 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-12-21 00:47
Attachment: Front.jpg (209k)
Attachment: Side.jpg (248k)
Attachment: Back.jpg (234k)
Attachment: Tip Rail.jpg (208k)
Hello,
A few months ago I came across an old Albert system clarinet in an antique store, which came with an old wooden mouthpiece. I'm wondering whether the mouthpiece would classify as a French mouthpiece or a German mouthpiece, or if that distinction didn't yet exist with the Albert system.
The tenon is the same size as my French mouthpiece, and it fits my regular barrel (although the cork is basically gone so I have to use some paper to hold it in place.) However, the beak, table and facing are significantly narrower, and French Bb reeds won't work - I have to use an Eb reed instead. Presumably a German Bb reed would fit best.
The mouthpiece sounds alright, though the tip rail is pretty scuffed up so it's sort of a stuffy and weak sound. I would get it refaced, but I'm afraid it would tune too high (the clarinet it came with was high-pitch) and I have doubts about using a wooden mouthpiece.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-12-21 01:52
The bore on simple/Albert systems is more similar to Boehm system bores than German bores, so an old mouthpiece made for them will work on Boehms (and vice versa).
Mouthpiece length is variable and the bore size will affect the tuning, so two identical length mouthpieces may play at different pitches because of their different bore size whereas two slightly different length ones may both play at the same pitch because of that too. Mouthpieces with a larger bore will play flatter than ones with a narrower bore.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-12-21 02:28
Looks to me like a "hybrid," or rather a Boehm compatible mouthpiece done with some Oehler looking attributes.
I standard mouthpiece of Oehler clarinets would have groves throughout the surface between the 'lines of ligature' to hold the reed string on (blattschnur). German mouthpieces are a few centimeters LONGER and the tenon is 1mm or so wider in diameter (to accept the stress of the constant winding of the string ligature). Also (in my opinion) the true German mouthpiece is NOT an acceptable acoustic match for the Boehm clarinet.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-12-21 02:52
"German mouthpieces are a few centimeters LONGER"
By how many?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-12-21 05:44
I've seen some Albert system clarinets online with German mouthpieces and others with French mouthpieces. So were there German Alberts and French Alberts, or would German and French mouthpieces have been exchangeable?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-12-21 08:05
Thanks for asking Chris. Certainly not centimeters! In fact as I use an actual measuring thingy, I only get a difference of .5mm longer on a Wurlitzer M3 from circa 1984 compared to a Vandoren M13 circa 2007. The actual outer diameter of the tenon is barely a full millimeter larger on the Wurlitzer.
Perhaps I originally compared with a shorter French mouthpiece. The measuring thingy takes all the fun out of "eye-balling" the differences!
Ok there is one clear difference (maybe I'm being a bit defensive): following the baffle through the tone chamber to the bore on a French mouthpiece, the baffle tapers dramatically to be much narrower as it enters the bore. On the German mouthpiece there is almost no narrowing at all (but I cannot get my caliper down there so that measurement still remains a mystery, thank God).
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-12-21 12:41
Attachment: FullSizeRender-4.jpg (456k)
Attachment: FullSizeRender-3.jpg (489k)
Paul Aviles: The wooden mouthpiece doesn't taper much, at least not compared to my French mouthpiece. Pictures attached. (I turned up the brightness on both so the colors are a little weird.)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-12-21 17:17
Attachment: Baffle.JPG (1625k)
Attachment: View from bore.JPG (1611k)
Ok, I'll raise you two photos of my M3 !!!!
The 'baffle shot' shows the mouthpiece held in such a way that the baffle is completely reflective and seen as "white" (also what may make things look odd is that this mouthpiece is a clear, smoky gray acrylic).
This is what would be called an "A-Frame" tone chamber.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-12-21 21:43
Attachment: image.jpg (1045k)
Attachment: image.jpg (676k)
Here's mine from the same angles. I guess there is a little more of a taper than the M3.
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