 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Adrian_B-flat
Date: 2017-01-12 01:59
Does anyone have information on the specifications for the Gale Hollywood clarinet mouthpiece? I tried looking it up via Google but pretty much any near-relevant reference refers to that mouthpiece for saxophones.
I'm using it with a Rovner MKIII ligature and a Yamaha YCL-34. I bought the clarinet and mouthpiece from a person who normally plays Jazz, btw. I currently play with Rico Orange #3 reeds as I am redeveloping my chops on clarinet (I took a 20+ year hiatus) and I recently joined a community band (two actually- with my first "real" time playing after my hiatus was to sightread one rehearsal before playing for a dinner/dance concert the day after with a pretty casual community band...I did OK for my first time back!).
Anyway, I've found that my sound is solid except for in altissimo which can, sometimes, be problematic and requires me to adjust embouchure and bite a little more to get satisfactory sound. (Obviously), the longer I play on a #3 reed, the worse it gets to the point I end up pinching the opening closed after an extended period of playing. I'm assuming I need a harder reed. (When I played regularly through highschool and college, I was playing up to 5s.)
With that said, I was given a Legere Classic 3.25 as a Christmas gift. I tried to play it but I found, using my "#3" embouchure, that I can barely get any sound without biting harder and using a lot more effort to get air flowing. I CAN get sound if I bite harder (it's a notably "darker" tone) but the chalameau is really (for me) airy, the clarion is solid, but, altissimo is still tough to the point where I, on occasion, bite the tip opening closed.
I did some searching (on this board as well as on Google) for suggestions and found that the Legere usually requires a smaller tip opening and long facing (not sure on facing) with the mouthpiece. I saw that Woodwind Brasswind has the Vandoren Masters 13 CL4 on sale for cheap (~$40...normally $130) and recommends a harder reed (3-4) so I was curious about it.
According to Vandoren, the CL4 is has a tip opening of "110" (based on 1/100MM from the Vandoren site) and has a long facing.
The problem I have is that I don't know what my CURRENT tip opening and facings are. I was thinking that I'd also like to reduce my tendency to bite to get good sound so would it be better to go with a mouthpiece that has a smaller tip opening- again, same question...I don't know where I am now with the Gale Hollywood.
So that's my dilemma...
1. What are the specs on the Gale Hollywood? It seems to have a shorter facing than but close to the same tip opening as the "standard" mouthpiece that came with my son's Selmer 1400 rental.
2. What would be a recommended mouthpiece to go with with the Legere based on my current situation and assuming I'd like to stick with the 3.25 strength?
3. I'm figuring that, with the Gale, I may need to go up to a 3.5 Rico Orange. Would there be a more recommended reed for someone who is playing community band(s) that are fairly casual?
Thanks!
Post Edited (2017-01-12 08:33)
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Author: Dan Shusta
Date: 2017-01-12 08:41
Adrian, I just got an email from Bob Bernardo who posts from time to time on this BB. He told me that he personally knew Gale briefly.
Why not drop him an email? Perhaps he can give you some more information.
Bob can be reached at Robert Bernardo <savagesax10@gmail.com>
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-01-12 09:18
Well the story behind part of your question is Gale and Arnold Brilhart were partners at one point. Both men were pretty amazing. Arnold was one of the best sight readers I've ever played with and I've played with a lot of great musicians. I think he was better on the sax than the clarinet. I worked with him at Rico for 15 years and he lived a very long life until he was 93 I think. A fun fact. He started molding mouthpieces in NYC, New York City, and had about 900 people working for him. The Adam Bomb had a problem. It needed to explode before it hit the ground. Well Arnold was the molder that made this triggering device to make this happen! He didn't know what he was making at the time as this was surely top secret, but later on they, the government, told him. We shared several lunches and dinners together, plus hearing a mess of his amazing stories. We were not best friends, just co-workers.
OK! Back to Gale. The tip openings were pretty open compared to what we see these days. Without seeing the mouthpiece my guess is it has a shorter facing with a tip opening around 1.20mm's to 1.25mm's. I'm guessing here, but I'm very close. Remember not every mouthpiece is exact. The difference between .05mm's is about a human hair or so. Plus you had a falloff just behind the tip so depending on where you measured the tip opening it could be 1.40mm's.
I think it would help you to have the tip opening dropped and the facing lengthened. I'm positive that the rails from the left side to the right side are not straight. This is often more of a concern to me than the tip opening.
Theo, to my knowledge as of last year, at the NAMM Convention only makes sax mouthpieces. I personally stopped by their booth. The sax mouthpieces look really nice, but I've never played or measured them.
So you kind of have something special. At conventions, such as the ClarinetFest I redo - reface - adjust, measure, mouthpieces for free. I'll offer you the same. If you want to ship it out I'll make it more playable for you. I can also do nothing to it and just measure it so you know what you have and you can figure out what you want to do at a later time. Why do I do this, well I already make mouthpieces so why not help someone out that likes his or her mouthpiece without spending $300 to $1000, when I can adjust it in 5 to 10 minutes. Yes some refacers hate me. Don't care...
As for reeds, please avoid Rico reeds. Yes I worked there and got pretty sick. That's why I'm not there now! They use PESTICIDES on ALL of their reeds. I don't care what you use, but stay away from Rico. Notice that I'm still saying this after 20 years from leaving Rico. Have they tried to sue me? No, because it's true!
As for plastic reeds, if you have the tip lowered with a longer facing you may be able to play on them. Everyone is different. Every player is different. I don't like the sound. But a lot of really great players use them.
Best of luck! Hope this helps. Feel free in emailing me at savagesax@aol.com
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Mojo
Date: 2017-01-12 18:16
Theo does make a clarinet mouthpiece.
MojoMP.com
Mojo Mouthpiece Work LLC
MojoMouthpieceWork@yahoo.com
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