 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-23 19:55
As a returning clarinet player , I posted a query asking for any advice and it was suggested that I try a new mouthpiece . I have a pair of old Boosey and Hawkes Imperial 926 clarinets . Well, I tried a couple of Vandoren B30 and B45 MPs but didn't really feel they suited me. Also tried a Pomerico crystal ruby MP which I quite liked , but are quite expensive and heavy , so I saw a used Weinburg JM for sale . I haven't tried it yet, but have bought it anyway as it wasn't too expensive and reading the info it seems these MP give a rich velvety sound . Anyone used one ? What did / do they think? Apparently Weinberg is no longer making them as he has retired , so guess they will be getting scarce ...Thanks
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Author: tucker ★2017
Date: 2017-02-23 21:15
Try a Clark Fobes Debut. One of the best mouthpieces for the money on the market. $30 US.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-02-24 00:12
I play a 926 Imperial and after the usual experimentation I finally settled on a Clark Fobes San Fransisco CF+. For me, this is the best mouthpiece I've found for the Imperial.
Tucker is right, the Debut is extremely good value and is much better than you'd expect for a student mouthpiece.
Tony F.
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-24 11:43
Thanks . Not seen those for sale in the UK but will gave a look out.
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Author: JohnP
Date: 2017-02-24 13:39
Beware that the 926 requires a mouthpiece with a bore specific to the 926. As I remember the bore is larger than a standard French mouthpiece so the intonation would be affected unless you get it bored out to the correct dimensions.
John
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2017-02-24 18:28
Tony,
Yeah, I've always heard the same thing as JohnP. How does the tuning work for you, and how much difference is there between a 926 and a 1010?
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-02-24 18:44
"Beware that the 926 requires a mouthpiece with a bore specific to the 926. As I remember the bore is larger than a standard French mouthpiece so the intonation would be affected unless you get it bored out to the correct dimensions.
John"
This isn't true of the 926, but it is true of the 1010. The 926 is not a large bore instrument and will play perfectly well on a French style mouthpiece. It has exactly the same bore characteristics as the B & H Regent, Edgware and Emperor models. The 1010 is a large-bore instrument and requires a mouthpiece specifically bored for the instrument. I have both 926's and 1010's. I use a 1010 mouthpiece from Ed Pillinger which works extremely well, and as I mentioned previously I use a Fobes San Fransisco on the 296. It tunes extremely well, although the bottom end is a bit flat. There's quite a bit of difference between the 926 and the 1010 from the players perspective. The 1010 is great if you need to make a lot of noise, but personally I prefer the 926.
Tony F.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2017-02-25 00:04
In fact by French standards the 926 is a big bore clarinet at 15.05 mm (The 1010 is even larger at 15.25 mm).
Whilst many people do find the 926 works OK with a standard mouthpiece ideally the bore of the mouthpiece should be specific to the 926.
I don't have the exact measurements to hand but the following is the gist.
The taper on the 926 m/p is much less steep than standard French m/ps
about half way between French taper and the 1010 m/p parallel bore.
This results in a larger volume of bore and so the 926 m/p is about 2 mm shorter than a French one.
I actually play my 926 with a Vandoren Crystal A1 M/P but it turns out that my A1 mouthpiece has bore dimensions and length almost identical to the 926 one.
Ed Pillinger makes 926 specific bore mouthpieces and some repairers have the reamer needed to convert a French bore m/p to 926.
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Author: John Peacock
Date: 2017-02-25 03:15
Well, no-one else has addressed the original question, so let me say that I've visited Anton Weinberg a couple of times, and came away with one of his mouthpieces. It's well made, and although I didn't end up using it as my regular mouthpiece, it still played pretty nicely - preferable to e.g most Vandorens I've ever tried. Because they are hand-made products, there is probably more variation between individual items than with an industrial enterprise like Vandoren (although even these aren't completely consistent).
Anyway, every player will prefer something different. I don't like Fobes mouthpieces at all, but I wouldn't say on the basis of this that the above posters are wrong - just that it's impossible for them or me to predict if Weinberg, Fobes or whatever will work for you. But Weinberg's products are good enough quality that they're as likely to work as anything else. If you don't like it, stick it on eBay and someone like me will probably buy it in the hope that it's the one for them.
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-25 16:00
Hi
My 926 is an old instrument , possibly 1960s or older and my A is , I think a prototype 1010 as its probably 1950s . I don't play it much as I'm not in an orchestra and have only recently started playing agin after 40 years . I have to watch tuning on middle B , on my 926 , otherwise no problems with tuning. I did play a Buffet - think it was E13 - on loan, and I found the 926 far superior if you like a rich mellow sound, rather than a bright tone ...The tuning on my 926 is easily corrected with tightening my embouchure . It's a lovely thing to play .
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-25 16:05
Thank you John.
My Weinberg mouthpiece arrived today . Looks well made and for £40 second hand , i won't have lost much if it doesn't suit . I don't like the Vandoren mouthpieces I've tried much as they give too bright a sound for me , despite being told they are most suited to my 926. My next stop will be a POmerico if this doesn't suit ..I'll let you know!
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-02-25 18:24
Interesting that the 926 should be considered a large-bore instrument. I've always considered it as a small-bore instrument. The mention of a Vandoren A1 crystal stirred some brain cells, and on checking I found one that has been in my mouthpiece drawer for ages. I'll clean it up and give it a try tomorrow. I have an assortment of B & H mouthpieces including several 926 mouthpieces and have tried them all on my 926, and none of them sound or tune as well as my fobes.
Tony F.
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2017-02-25 20:31
There's a listing on Clarinets Direct that gives the 926 bore size as 15.0. Don't know if that's accurate and don't know if they changed over time, but that's what some makers are calling a "Vienna bore," which is larger than a "large German" bore. That would be pretty wide, comparatively. But if they put the tone holes in the right place for a typical French-style mouthpiece, there shouldn't be any reason why they wouldn't play in tune with one.
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-25 23:20
Thanks. I've tried my new Weinberg mouthpiece today, along with a Pilstoffer reed . Sounds really good - warm sound and even tone. Really pleased .
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-25 23:32
I don't know about the bore , but someone in the band has a crystal Pomerico ruby mouthpiece on her 926 and it sounds great . I was told by Winblowers in Nottingham, U.K. , that Vandoren used to contract Pomerico to make the crystal mouthpieces and they were sold as a Vandoren mouthpiece, now you can buy them direct from Pomerico ,much cheaper . I've tried her mouthpiece and it is quite heavy for me, but does give a rounded tone .
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Author: NTSOG
Date: 2017-02-26 00:02
Hi Cath,
I have a number of Pomerico mouthpieces on my Buffets [R13, Festivals, RC and Vintage R13]. I really like them, but I have found it necessary to stick a small pad on the top side to help stability and because I did not like the feel of my teeth touching the "glass". [It also helps deal with my several chipped front teeth from when I was a lad and playing the fool with mates.]
Very many years ago when I started playing I had a B&H Emperor and tried a Vandoren 7* [I think] on it. After being tossed out of orchestra practice for repeated squeaking in the opening bars of Kol Nidrei I was told by my clarinet teacher [past Principal of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra] that the Vandoren 7* did not suit a B&H clarinet. She gave me a different mouthpiece and I stopped squeaking. I might add that I have an old SML on my Selmer St. Louis which did not "like" Pomericos and my Selmer CT from 1954 has a Vandoren B45 - it also does not "like" Pomericos.
Good luck,
Jim
Australia
Post Edited (2017-02-26 00:58)
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2017-02-26 01:22
Sort of makes you wonder whether the B&H Emperor was a reference to a George, an Edward, a Roman, a German Kaiser, or a penguin.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2017-02-26 01:24
The Vandoren Crystal mouthpieces were indeed made for Vandoren by Pomerico in Italy. However the design of the VD A1, A2 and A3 were uniquely made to Vandoren specifications and so I understand that Pomerico are not allowed to replicate these exact models in their own range.
The Vandoren crystals were discontinued quite a few years ago now but they occasionally show up on "that site".
The A2 seems to be the most commonly found. I have several versions of the A1 and A2 plus one A3 (acquired with a Buffet RC a few years back).
My personal preference is for the A1 but sometimes the A2 comes in handy to use goodish reeds that are a tad too soft on the A1.
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Author: Cath
Date: 2017-02-26 10:16
Ha ha ! doriepismo ! The Brits were very proud of their Empire , but I don't know what a 10:10 was reference to. Certainly , I'm sure I've sounded like a penguin at times - is there an Imperial penguin or just a March?! Seriously , I'm learning a lot from this board . I was recommended to try changing my MP and reed . Have done both now and I'm happy with the result . Now going to attempt the allegro movement if Schumanns Fantiestuke and see if my fingers can cope with Bmajor flourishes ! Without squeaking !
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