 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Menendez
Date: 2013-01-20 00:46
Hi,
As you know, any german or viennese mouthpiece fits perfectly in the barrel of a german, viennese or reform boehm clarinet.
However, the bore of the clarinets of those three systems are different. The viennese bore is the widest, and in some reform boehm clarinets the bore is wider than german bore.
I play with a H. Wurlitzer reform boehm clarinet set. The bore of the Bb is 14.85 mm in the top of upper joint, and the A one is 14.65 mm.
I am looking for the Viotto N1 and WF mouthpieces, and Bas de Jong told me that he doesn't distribute the N1 for reform boehm anymore, that the only one he will distribute for reform boehm will be the N1+2. I already have a Viotto WF (viennese facing) which is 15 mm bore and works fine with my clarinets, but I don't know which is the bore dimension of the N1 and N1+2 models. After that of Bas de Jong told me, I understand that Viotto makes (or used to make) those models for different clarinet bores (german, reform boehm or viennese). But I don't want to order any mouthpiece without testing, so I asked in Die Holzbläser (Berlin) and they say they only have in stock the N1 and WF for german bore.
Is here anybody who plays with H. Wuritzer Reform Boehm with a Viotto N1, and can measure the bore of the mouthpiece?
I want to avoid the ¿mismatching? between the mouthpiece and the barrel bores. However, maybe I should not to worry so much about this question since I have to use the same mouthpiece with the Bb and A clarinets, and they have different bores.
Thank you very much.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2013-01-20 22:17
If I were you, I would contact Johannes Gleichweit:
http://www.maxton.at/default.aspx
He makes mouthpieces with the same facings, but with different bore diameters. This is very important for good tuning. If you tell him what kind of facings you're interested in, he will send you a sample pack with 5 mouthpieces to try. Also mention your bore dimensions.
Personally I think that he is far superior to Viotto, who basically just copies a facing onto an existing Zinner blank.
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Author: Menendez
Date: 2013-01-21 10:51
Thanks for your answer.
I had a look and saw that all Reform Boehm mouthpieces (further they specify for all Reform Boehm clarinets) and German ones are 15 mm bore, and Wiener mouthpieces are 15.4 mm bore. So then the mouthpiece is the same (German and Reform), I don't know why they differ. However not all the Reform Boehm clarinets have the same bore. Even the german clarinetes (for example I have a Yamaha 457-22 which is 14.65 mm bore).
Besides, they don't' specify if the mouthpiece is viennese or german facing, only the tip opening and the lenght in table. As you know two mouthpieces can be the same tip opening and lenght in table, but one be for viennese reeds and the other for german reeds.
Therefore, I think the best solution is, as always, to test the mouthpiece. If it works fine, then we don't have to worry about differences in the bore dimensions between the mouthpiece and the clarinet.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2013-01-21 12:19
Johannes Gleichweit gave me mouthpieces to try with different bore diameters. I'm not sure if it's all listed on the website, but 'w' stands for 'weit' (wide) and 'e' for 'eng' (narrow). The different bore diameters had an affect on the tuning, especially the left hand 12ths. Of course you need to try them. It would be best if you called or emailed and said what you are looking for so that they can send you an appropriate selection.
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Author: Simon Aldrich
Date: 2013-01-22 05:06
Liquorice - Do you know if Johannes Gleichweit makes mpcs for period clarinets (ca. 1790 - 1810) and if so, do you have any experience with those mpcs?
Thanks,
Simon
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Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2013-01-22 20:53
I can just confirm that the inner diameter of the tenon of the Viotto N1+2 mouthpiece is 15 mm. I also play on H Wurlitzer Reform Boehms, and this mouthpiece has for a long time been my favorite - despite trying lots and lots of different brands and models, including Wurlitzers own ones.
Recently I got the opportunity to try reeds from Leitner & Kraus (made by Alexander Willscher). Strength 3 fits the Viotto N1+2 very well, at least for me, and I can really recommend those reeds. Interestingly they are even thicker at the base than French cut Vandoren Rue le Pic's, and they work exceptionally well even in very dry climate. My previous favorite was Foglietta's E*, also strength 3 - but the L&K are even better.
Yes, trying out by yourself is always the best way.
Micke Isotalo
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2013-01-23 19:27
Dear Simon,
Gleichweit does not make mouthpieces for historical clarinets, to my knowledge. I know of some good makers for historical mouthpieces though. You are welcome to email me for more info: repickup@gmail.com
I'm on tour at the moment so probably won't be able to respond proprly for about 2 weeks. But I'm happy to chat to you about it when I get back.
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Author: rtaylor
Date: 2013-01-23 20:17
I think that it depends on how old your Wurlitzer RB clarinets are. As I understand it, they changed the bore design soon after Herbert died.
The Leitner and Kraus clarinets reflect the old Herbert Wurlitzer design size and the newer Wurlitzer's reflect the changed design.
I play on a Wurlitzer RB set made in 2004 so they are the newer size. I have gone through a lot of mouthpices and have found that the Wulitzer mouthpieces have the best intonation.
You might also be interested in trying the Wurlitzer N1 and N1+2 mouthpieces. A lot of people don't know that they make this facing.
Write and ask Bernd for them directly.
Rob
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Author: Menendez
Date: 2013-01-29 20:01
Thank you all.
All german, french and reform boehm mouthpieces which appear in Maxton's website are 15 mm bore. Viennese mouthpieces are 15.4 mm bore.
However, all the mouthpieces that I have with viennese facing are 15 mm bore (the two Wurlitzer W4 which came with the clarinets and a Viotto WF that I bought in Die Holzbläser Berlin), except a Willscher WF3000 that I ordered which is 14.85 mm, like the Wurlitzer RB Bb clarinet bore (the A clarinet bore is 14.65 mm). I have also a pair of Wurlitzer 3WZ for french reeds, which are 14.65 mm bore.
Curiously, the Willscher (with the same bore as the clarinet) is the mouthpiece with which I have more tuning problems. So I'll try the Viotto N1 despite it is 15 mm bore.
Moreover... so, ¿the Wurlitzer N1 and N1+2 are the same facing as Viotto N1 and N1+2?
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Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2013-12-27 21:17
The Wurlitzer N1+2 doesn't exist. Someone once claimed otherwise here but when I recently tried to order some for trial from Wurlitzer they told me that they are not making that facing.
The Viotto N1+2 that I measured at 15 mm inner diameter, as mentioned above, was with a German bore. I don't know if the RB-bore is different.
Micke Isotalo
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