Author: Buster
Date: 2012-01-07 02:35
Drew,
I know not why but you now seem to be doing a 180 from your previous statements??? ........however
1.) Yes, you can get a vintage link for less than what Mr. Wanne is charging.
How many vintage Otto-Link's have you tried? Regardless of the era, many of them are quite less than satisfactory. The facings often need much work as they are often asymmetrical; let alone have quite irrational curves. Then with the floor raising, wall scooping that is often done to change the tonal shape and TUNING you're talking about a $300-600 mouthpiece that will need $100-150 dollars of work.
That's assuming the fact that you find a decent example of an old Link to start with. Of course you can always re-sell the less than desirable mouthpiece you bought (with a clear conscience?) to an unsuspecting student entranced by the mystique surrounding these old mouthpieces- with them thinking it is THE answer.
2.) $800's good?.... if it aides you than yes, but no one is forcing you to even go in that direction to begin with.
and have you seen what original Guardalas are going for (not the newer ones)?! Or the old Hollywood Dukoffs
3.) My friend went through a collection of 25 old Gregory alto mouthpieces. He found one that was insanely good, another that was extremely good, and 23 that were not. He paid $500 for one, and $400 for the other and was extremely happy.
Point is, you can go on the great vintage mouthpiece search and try a hundred examples to find one that is great- expending a lot of money and time in the process. Or you can try a newer mouthpiece, intelligently designed and manufactured with extremely precise equipment and perhaps avoid the long voyage. You are not just paying for "the mouthpiece", you are also paying for the knowledge and skill of the maker; and you can value that or not. ...the path you take is your choice.
Or you can choose to avoid all of that and go the Vandoren/Zinner route, which is no less valid.
4.) I won my orchestral job (my actual profession) playing on a vintage clarinet mouthpiece. Did I win because of that? No! Some heard me play on that particular set-up, loved how it sounded, until they tried it. They looked at me in wonderment as to why I would play on such a mouthpiece. Then others tried it, and immediately understood why I did. 6 of one, half-a-dozen of the other.
Am I Super-human and thus able to play this mouthpiece?: NO! The fact is that often these older mouthpieces take much more finesse and attention to control (not as user friendly as a Zinner or Vandoren), and have flaws. Those flaws are what I like because I can exploit them to have a greater palette to draw from.
But the idea that keeping this equipment out of the hands of students being detrimental to their development/possibilities, thus making them quit, is ridiculous. I would not give a vintage mouthpiece to a less-advanced student for the reasons I stated above- that would be detrimental to their development.
I have had most of my students on the level of mouthpiece that you seem to think is "flawed" (because of price?) to aid their development- and to keep them from quitting ?-| And I have refaced some to help with their difficulties at times.
5. ) Conversely, I have many Kaspars, old Cheds etc... that I could sell for a princely sum solely based on the name stamped on them. But I will not do it because I know some are less than acceptable and would feel guilty charging so much for them; even though I know the student E-Bay community would gobble them up.
Perhaps, Mr. wanne's $400 dollar clarinet mouthpiece, which may only be truly appreciated by an accomplished clarinetist, is a far better path to take than buying 40 XXXXXs in search of "the one." You have much more control over what you are getting.
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I don't know Mr. Wanne, nor have I played on his equipment- nor am I pandering. However I applaud what he is doing.
The cost of R&D is insanely high, thus the prices- and again you are paying for knowledge. Perhaps in time, when money is re-cooped, prices will fall. Until then no one is forced to pay for his mouthpieces as if they are the only option.
and FWIW.... I have a friend playing in a "Big 5" orchestra on a Vandoren. "They" have an excellent Henri Chedeville, but defer to the $95 Vandoren as it is more consistent with reeds; and user-friendly.
and I know someone that paid over $4000 for a bass clarinet mouthpiece solely based on name, and they do not possess the chops to utilize it.
now I have to go do some more painting in Lescaux
-Jason
Post Edited (2012-01-07 02:43)
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