 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: alto gether
Date: 2012-02-13 19:48
I'm struck by the information that Hite alto clarinet mouthpieces are actually designed to take alto clarinet reeds. Which other pieces have this useful feature? I have a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece on my Holton alto, and the best reeds I ever had were a box of Plasticover alto sax reeds I got cheap. Maybe Yamaha made the 4C for sax reeds and I've just been wasting my energy sending away for real actual genuine alto clarinet reeds.
So, who knows for sure?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-02-13 20:24
If you have found already reeds that work for you does it really matter? The few times I've played alto clarinet I've just taken alto sax reeds and adjusted them until they worked. Most of the time they worked pretty well out of the box.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-02-14 00:34
Same with tenor sax reeds and bass clarinet mouthpieces - they work fine and you've got more choice when it comes to tenor sax reeds whereas your choice is pretty limited if you want bass clarinet specific reeds.
I like Vandoren Java alto reeds on alto clarinet and basset horn (I use the same mouthpiece on both - the Vandoren B40 that came with my Buffet basset horn).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2012-02-14 14:43
Reed size equivalence:
Alto sax - alto clarinet
Tenor sax - bass clarinet
Baritone sax - EEb contra-alto clarinet
Bass sax - BBb contrabass clarinet
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-02-14 21:26
There is a difference in the cut of a sax reed and that made for a clarinet, alto or bass, but many players prefere using the sax reed to the clarinet one. It's just one of those things, as the song goes. If it works, it's right. ESP eddiesclarinet.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Grabnerwg
Date: 2012-02-15 03:08
You are probably going to laugh, but I never bought an alto clarinet reed in my life.
I make them out of my too soft bass clarinet reeds.
I narrow the bass clarinet reed by sanding each edge on a piece of sandpaper laid over a flat piece of glass until I have a width that fits the side rails of my mouthpiece. This takes a bit of practise, but it's really not too hard.
If the reed is too long, I just saw off the butt end with a small jewler's hacksaw.
The reeds that are too soft on bass clarinet, after they are narrowed, can make awesome alto clarinet reeds. As I have way too many bass clarinet reeds here, this solution has worked well for me for years.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
World Class Clarinet Mouthpieces
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
