 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: mkorn
Date: 2013-01-05 03:39
I have been using Wodkowski/Riffault mouthpiece for the last 6 months. Ramon has in his possession what is the last of these great Riffault blanks from the early 1970s. These were the favorites of Jim Pyne and James Kantor. The combination of Ramon's artistry and these well-crafted blanks from Riffault is making for some really fine mouthpieces. These Riffaults are the perfect palette for Ramon to apply his craft. The mouthpiece I have is typical of Ramon's work. It has very centered tone throughout all registers. Response and articulation are superb. The blank is pitched at 440 with throat tones tuning nicely. Stability of tone and pitch make for a great dynamic range.
The day Ramon finished my Riffault was the day I started using it in orchestra. It was an absolute pleasure to play and I continue to use it on a full-time basis. Ramon is a great person to work with; a true artist.
Michael Kornacki
2nd and Assistant Principal Clarinet
Grand Rapids Symphony
Recording Artist for OgreOgress Productions
http://ogreogress.com
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Author: DAVE
Date: 2013-01-05 17:55
I've only examined on of his mouthpieces and what I saw looked like very amature work. The side rails and tip rail was way too thick, thicker than anything I've ever seen. Anyone who has applied facings to mouthpieces knows that leaving the rails to thick hinders response and clarity. If the tip rail is too thick it can make articulation sluggish.
To the uninformed buyer these types of mouthpieces can sound "dark" but to a more knowledgeable listener it just sounds dead. I'm not suggesting you are uninformed; clearly you are not based on your position. The student who owned the mouthpiece I examined was in love with the poorly made mouthpiece and IMO is illserved to continue playing it.
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Author: Bill Patry
Date: 2013-01-05 19:30
The situation Dave refers to does not mesh in any way with my own experience or that of dozens of professionals -- soloists and in leading orchestras -- who regularly work with Ramon to their great satisfaction. I have a great deal of experience with Ramon having bought about 50 mouthpieces from him, of all different types: new ones he has made, as well as his work on everything from a Henri Chedeville, Charles Chedevilles, Lelandais, wooden mouthpieces, crystal mouthpieces, soprano, Eb, bass, and basset horn. I have always been extremely satisfied. His work is always thoughtful, appropriate, and delicate, nothing like the cartoonish mischaracterization in Dave's post.
Post Edited (2013-01-05 20:02)
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2013-01-05 21:22
"amateur" is the very opposite of how I would describe Ramon's work! He is an absolute master of his craft.
He's fixed up some of my old mouthpieces as well as worked on new mouthpieces with me to make them really suit me. He understands exactly what I'm looking for and is able to adjust the mouthpieces accordingly. Using Ramon's mouthpieces professionally, I'm able to create all kinds of sound colours and control my sound in all dynamics. The sound is beautiful and clear, and articulation is extremely easy. For me they are really the exact opposite of what Dave describes in the one mouthpiece that he saw. I've never had such an easy time controlling the kind of sound/articulation that I want to make as I have on Ramon's mouthpieces.
Based on my experiences, I can only highly recommend Ramon's work.
Robert Pickup
Principal Clarinet, Orchestra of the Zürich Opera
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Author: ruben
Date: 2013-01-06 12:30
What I most object to about Dave's criticism is that it is based on appearances. It would seem to me that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I have often played on very "primitive"-looking handmade reeds that sounded great. I'm sure audiences don't care what my reeds look like.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Andy
Date: 2013-01-06 20:04
There is nothing amateur about Wodkowski's work. I have been lucky enough over the years to work with makers including Lomax, Smith, Grabner, Livengood, Wodkowski and many fine people at Vandoren. From my experience with those that hand finish, Ramon's work is of the highest quality and from the work those makers have done for me, Ramon is without peer when it comes to understanding the players needs, and putting that into a mouthpiece. I too currently use a Riffault that Ramon made for me a few months ago, and while the facing I like may not be to everyones taste, I can assure you that the two hours we spent together perfecting what I need in a mouthpiece was both time and money well invested.
The huge benefit that Ramon offers is that he comes at mouthpiece making from a players perspective (he is a brilliant player is his own right) and has an expquisite eye for detail and measurements.
I also agree with ruben, if all DAVE can come up with is a quip about 'amateur work' I think we must question the integrity and motives of such a post that slight a mastercraftsmen for no reason.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2013-01-06 20:16
I like that Ramon is a young man and yet excited by all the old stuff, not just Chedevilles or whatever but the whole gamut of mouthpiece artists of the past. He worked on a Rick Sayre of mine and it's quite nice. What he offered to do (and, I can only assume, did) was to carefully study and then "copy" Sayre's original facing (which had warped somewhat). That to me shows a welcome enthusiasm for the masters of the past.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: DAVE
Date: 2013-01-07 02:17
Whoa! Settle down... jeez..
A couple of things: this was only ONE mouthpiece out of the hundreds the guy makes. It's not a stretch that there could be a lousy mouthpiece out there. Also, none of you saw it, so you really can't accurately comment on that particular mouthpiece.
It was not just a visual review. The student sounded so awful, worse than usual and I asked about the mouthpiece. I had a look and could easily see the defects in the mouthpiece. I have refaced many mouthpieces and know exactly what big, fat, tubby rails will do to its performance.
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Author: Buster
Date: 2013-01-07 03:04
Well... as long as you've learned your lesson we can let it slide...
-Jason
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Author: Bill Patry
Date: 2013-01-07 16:42
It would have been at least sporting to have tried the mouthpiece before condemning it as the problem. The problem could have been the reed, for example. I have one of the same mouthpieces, and I would never have described it as having big, fat, tubby rails. I don't believe Ramon makes big, fat, tubby rails. His rails are no bigger than those on other makers. So, the reactions you are getting are a result of (1) you not having even tried the mouthpiece, but falsely describing Ramon's work as amateur, and (2) those of us who have tried many, many of Ramon's having never encountered anything remotely like you describe.
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2013-01-21 00:04
Ramon, has done maybe a dozen mouthpieces for me, his work work is of the finest quality and I've had work done by everybody on this list that does mouthpieces. His work is the best.
Tom Puwalski
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Author: trice035
Date: 2013-01-21 01:39
Perhaps the mouthpiece that DAVE encountered had been refaced by someone else after leaving Ramon Wodkowski's shop. A foolish thing to do. But there are fools are out there...
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Author: The Doctor ★2017
Date: 2013-01-21 12:26
Disclaimer (I sell Chedeville registered brand mouthpieces and barrels)
The first picture that you show is a Chedeville blank with our logo at the bottom of the table and not a Riffault. Ramon uses Chedeville as well as Riffault blanks to make mouthpieces that many consider to be excellent. Several other mouthpiece artisans are using Chedeville blanks to make their custom mouthpieces which customers seem to like.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
www.chedevillemp.com
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