 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: pacherry
Date: 2012-10-28 21:50
Hi all- I am a father of a blossoming young clarinet player and tomorrow I will be buying him the Leblanc LB210S Bliss clarinet as a step up. In doing research to come to this purchase I have found on Kessler's site that purchasing the Backun Moba barrel seems to be a "must have" item. My son is playing on a Vandoren 5rv mouthpiece with 2.5 Rico Reserves. I have read fairly extensively through these forums and have found that many people believe that barrel upgrades are not especially necessary at a beginning-intermediate level. Can anyone speak to this particular clarinet model as to whether or not that remains true? Thank you all for your help!
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Author: FDF
Date: 2012-10-28 23:27
Since there is more than one answer to your question with so much depending upon your son's ability and motivation, my suggestion is to go one step at a time. Have him play the Bliss for a period of time. Assess progress and determine how much has to do with the instrument or your son as a student, then decide if a Backun Moba barrel would greatly enhance his playing, or would be a suitable reward for his efforts.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2012-10-28 23:38
Does your son take lessons? Ask your private teacher for upgrade advice.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: CuriousClarinet
Date: 2012-10-29 00:11
A few months ago I went to Kessler music and came back with a MoBa barrel. Which is rather suprising, because I didn't intend on getting a barrel at all. It 'opened' my sound quite a bit and made my clarinet (R13) sound more robust than my Moennig barrel ever did. I'm still very happy with the purchase. I'm also an aspiring student, this is my first year of college and I got the barrel during my senior year of high school. The MoBa didn't greatly improve my playing ability or suddenly turn me into the next clarinet prodigy. But as someone who is always trying to better their tone it certainly helps, just realize the only thing that will make a signifigant difference is lots of time and practice. As a student a highend barrel isn't really nessisary, that's why Moba's and other barrel's are catered towards professionals.
Another thought, at least for me, my MoBa barrel seems have a certain lack of control. I love the tone it gives me but it took me a while to fully adjust to the difference, I was a bit squeaky for the first few months. If you're the kind of clarinetist who tends to bite it certainly won't help that.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2012-10-29 00:51
CuriousClarinet wrote:
> I was a bit
> squeaky for the first few months. If you're the kind of
> clarinetist who tends to bite it certainly won't help that.
If you're "squeaky" from a barrel and all tenons are air tight and there are no cracks, it's not the barrel.
...GBK
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-10-29 01:10
FWIW, keep in the back of your mind that not everyone in the clarinet world is madly in love with the kind of sound Morrie Backun's barrels (and other equipment) are designed to produce.
As far as any after market equipment's being "must have" for any well-designed instrument, don't believe it. If at your son's stage of musical development there's something about the Bliss that so badly needs correction, look for a different instrument.
I'd agree with the advice to let the private teacher advise you if there is a teacher in the picture.
Karl
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2012-10-29 09:52
There are several barrels out there, maybe from 20 different types. I'm playing a totally different system than you, but before buying anything see how the barrel that was made for the clarinet sounds. To make myself clear here I'm not saying to stay with the barrel that came with the clarinet. There is science behind barrels then just opening up the sound. I'm much more concerned if the barrel helps the player play more in tune throughout all of the registers. Another problem or an asset is if the bore of your mouthpiece and the bore of any barrel fit well together as for pitch, freeness, and no dead notes. Feel free in emailing me if some of this doesn't make sense. By the way the MOBO barrels are very good, but you should play several because wood shrinks and expands, not just the barrel, but the whole clarinet, so if your heart is set on this barrel try to test them using tuner.
A lot of symphony musicians use all sorts of barrels and mouthpieces. So if you look at the 4 clarinetist, well usually there are 4 clarinetists in a symphony, I'm positive they all have different setups. Several use the MOBO's of course others don't. The MOBO is a well excepted barrel with the pros down to the student levels.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2012-10-29 20:39
At the "step-up" stage I think getting hung up with "gear acquisition" is dangerous.
The type and amount of practice done will have a far more significant effect on playing quality than any aftermarket barrel.
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Author: DAVE
Date: 2012-10-30 01:47
Funny you should ask. Just today I had a student arrive with a brand new Bliss clarinet. I recommended it as an option and his parents decided to buy it. I absolutely love the clarinet. It is beautiful with unstained wood, cool looking black posts with silver keys, a black Bonade ligature.. (looks amazing!), and all the adjusting screws that are found on Backun's higher model clarinets. It plays beautifully with a tight, silent mechanism, free blowing, even sound. Tuning is great!
Add a barrel for a beginner? No way. The difference would be hardly noticeable in the hands of a beginner. Save your money.
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