 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Alfred
Date: 2008-05-15 21:38
So, I'm going to be buying a Vintage R13 Bb clarinet. I'm looking for a mouthpiece to use with it. Right now (due to being unable to acquire a better clarinet), I play on an E11, and use a Vandoren B45 mouthpiece, and while I know I've certainly outgrown my clarinet, I'm fairly certain that I'd like to play on something beyond Vandoren; at very least, I'd like to play on something more than a B45.
I'd consider myself an advanced student, and I'm looking for mouthpieces and barrels that could increase the quality of my sound without sacrificing consistency in different types of music.
Fobes mouthpieces and Backun barrels have been recommended to me, but what do you all think?
Post Edited (2008-05-15 21:44)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-05-15 21:45
There will be as many opinions as people for your question! Here are mine:
Fobes
Grabner
Smith
I've tried all three and liked them a great deal. I'm currently enjoying two Greg Smith hardwood mouthpieces. I couldn't decide which to buy and (several months later) I can't decide which is better. (Generally speaking I prefer free-blowing set-ups for your reference.)
The most important thing is to order and try for yourself. No one is going to be able to tell you what you yourself will experience!
FWIW, all three of the gentlemen are wonderful to deal with.
I would also pick the mouthpiece first, then sort our the barrels later. You only want to change so many variables. You might want to play the vintage with your B45 for a while before you start trying mpc's out.
James
Gnothi Seauton
Post Edited (2008-05-15 21:47)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Alfred
Date: 2008-05-15 22:15
Should I order the mouthpieces, if possible, from the gentlemen themselves, or would ordering them from a secondary vendor (i.e wwbw) work?
My B45 is all right, yes, and it gives me a decent sound, but I have a really stuffy C4, and at softer dynamics, the sound tends to be stuffy as well.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Joseph Brenner, Jr.
Date: 2008-05-15 22:39
Dear Alfred,
You say that you are going to buy a vintage R13, implying that you do not have it in your hands now. Have you tested it so that you know whether its tuning is optimal and whether its tones are clear? You also say that you have a stuffy C4, which implies that the stuffiness is on the E11, not the R13. Perhaps you should play the R13 first with your Vandoren mouthpiece to see how the two work together. I can assure you that plugging a Vandoren mouthpiece into an R13 will not cause the R13 to revolt and fly back to la belle France. Once you have determined how the R13 and Vandoren perform together and have corrected what you can on the R13, then you can begin trying out mouthpieces if you don't like the marriage of the R13 and Vandoren.
And, I'd be inclined to establish a relationship with mouthpiece makers...many are real human beings! With ClarinetFest coming up, you might even think about delaying your purchase until you've had a chance to try every advertising vendor's mouthpiece at ClarinetFest.
Best wishes in your search and on your happiness with the R13.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-05-15 23:12
Complete agreement with Joseph, Alfred!
To answer your question: Clark Fobes' mouthpieces must be ordered from WWBW or Muncywinds (or some other company).
Walter Grabner and Greg Smith can be dealt with directly:
www.clarinetxpress.com
www.gregory-smith.com
James
Gnothi Seauton
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2008-05-16 01:01
Alfred, another possibility is to go to the Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium next month. Lots of vendors there, and you can try mouthpieces all weekend long.
I have had very good luck with my Grabner mouthpiece, and can highly recommend him as an excellent craftsman and a great guy to work with. HOWEVER, what works for me might not be at all suitable for you, so it's best to try every quality mouthpiece you can.
You describe yourself as an "advanced student." Does this mean you have a teacher, and if so, why not ask your teacher? This person knows more about your playing characteristics than all of us here ever will!
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Alfred
Date: 2008-05-16 01:43
Interesting...So I guess I'll wait 'til after I get my clarinet to try out mouthpieces...My whole problem with ClarinetFest and meeting vendors is simply getting around. The closest to me is Muncywinds, a three hour drive. So that's probably my best bet. Not to be cheap, but, in terms of cost, how is Muncywinds as compared to wwbw?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: SVClarinet09
Date: 2008-05-16 02:00
WWBW and Muncy are roughly the same. Muncy has Fobes, Hawkins, Lomax, and Genussa(top of my head) and then it should have a wide variety of Buffets for you to try. Just call up and ask for an appointment, they're very accommodating. Also, ask Mr. Sadak of UNC-C for any assistance.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-05-16 02:15
Muncy and WWBW are roughly the same in price. In Muncy you have the advantage of a "small" family run business, proximity, and a store run by a clarinetist.
Guess which one I go with?
James
Gnothi Seauton
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-05-16 02:47
Alfred, I’m puzzled. First off, why are you determined to buy a Vintage? It’s a good clarinet but if you haven’t picked it out yet how do you know it’s the best fit for you? I’d suggest you go to Muncie and try out several different models. I tried a Vintage when they first came out and the Buffet representitve came to our orchestra for us to try. When I tried to purchase it later it was not available and I could never find one that Iiked as much. I ended up buying a Selmer after trying out dozens of Buffets and trying the Selmer on a whim. If you do get the Vintage, or any other new clarinet, you may find all those problems you have with your B45 gone, chances are it’s your clarinet not the mouthpiece. Once you’ve gotten used to your new clarinet go back to Muncie and try out all kinds of mouthpieces because there are so many good ones but they’re not all good for you. You have to try many types with an assortment of reeds because one may play great with a hard reed and another with a soft reed. What works on your B45 might not work well on another. You need to try many out, pick a few, and ask if you can take them home on trial. The problem with getting them directly from a MP maker is that they usually want to be paid up front and are willing to refund most of your money back but they all think their MP is the best, regardless of how you play or what you like. Muncie, or other mail order stores, have no bias and most will send you 3-4 to try for a small deposit. No bias. Good luck, ESP
www.peabody.jhu.edu/457
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2008-05-16 14:42
FWIW, I play a true "vintage" R13 (73XXX) and was quite pleased with how my Gregory Smith "Kaspar" model mouthpiece responded while playing some chamber music trios last Wed eve. My other mouthpiece choices are either my original Chicago Kaspar or my 1970 Ithica Bay, but with the new "Flow-Pack" V12s I am currently working on, my Smith mpc seems to work best. I also recommend both Greg Smith and Walter Grabner as "good guys" who will go out of theiir way to provide the right mouthpiece for you.
Haven't tried Walters soprano clarinet mpc's, but I play and love one of his bass clarinet models--CXBS customized Selmer C*, now replaced by his new Lawrie Bloom model handcrafted from a Zinner blank. IMHO, there isn't anything better out there for the bass clarinet.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-05-16 14:54
Hey William, it sounds like you and I have a lot of the same gear!
James
Gnothi Seauton
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
