Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2013-02-10 03:07
Notes II wrote:
> Vandoren does not make mistakes nor do they make defect
> mouthpieces
and DrewSorensenMusic wrote:
> About Vandoren. While many players rely on Vandoren products,
> they are still a mass production company, a process prone to
> mistakes. This is especially true in their reed products,
> which vary considerably. If you are having a problem, it is a
> good idea to check with a professional to see if it is you or a
> mistake by maker that is the cause.
As Drew suggests, there is a certain amount of variability in Vandoren and other mass-produced equipment. For that matter, there's variability in custom-made mouthpieces - that's what custom-made means. One player's preference can be another's defect. There is also the possibility that some kind of damage may have happened to the mouthpiece after its manufacture. If you get a mouthpiece second-hand, something may have happened to it while in a previous owner's possession. But even buying one new from a reputable source doesn't guarantee that a mouthpiece is in pristine condition. Occasionally, a mouthpiece has been out on trial to someone who eventually returned it, but not before he tried tweaking something unsuccessfully or damaged it somewhere not easily seen by someone who isn't looking for it.
Drew also wrote:
> The facing curve provides room for the reed to vibrate. They are labeled
> in general terms short (16mm or shorter), medium (17mm), and long
> (18mm or longer).
One of the great mysteries to me has always been what is meant by different makers by the curve descriptors short, medium and long. Vandoren even uses medium-short (MC) and medium-long (ML) and doesn't identify any of its Series 13 curves as short. I'm not sure that everyone would find an 18 mm curve long - some might begin long at 19 mm, I think that some of the Vandoren curves (the ones it identifies as medium-short) are in the 16 mm area. And, of course, some German facing curves would make 19 mm look short. The bottom line is that these measurements exist on a continuum, and a player needs to try mouthpieces at several points along that continuum to know with any certainty what really is most serviceable.
Karl
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