improve the mouthpiece for each player. Not all players end up buying the mouthpiece tweaked for them but many do.
Every player is different in their mouthpiece needs and there may be a stock mouthpiece that suits them very well. Vandoren and others have been making mouthpieces for many years and have their own talents for making a mouthpiece with a configuration that may suit many players. I have no knowledge about the variability of mass produced mouthpieces but there will be some variables in mouthpieces that are adaptable for many players.
IMO you stand a better chance of getting a mouthpiece that plays better for you if you have the one on one interaction with a maker giving them feedback about each alteration that they perform and your subsequent on site testing of the mouthpiece. Custom makers will send out several mouthpieces of a particular pattern for testing. Only the player can decide if any mouthpiece works well for them. Each custom maker also has their own pattern of measurements which they apply to their mouthpieces and any one maker may not be in your mode of mouthpiece needs and desires.
If you are really serious about getting the best possible mouthpiece for your playing at a given point in time (our tastes and embouchure do change over time) then I would recommend attending a forum - like a ClarinetFest - where you can enjoy the personal one on one interaction with many of the talented mouthpiece artisans that we have today and have them create "your" personal mouthpiece. If this is not possible then the road of mail testing or finding a store with multiple copies of a mouthpiece which you can try is your next best option.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
(Disclaimer - I love them all but get no compensation from any mouthpiece maker)
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Author: grifffinity
Date: 2007-05-15 16:30
J.J. said
Quote:
You say they had to be worked on because they were "nowhere near perfect." Are those Behn Vintages and Redwine mouthpieces, then, perfect?
Perfect for me, yes.
Quote:
I'm not sure how to respond to what you've written, because it's clear you are coming from a different area entirely, but what you say does disturb me. You say that every Vandoren you've owned has "had to be tweaked." Why? Was it for intonation, response, sound...? The best Vandorens are very well in tune, given that the player is doing everything correctly, i.e. not changing their mouth wildly for unnecesary voicing.
So, are you assuming since I don't like Vandorens, I must have something substantially wrong with my technique? If that were the case, I'd have the same problems on any mouthpiece. You cannot properly contrast and compare unless you are very secure in your technique, as eventually you will always play/sound like you. Any bad habits will always rear their ugly head.
Quote:
The best Vandorens respond as quickly and easily as anything out there,
provided you are set up properly and articulating correctly
I have to disagree, once again using my own experience. The reason I am in love with my Gennusa is that it is is perfectly matched to my reed of choice: regular cut Gonzales. The combination of the two allows me to articulate cleaner and faster than I ever imagined was possible. This is a major factor as to why it is currently my #1 MPC.
At the end of the day, perhaps I don't care for the tonal qualities of the Vandoren blanks. I find the quality harsher than those of the Gennusa (Babbitt) and Behn blanks. The tweaking of my 5RV Lyre had to do with tonal qualities of the altissimo. It was improved from it's out of the box form, but nowhere near as even as the M-13's. However, the ease of play compared to my M-13's allowed me to make the compromise.
With the Gennusa, I don't have to compromise. For my oral structure this mouthpiece works. Just because I find it better than the Vandy's I have tried or owned does not make me less of a player.
I also find it funny that I am relaying personal experience, yet you shoot it down. What is your experience with mouthpiece makers other than Vandoren, allowing you to claim that Vandy's are the best on the market?
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2007-05-15 17:52
Since the customs duties are heavy and timing not optimal many mouthpiece artisans will be at the Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium, June 14-16 this year and possibly not at ClarinetFest in Vancouver so this is another option to meet and interact with today's mouthpiece gurus.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
Post Edited (2007-05-15 18:20)
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Author: cpark
Date: 2007-05-15 19:00
grifffinity,
In my first post I was responding to zorib on how I strongly disagree on the notion that custom mouthpieces are always a 'step up' from stock mouthpieces. I used Vandoren as an example of a mouthpiece many players prefer over custom pieces.
You may have many year experience with two of Vandorens fifteen plus different models, but you seem to be asserting that Vandoren, in all cases, for all players are inferior to Custom pieces.
"if you like a mouthpiece makers work, odds are most of their mouthpieces (of the style you prefer) are playable for you.
The same cannot be said of Vandoren's which range from pretty good, to mostly average, to downright unplayable."
I don't see how else this could be interpreted. And again, I take serious issue with that stance.
Just to be clear, is this your stance?
And just to be clear on my end, I do not regard Vandoren as the best mouthpiece for all players. For some players Gennusa/Behn/etc are the best. I'm just stating the fact that, for some players Vandoren(or some other brand of stock mp) can work better than a custom. Also to be clear there are major players out there who use Vandoren, no refacing. I'd rather not name drop right now, but just because you don't know who they are doesn't mean they don't exist.
-Chris
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Author: bufclar
Date: 2007-05-15 20:25
Vandoren mouthpieces can be very, very good if you find a good one. Many outstanding pros and students play them with much sucsess. Many players also play Zinner mouthpieces with much sucsess as well as Babbit blanks, Kaspar, Cheds, etc. It's really what ever floats your boat.
I hear so many snobby comments saying Vandorens are a step below hand makers and ego laden arguments trying to say if you are really good then you can play a Vandoren as though playing a Vandoren mouthpiece shows some sort of superior playing ability. Neither arguments are correct. What works for one might not work for the other. If you have a mouthpiece that will allow you to find reeds, play in tune, produce a malleable sound, project, articulate with comfort and security then you have what you need. For some a Vandoren will do this and others a Zinner(or something else) will do this. It has nothing to do with ability and one is not "better" than the other.
For the record I play a Vandoren mouthpiece (after trying numerous Zinner makes) and it is for me the best mouthpiece I have ever played and I could care less if it was a Ched, a Zinner or something else because I care about making music and it lets me do that with ease.
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2007-05-15 21:12
grifffinty,
In regards to my question about whether or not your current mouthpiece is "perfect" for you, I was refering to your choice of the word perfect. The Behn and Redwine mouthpiece suit you very well, in fact better than anything else. But they are not perfect. I'm sure there is some compromise, as there is with any mouthpice, including Vandorens. These mouthpieces happen to suit you very well and you should be glad you have them. But you will switch mouthpieces at some point in the future, guaranteeing that they are not "perfect." This is a fine distinction to make, since you used the lack of perfection to illustrate why Vandorens were inferior. That was an unfair standard to hold the Vandorens to.
Regarding the tuning, I was isolating that one element, and I stand by my assertion that the tuning of the "best" Vandorens is just fine. That does not mean you will like the mouthpiece, but they will have good intonation with proper technique. You are free to feel offended by this assertion, but it is true. It is worth mentioning, as well, that I was offering up potential reasons that you had them refaced, not picking one and saying "you have poor technique!"
Regarding articulation, you are relating a personal experience. Perhaps I should have said, "the best Vandorens 'can' articulate as well as anything out there."
I find it interesting that this is the first post in which you have used the terms "for me" and highlighted the fact that you are drawing upon personal experience. This debate was set off by your comment that set Vandoren mouthpieces at "pretty good" at best. Your comment was a direct response to cpark, who was simply trying to dispell the notion that a custom mouthpiece is automatically "better". My arguement, and I believe that of some others on here, is not that Vandorens are the best for everyone, but rather that statements like yours devalue what can be an excellent mouthpiece for some people.
Post Edited (2007-05-15 21:13)
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Author: voggorb
Date: 2007-05-15 22:08
Here in Sweden practically everybody plays Vandoren mouthpieces. Sweden's (in my opinion the world's) finest jazz clarinetist Putte Wickman who recently passed away, played a B40, just like my teacher, my previous teacher, almost all my fellow clarinet mates, and also Emil Jonasson, a very promising clarinetist at the age of 24 I think, who is studying with Martin Fröst for the moment. These are basically the only Swedish clarinet people I have met (I'm 16), so I'm sure many more also play Vandorens.
Maybe it is because most people here also play Buffet clarinets such as the RC and Festival, and I have heard that the B40 was made to correct the intonation problems that were common when playing Vandoren mouthpieces on Buffet clarinets. Could somebody confirm this?
PS. You all should listen to some of Putte Wickman's albums, for example "Stockholm 81" or "The Champs" (with Buddy Defranco). Some of the best music I have ever heard, and Putte Wickman was in my opinion truly the most creative and beautiful sounding jazz clarinetist ever! He is unfortunately not very well known internationally, because he rarely performed abroad I think. He also has recorded the album "Two of a kind" with Eddie Daniels.
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Author: grifffinity
Date: 2007-05-16 02:49
J.J. said:
Quote:
I find it interesting that this is the first post in which you have used the terms "for me" and highlighted the fact that you are drawing upon personal experience.
I've always backed up my statement with my experience - one sentence was taken out of context from the entire paragraph.
My first post addressed something no one else in this thread mentioned - that the original poster's problem may be related to the Reverse Bonade ligature rather than the mouthpiece. When that particular ligature is not properly adjusted, it will dampen the vibration of the reed.
My second post, in which I made the first mention of Vandy's relays my recent experience with 4 5RV Lyres I was play testing with a student:
Quote:
The same cannot be said of Vandoren's which range from pretty good, to mostly average, to downright unplayable. 4 RV Lyre's I tested for a student were completely different from each other - no two were alike. On the other hand, 5 Gennusa Excellente I recently tested - 3 GE* and 2 GE, played similarly, with slight differences.
Perhaps the confusion is due to lack of clarity in the explaination: To clarify - of those 4 5RV Lyres one was unplayable - the rails were so thick it was impossible to get a clear ringing tone. Every reed tried on that MPC sounded dead. The other three were average at best - and to my ear, they had a very harsh altissimo register. The 5RV Lyre I played on for 4 years was pretty good after I went though about 12 different ones at WW&BW in NYC. The M-13's I own were pretty good after going through a similar quest. I chose those MPC's at the time for the price and because they were pretty good mouthpieces.
The original point of my post was that, from experience, I have gone through an awful lot of Vandorens over the years to find a few good apples. Of the two MPC makers I have worked with, bad apples were a rarity. The MPC's were more consistant between one style than Vandy's of one style. For example, of the 6 Gennusa GE's I've tried over the past year, I did not care for one. The other 5 GE's played almost identically. Of the 4 GE*'s I've tested over the past year, all were nearly identical. A much different experience than I had when recently testing the 5RV Lyres - they were 4 very different playing MPC's.
J.J. said
Quote:
Regarding the tuning, I was isolating that one element, and I stand by my assertion that the tuning of the "best" Vandorens is just fine.
Did I ever mention intonation in one of my posts? You keep bringing that up as if I did.
J.J. said
Quote:
My arguement, and I believe that of some others on here, is not that Vandorens are the best for everyone, but rather that statements like yours devalue what can be an excellent mouthpiece for some people.
Cpark said
Quote:
Also to be clear there are major players out there who use Vandoren, no refacing. I'd rather not name drop right now, but just because you don't know who they are doesn't mean they don't exist.
Yes, I do believe one style wont work for everyone. I also stated in a previous post that I have no doubt there are a number of top players who play on Vandoren's. I have yet to meet one personally, so I would love someone to post a name or two. Isn't that great advertisement for Vandoren?
My point is not that everyone should play a Gennusa or Behn - of course not. Everyone is different. It is great that Vandoren is a reasonably priced option, with many varieties to chose from. The downside is that there is a great deal of variation within one variety - which can become time consuming and costly when you are looking for a back up or replacement MPC. This is also an issue if your only option is trialing MPC's through mail order such as Weiner or WW&BW, as you can only test so many per month.
In my experience, working with a refacer whose work you already know and prefer has certain benefits over buying over the counter Vandy's - especially if you damage or need to replace a MPC.
Post Edited (2007-05-16 02:51)
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Author: redwine
Date: 2007-05-22 20:47
Hello,
The basic point that I believe is being made is what I believe. Everyone is different in their physical make-up, their resistance preference, air-column production, etc. So I believe the best advice to a clarinetist is to try as many mouthpieces as possible (and all other parts of the clarinet for that matter) to make a determination as to what works best for you. Noone, not even VanDoren, makes bad products, but rather just products that may or may not work for you. If a bad product is on the market, it will soon not be on the market.
In my experience, the people that benefit the most from mouthpiece customization are the more advanced players that know how to articulate exactly what a mouthpiece feels like to me or any other customizer. For beginning or still developing players, I highly recommend waiting on customization until you are a very consistent player and can tell a mouthpiece person exactly what you want, i.e. more resistance, less, freer blowing, etc. So, if you are still a little "fuzzy" on exactly what you want, your money will be much better spent finding a less expensive mouthpiece that works pretty well for you.
Ben Redwine, DMA
owner, RJ Music Group
Assistant Professor, The Catholic University of America
Selmer Paris artist
www.rjmusicgroup.com
www.redwinejazz.com
www.reedwizard.com
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