 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: wwguy23
Date: 2014-11-09 05:27
Hi all. I have read older threads about his ligatures, but did not find much information available. Has anyone played his four-point ligature, and if so how did you like it? Thanks!
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Author: TomS
Date: 2014-11-09 06:00
Not heard of ligature but I've played his barrels with Vandoren M13 on my R13 and the combo worked very, very well.
I've also heard that he refaces MPs as well ...
Seems to be an all around genius of accessories ...
Don't know if he is "still kicking" ...
Tom
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Author: hinotehud ★2017
Date: 2014-11-09 07:19
Robert Scott passed away earlier this year, sorry to say.
Keith Hudson
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Author: TomS
Date: 2014-11-09 19:53
Gosh, sorry to hear that ...
Hang on to your Scott barrels! He really did a great job!
Tom
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Author: DougR
Date: 2014-11-12 19:41
Midwest Musical Imports used to carry his ligatures. I did a bake-off once between an inverted Bonade, a Bay, his ligature, and an ancient no-name (but high quality) standard ligature I've had for years. His was clearly the best--felt better, played better, projected better. Sorry to hear he's passed on; his ligature certainly made me sound better (and I'll take all the help I can get, thank you).
RIP Mr. Scott.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2014-11-12 23:18
Keith and All,
Stop the condolences!!!!
I do not know of your source for Bob Scott's demise but a close clarinet friend of mine just had lunch with him yesterday in Lansing (as a WWII vet he got 1/2 off). Before lunch, he worked on a couple of her clarinets; after my friend had lunch with Bob and his wife Issie they both rushed off to a quintet rehearsal.
My friend passed along to Bob the fact that there was a notice of his death on this bulletin board. His comment was "Oh my competitors are always saying I died---or wishing I would."
Best,
HRL
Post Edited (2014-11-13 20:50)
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Author: DougR
Date: 2014-11-13 01:48
Thanks, Hank, sorry I got swept up in the furor. My comments about his work stand, though I happily withdraw the RIP.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2014-11-13 03:09
Hi Doug,
For the record, I use Scott barrels and agree that he is truly a master. I'm sure your "retracted RIP" will get to Bob and he'll have a good laugh.
It is much like Mark Twain's famous quote "the report of my death was over exaggeration" or words to that effect.
Best regards,
HRL
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Author: donald
Date: 2014-11-13 08:08
Hi Hank, can you confirm that the address given above is the correct one for him? I'd very much like to get in contact with him
dn
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2014-11-13 17:03
Hi Don,
I believe that is correct but let me check. I may have an old email address as well.
Stand by,
HRL
PS Speaking of old email addresses, I had some email from Bernie Portnoy a long time ago. I asked about getting a Portnoy ligature. He said he had some personal ones but to get a Bonade which he thought was better.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2014-11-13 20:51
Don, that info is correct. Send me an email for Bob's other contact info.
Hank
Post Edited (2014-11-13 20:52)
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2014-11-14 01:04
Speaking of Bernard Portnoy, I wonder if he has (or had at the time) any Robert Miller mouthpieces from the 1950s? Miller--from Milwaukee-- helped him design the first Portnoy mouthpieces, which had a more focused, Chedeville-like sound than the variant Portnoys that followed. The early Portnoys designed by Miller (or perhaps even more the mouthpieces that were stamped with Miller's own name) would have far greater value than the old Portnoy ligatures which were too heavy and pinched the reed, as I recall. Miller mouthpiece could be real gems, much better than Bonade mouthpieces--a great blend of darkness, resonance, and focus, and easy to control.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2014-11-14 01:54
I studied with Portnoy at Interlochen in the summer of 1962 and got one of his first mouthpieces. He told me that he was just introducing it and that it was made by Miller. It was stamped with Portnoy's name, not Miller's. It plays very smoothly and reliably, though for me it lacks the high-overtone "ping" that makes the sound lively.
I also got a ligature from him, which I believe was not yet on the market. It was an inverted model that had four small nibs at the corners, which were all that touched the reed. It played OK, but it tore up the reed bark.
Ken Shaw
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Author: donald
Date: 2014-11-14 07:17
I used to have a Miller blank that Brad Behn had refaced (very early in his career). Brad had somehow got hold of quite a few of the Miller blanks- they had a fabulous "ringy" tone quality, loads of "ping" but not as dry and raspy as the Vandorens tended to be in the 1980s (they've since improved their blanks so please don't take that as a comment on the modern Vandoren mouthpieces). Unfortunately this mouthpiece also played quite sharp and eventuatlly "re-refaced" by someone who didn't really know what they were doing and it was ruined.
dn
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Author: Dan Paprocki
Date: 2014-11-14 20:45
I don't know if Miller (Milwaukee) designed mouthpieces. He really was a flutist. It might have been designed by Jameson since he worked in his store. Since I grew up in Milwaukee, I frequented Miller Music many times. It was basically a hole in the wall store stocked with instruments and music to the ceiling.
Once when I was looking for an Eb I called him to see if he had any Buffet Eb's. He checked and said yes 3!! I came down to the shop to try them. While trying the clarinets he finished a lesson and then said to me "can you watch the store I have to run home for a minute" This was in the 80's by then the Eb Buffets were two piece bodies. Miller had 3 one piece bodies from the 70's. I did buy one. Robert Miller was a super nice person. His shop was amazing.
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2014-11-14 22:50
Several members on this list, including me, do have Robert Miller mouthpieces that bear his name. (I have only one-with the name just about rubbed out-- but wish I had more). In Ramon Wodkowski's blog for Sept. 23, 2012, he describes Robert Miller of Milwaukee as the designer of the original Portnoy mouthpieces. Also in a email to Wodkowski, I had occasion to ask if he has an original vintage Miller mouthpiece (with the Miller, not the Portnoy logo) and he said he did have one. He did not say anything about Jameson designing the piece.
See http://www.ramonwodkowski.wordpress.com. Scroll to 2012 Portnoy.
Donald points out that Brad Behn used to have Miller mouthpieces and blanks in his shop. If Jameson actually did the design somehow for Miller, that would be news and he should be given due credit. I didn't know either of them but I do recall some New York players in the early 60s having good things to say about Robert Miller as a sensitive and thoughtful mouthpiece designer. No one ever mentioned a Jameson in the Miller shop in that connection. When I first tried a mouthpiece marked "Miller" I preferred the way it felt to both Portnoys and Kaspars and still do.
Post Edited (2014-11-14 23:17)
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Author: Dan Paprocki
Date: 2014-11-15 06:28
There were two other mouthpiece makers/finishers in the Milwaukee area; Emil Anello and Elmer Aiello (not sure on spelling). Elmer was the mouthpiece tech at Leblanc for a long time in the 60's through the 80's. He worked on a bass and Bb mouthpiece in the mid 70's at Leblanc for me.
I'm pretty sure on Bob Miller being mainly a flutist. He's long gone as well as his shop and the instruments there. When the instruments were sold off as a whole, there were some very interesting things; Haynes silver clarinet, a number of alto clarinets without the low Eb, etc. The person who bought it tried to keep a woodwind shop going but I think it only lasted a year and went belly up.
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Author: John Scorgie
Date: 2014-11-15 19:40
Although this post began with Robert Scott ligatures, it has apparently segued into a discussion of Robert Miller mouthpieces.
There is considerable confusion in some of the posts. I hope that my post will clear things up.
In the old days in the Milwaukee music scene there were two Robert Millers. They were not related to each other. The older one was the mouthpiece maker. The younger one, who was sometimes known as Fat Miller to distinguish him from the older Robert Miller, was a school band director. To add to the confusion, when the older Robert Miller retired in the 1960s, the younger Robert Miller bought and took over the music shop which had been run for many years by the older Robert Miller.
The older Robert Miller was the clarinetist in the Palace theater orchestra back in the silent film days. He became a noted clarinet teacher and mouthpiece maker. In his shop he also sold various makes of woodwind instruments, mainly clarinets and saxophones. He wrote the clarinet and saxophone method books for Boosey & Hawkes, the large British firm, when they were active in the American sheet music market.
The older Robert Miller was a clarinetist, not a flutist. I do not know what instruments the younger one played.
I did a post some years ago on this board recalling my meeting with Bernard Portnoy c. 1965 in Indianapolis and his statements as to the origin of his mouthpieces.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2014-11-16 21:06
John,
I agree that the thread took a left turn earlier when I added the PS to a message about Bob Scott's email address and mentioned an email from Portnoy. I apologize for the accidental highjacking of the thread.
However, I tried to rectify the issue by starting a new thread on Portnoy. See: http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=415369&t=415369
I was hopeful that the excellent discussion on the Portnoy/Miller MP development would migrate to the new thread and thus be easier to locate in a later search. Unfortunately, it appears I have failed (just like I keep failing at retirement).
Best,
HRL
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Author: hinotehud ★2017
Date: 2014-11-17 06:15
Wow! Sorry about posting that Bob Scott passed away. A clarinetist friend from Lansing informed me that he had. I have been to his house many times. I use three different Scott barrels. Glad to hear my information was wrong.
Keith Hudson
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2014-11-19 23:32
Just received a Scott ligature from Muncy. It is quite good. The screw threads are very long to accommodate most mouthpieces and it holds on the mouthpiece securely, with big, easy-to-adjust rubber turning knobs. The tone is resonant and robust and the overall design supports fast tonguing even in ppp. The Scott is made from lighter gage metal than most but not so light as a Bay ligature.
It comes in a little clear plastic cylindrical package that gives the same address for Scott that Ken Shaw listed here. It also has a phone number for Scott, but if he's retired, I don't want to give that out.
I'd say the Scott ligature (which looks a bit nicer than it does in the photo) offers a fine alternative to other first-class ligatures, such as the metal Ishimoris, the BG Duo models, the gold plated Bonade inverse model (from Tapir-Weir in Canada), and the Bays.
Post Edited (2014-11-20 00:49)
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Author: mddds
Date: 2015-01-01 13:32
hi all,
as an owner of 3 scotty mpcs, 3 ligatures and 4 of his barrels (63-66), I feel I should chime in.
this is my first post, so please forgive me if I'm nervous and overstep any boundaries.
I'm not a professional player by any means.
He recently made 2 custom mpcs which I love.
He gave me an Eb mpc and ligature at interlochen '91 summer session which sat dormant until I started to use last year after I bought an Eb clarinet. I wouldn't trade this set up for anything in the world.
the ligatures are wonderful. I feel that the tone is great and does not constrict the vibration. I feel that they allow for rapid articulation even for my "bull-in-a china shop-tongue."
his craftsmanship is unparalleled. he is very easy to talk to and has a sense of humour.
the barrels speak for themselves.
please contact me for any questions.
-CK
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Author: mddds
Date: 2015-01-02 01:49
hi again,
for those who may be interested, he made me a Bb mpc from a zinner blank w a closed facing (0.98), narrow table, and some lines for string. (I have only one string and haven't been able to locate a source for additional so I've been using it sparingly). also I've become kinda lazy.
this first mpc plays an Olivieri 4 pretty well. it really suits my standard & Basset A clarinets, which I play nearly nearly 90% of the time - a bad habit, I've been told.
I asked him to make me another one that was more closed (0.96). this backfired, as Olivieri doesn't make any reeds above 4.
The Eb mpc that sat on my shelf for 23 years plays vandoren blue line 3 reeds very well. he told me that the mpc was likely made from a Riffault blank. about 8 of the 10 reeds played pretty well right out of the box. perhaps it just happened to be a great box.
The only complaint I have about the ligatures is that the brass oxidizes especially when it gets wet from working on reeds...etc. it can appear unsanitary and corroded if you don't wipe it clean every time. I sanded the outside surface lightly and it disappeared.
The newer ligature screws are the large head screws with a rubber grip which look like tires. After a while, the rubber began to slip so I asked him to make some of the screws (w really long handles) that he used years ago. The Eb ligature has the same length/size screw as the Bb so it looks abnormally long but I find it easier to grab and turn.
BTW, mr scott emailed me this morning and he is NOT retired nor dead. I'm going to send the closed mpc for refacing this week.
I've been contemplating buying his Eb barrels as well, but given the infrequency of use, I've been hesitant.
-CK
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2015-01-02 05:07
Ck, before you pay to have your 0.96 facing opened, you might try the Peter Leuthner French Cut Professional B-Flat Clarinet Reeds sold by both Brad Behn and Clark Fobes on their websites. These reeds are pretty consistent and many of them play without adjustment directly from the box. A 3.5 or 4 strength Leuthner should give you plenty enough wood in the cut to work well on a 0.96 mm facing. The Leuthners have more wood in the heart and the base than Olivettis generally do.
Post Edited (2015-01-02 07:05)
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Author: mddds
Date: 2015-01-03 00:30
thanks seabreeze,
i'll try the 3 pack from BB website.
I went back and tried some other reeds out yesterday. I did try some of the pilgerstorfer exquisite #2 reeds I bought last year and never opened. they were a little soft but gives me some hope.
I amassed a small warehouse of reeds trying to find the right "slipper" for "Cinderella" (i.e. the 0.98). Maybe some of you out there can relate to that.
i'll keep you all posted.
-CK
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Author: mddds
Date: 2015-01-08 12:49
hi all!
after trying various reeds on the 0.96, I'm throwing in the towel.
I remember why I gave up on this mouthpiece in the first place.
it's going back to Mr Scott. I'm going to have him reface it to match my existing 0.98 so I can have a backup.
thanks!
-CK
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