 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Raphael T. Bernard
Date: 1999-03-13 18:52
Wading through this sea of mouthpieces is quite a stressful experience! I've been playing on a Hite Premier ever since I could play throat G, and it's taken me LOTS of places I would never have been other wise (I refuse to brag), but I've always wondered what kind of a diffrent tone I could get from a VanDoren M13, B45(13), 5RV(Lyre)(13), V13, etc. Thanks for your help, and I love yous guise!
P.S. For 10 years, I've been playing on a "Resonite" Bundy, and has anyone else out there noticed any "Clarinet Brand" discrimination? Although I could play like the dickens, I always felt like the judges in my auditions never took me as seriously as that last girl with the Buffet-Paris. Any thoughts?
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Author: Irwin
Date: 1999-03-13 22:19
I've had great success with the Hite Premiere. I switched from the Vandoren 5RV Lyre. I plan to pick up the Vandoren in the near future as my playing and technique have improved since I started back playing last year.
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Author: MRidgeP
Date: 1999-03-13 23:16
Lets start with the mouthpiece question. The Hite is okay but if you're even looking at a clarinet bulletin board you definately need to be playing on a JD Hite mouthpiece. This is the advanced one offered by Hite. It's a very good piece and I still use it sometimes when I need a brighter sound. My advice is to TRY the Vandoren B45. Wow a nice deep and dark sound that still has the lyrical tone. Beautiful.
I hear you on the subject of instrumental discrimination. The truth is that the Buffet has been the standard for excellent clarinets throughout the years and that's why many people think of good players as having Buffets. This is changing. I play on a Leblanc Concerto. I've had people think I'm a joke because I play on a Leblanc. I've also changed plenty of peoples minds after they hear me play. These include professors, teachers, judges, ect. Larry Combs (Principal of Chicago Symphony) even plays a Leblanc. People realize that Leblancs have caught up with the Buffets and then there are also people that have such a mind set that they will never try anything else.
Unless you end up with a bad judge or teacher instruments don't matter, the sound does. That may or may not have anything to do with the instrument.
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Author: jim lande (lande @ erols.com)
Date: 1999-03-15 04:31
Well, I have a Premier, a J&D Hite and a B45. I have several clarinets and on most of them prefer the Premier. However, I am restoring a Conn metal clarinet from around 1930 and the J&D sounds much much better on it. I don't doubt that I will find a clarinet on which the B45 sounds the best. Plan to use a little harder reed on the J&D or the B45.
By the way, I play blues and bend notes a lot. I might change my opinions if I were trying to sound classical.
Bottom line: what is best depends on you and your horn. It may take a while to give mpcs a fair trial. See if a music store will let you purchase 3 with the understanding that you will return 2 (undamaged). Plan to repeat this procedure in a couple years.
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Author: David Blumberg
Date: 1999-03-15 13:45
Go for the J or D Hite professional Mouthpiece, if you still want to play a Hite. I have many students playing the Hite, and it to me is great. I much prefer it to the Vandoren. Of course - everyone has an opinion on Mouthpieces, so you should try as many as you can, and make your own decision.
Neidich plays a Hite.
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Author: George
Date: 1999-03-15 22:40
Have you tried playing a top-of-the-line instrument. If you can get a good sound on a Bundy, more power to you, but you might be surprised by the difference if you can get your hands on a really good clarinet. Even at my level (clearly non-professional) I can hear a real difference between my plastic "outside" horn and the R13.
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