 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2014-11-26 19:20
I recieved my Behn Vintage mouthpiece for Bass Clarinet. Without hesitation, this is the finest bass mouthpiece I have ever tried. It has a medium 1.76 facing and is very reed friendly with 2.5-3 reeds. The response is very quick and reliable. I can play very well in tune, I think this is because the mouthpiece can be played with minimal effort (a huge factor with the Bass!) but I feel as the mouthpiece itself tunes better too.
Previously I used a mass produced mouthpiece and had it's own merits, but wasn't easy to handle and took so much air. This isn't a handy feature for eg. Wagner operas.
I can only repeat the response is fantastic. The usually critical 2nd register now sounds very clarinet-like despite I play on a Noblet bass with single register system.
For serious bass clarinetists, it worth to try this mouthpiece. My trial period was over in minutes.
(Disclaimer:I have nothing to gain with this post, I'm just a satisfied customer of Brad Behn)
Mark
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Author: Ulrich
Date: 2014-12-02 18:22
Hi,
my name is Ulrich, living as a professional bass clarinetist and composer in Vienna/Austria.
For about the last twenty years I've searched for the right bass clarinet mouthpieces for getting a little closer to my idea of sound on the instrument. In my own musical projects I love to play the bass clarinet very soft with a focus on the 3rd, 4th and 5th octave which often brings the instrument, the mouthpiece the reed and of course myself to the limits.
With "Selmer" Privilège bass clarinets I found for my needs the right instruments, with "Blashaus" heavy brass and "Gloger" solid silver necks, with "Morrie Backun" wooden bells the right extensions but I never found a mouthpiece which satisfied me completely (and with different Vadoren, Selmer, Pomarico, Fobes, Backun etc. mouthpieces I've tested a lot).
By chance I discovered last spring Bradford Behn's website and found there a completely unique way in producing mouthpieces. Before starting the work on my personal mouthpiece Brad Behn asked me a lot of questions about my setup, the lineups of my bands, the styles of music I'm playing, the way I'm playing, which venues I play etc. etc. which was totally new for me.
He made a mouthpiece for me which is a real quantum shift!!! With about 1.92 it has a medium large tip opening. The sound is beautiful warm, round, full and centered and focused at the same time. A real rare balance. You can play it with very few effort, very easy which gives you the opportunity to creat your sound , also with harder reeds (3,5 to 4). With reeds that are not the best the sound is much better than on most of the mouthpieces I've played before, the intonation as well.
This is by far the best mouthpiece I've ever played. It's a wonderful example of high level craftsmanship. Ok, the price is also unique but it's more than worth every cent.
Uli
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2014-12-05 21:49
I find it hard to say there is one mouthpiece or one instrument that does everything I need. Don't get me wrong, I love my Selmer Privilège bass clarinet and Grabner mouthpiece. But working with young people, they continue to amaze me with their ability to use lesser gear and still get amazing sound and performance without breaking the bank.
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2014-12-05 23:57
Dear Suzy and Jim,
I'm glad you are happy with your equipment. So am I. So what was the point behind your post?
You say implicitly that less expensive equipment can be just as good as more expensive ones. However, this may be true in general, but in this case this doesn't work that way. In the last 10 years I spent at least 6 times more than 750$ to 'lesser gear' and it was nor wise nor good. You esentially say that a regular car would be as fast as a Formula 1 car, if it's driven well. Well, I have a different opinion. I prefer the Formula 1 in a race. It's simply faster.
Mark
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Author: Brad Behn
Date: 2014-12-06 01:11
Hello Quinn the Eskimo from Washington. For years I have witnessed an amazing operation on Ebay. Your ability to purchase and sell instruments at fair prices and with a high degree of integrity is admirable. Thank you for your service to the music community.
I read your post as a fair warning to the music community that price does not a good instrument or gear make. Indeed I agree with you 100 percent. Years ago I purchased a wonderful Buffet R13 A clarinet from a clarinet friend in Washington for $1950 which I absolutely love. And a year before that I bought my R13 Bb clarinet from a friend for $1050 - both instruments I use on a daily basis in the OKC Phil and they have served me very well. I would urge everyone, prior to spending full retail to go on Ebay and have a look at what Quinn has up for auction prior to paying a lot of money. Because a smart buyer - one who knows exactly what to look for may well find a better instrument at a better price. And while Quinn offers good deals and a nice return policy, I don't think Ebay is a good place for amateurs. As the quality of an instrument must be assessed by a seasoned instrument picker - a person who plays the instrument at a high level and a person who is very experienced at selecting a good instrument.
My mouthpieces are very expensive because they cost a lot of money and resources of time to make. I invested my entire retirement as seed money to be able to make my dream - (with humility) to make the very best mouthpieces in the world. My vision wasn't meant to be cheap but rather, it was meant to be an all encompassing exploration of acoustics, history, innovation, creativity, and craftsmanship through an amalgam of cutting edge technology and artistic craftsmanship. My mouthpieces are something I am very proud of and while the price is high, it has to be - as it is an expensive venture.
Having said that, I have always tried to find a way to make a lower priced option as I am fully aware that such expensive mouthpieces are not for everyone. And to this desire I have explored and continue to go through exhaustive measures to make less expensive variants. I have bass mouthpieces made through a CNC process similar to my Vintage and Signature lines which are half the price, using synthetic materials which I am proud to say work very well on bass clarinet to my delight. And I have just this week, coming a CNC production run of clarinet mouthpieces to be designed as blanks for the general public to use as a source blank for their craft. They are made specifically to compete with the popular Zinner blank in both price and playability. But due to their CNC process - accuracy and consistency are extremely high, and players and mouthpiece refaces alike will enjoy the quality which comes from such a process. Additionally, since they play directly from the machine, a variant will be used as a finished mouthpiece for the general public. It is something directly made and designed to compete with the lower priced, mass produced market, and I hope it will end up giving folks like you who perhaps don't endorse the high sticker price of my top-shelf options an option which you may well endorse. Time will tell for sure, but please know that price has long been something I am aware about and I am eager to introduce these options in the weeks to come.
Brad Behn
http://www.clarinetmouthpiece.com
Post Edited (2014-12-06 01:17)
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