 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: alexispianokeys
Date: 2014-06-19 22:18
hi!at this time i'm working on my degree exams on the clarinet here in greece.
i play on a buffet prestige with a fatboy backun barrel and a b40 vandoren.
As you may notice i don't have the opportunity to try anything before buy.
But i want to improve my sound quality. i think that i have to change to a most prof mouthpiece. What I want u to focus is on whether my embourache will respond to such a big change of course while already feel that i need one.
Maybe should i go to a b40 lyre for example???
thank so much
Alexis
(sorry for my bad english)
buffet rc prestige green line
Post Edited (2014-06-19 23:47)
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Author: TJTG
Date: 2014-06-19 22:28
The B40 is a fine mouthpiece (and John Yeh's mouthpiece of choice). I certainly prefer it over a Hawkins or Kaspar or anything else hand made I've tried in recent years.
If you're worried about your sound I'd be curious, how old your is Backun barrel? I notice they get raised grain inside and odd proportions after a couple years, in my experience.
What has your teacher recommended?
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Author: alexispianokeys
Date: 2014-06-19 22:31
ty for the answer.i don't how old my barrel is.i bought it this year but u never know
my teacher likes more open but i did try something like B45 88,cl4 and cl5 and i don't like my sound.i think i got a stronger embourache.not so strong air but....
buffet rc prestige green line
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-06-19 23:12
The B40 is not a very open mouthpiece really, but the addition of a short lay makes it play more resistant than an M30. Orchestral musicians using the M30 (that I know of) are using Vandoren V12 3.5. The only way to know if it will work for you is to try it. All our descriptions wouldn't really let you know how it will feel to you. Just know that it is also a good mouthpiece and will feel less resistant than the B40 (all other factors being the same).
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: Bob Barnhart ★2017
Date: 2014-06-20 03:22
Alexis,
Over the last 10 years I've played the M30-13, the B40-13 Lyre, the B40-13 and now a Kessler-Backun Type III.
The B40 is an excellent mouthpiece. It has a great (big) sound, excellent intonation and great control. I always thought of it as a very "workman-like" mouthpiece--it does just what you want it to, no surprises.
I would have stayed with the B40-13 except for its level of resistance -- I began to feel I was just working too hard. For me, the K/B-IIIs (with a facing more like the B40-Lyre) play very much like the B40, but with a bigger/freer sound and less resistance. I use Vandoren Traditional #3s on both.
I don't think switching mouthpieces to "improve your sound" will necessarily achieve what you are looking for. I've been told that I sound like me no matter what I play, so it's more a matter of one setup facilitating your ability to achieve your tone/response/control/intonation/etc goals better than another.
Having said that, the M30 is a rather darker-sounding mouthpiece. However, for some, I've heard that its long lay causes some control or intonation issues. I always felt that it played flat for me so I used V12 #4s with it. Today I would probably use a 3 1/2 (as Paul suggested) and a shorter barrel. I would also say that the M30 encouraged me to play in a particular way and so was not as amenable to flexibility in sound/style as the B40 was.
Before changing mouthpieces, have you worked on adjusting your reeds to facilitate producing the sound/response/intonation you are after? Picking the right reeds and adjusting them properly can make a huge difference. I for one am most interested in trying the new D'Darrio Reserve [Classic] when they come out this fall--the samples I got were very encouraging.
In addition, consider working on your embouchure and air support (a favorite topic of Paul's). For example, after playing for nearly 50 years, I'm still refining my embouchure. Lately I've been working on keeping the UPPER lip strong and "tucked in" as suggested by Robert Marcellus. I think this helps those of us who play single-lip to approximate the benefits of double-lip.
I also practice passages repeatedly, adjusting my air/embouchure until I get the sound I hear in my head. I think this needs to be part of your practice regimen no matter what equipment you use.
And in the end, if you switch mouthpieces (as many of us do), try to learn from the experience but don't assume any piece of equipment is likely to be a panacea.
Good luck!
Bob Barnhart
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Author: Exiawolf
Date: 2014-06-20 08:29
Everybody seems to talking about just the plain M30. I think the OP is curious about the M30 Lyre. Are they both very similar or did you just misread the title?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-06-20 09:10
Yes, actually I read M30, but the "Lyre" version should be just a longer lay, making it even less resistant.
Oh, and for me, the thicker rails of the M30 give it a bit less responsive articulation but I have heard others with no problems on this front.
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: Exiawolf
Date: 2014-06-20 09:12
It has a shorter tip opening, would that change it's responsiveness?
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