Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-11-09 10:12
The mouthpieces in question are longer, thus they play flatter. It's just like the difference between a flute and a tuba. It's really that simple, the question is why? This, the length, surely does NOT darken the sound. However a larger bore can darken the sound of a mouthpiece, but also cause or create new options, depending on where the taper of the bore is located. For example the Rico line of mouthpieces their bore is a bit too small where the bore and the chamber meet, so the throat tones and some of the 12th's will be high and or out of tune. The ideal bore measurement at this spot is around .545" to .555". I think Rico comes in around .515" to .520." They have a shrinking issue with the material, so it varies. This is around a 32nd of an inch. In mouthpieces this is huge.
Now with the M13 compared to the BD5 that tunes to 442 is about or close to a 32nd longer, so the M13 plays flatter. Tes longer plays flatter, it's now a now brainer for people to understand. The bore on the M13 is also bigger.
OK if you must know or at least curious to know, the old Chedeville's and the early Kaspar's are about the length of the BD5, but a shade shorter in some cases. The bores are, or about .545" to .550". The chambers and baffles are all over the place, since so much handwork was done to them and often wrecked.
If you are still interested, Marcellus favored the #13 Kaspar's from Chicago and Cicero, which most of them were Chedeville's. Most of the Chedeville bores were #13. But the Kaspar family did drill out larger bores to #15. I have these measurements if anyone is interested, but they are kinda pointless unless you make mouthpieces. The Ann Arbor chamber and baffle areas were very shallow. However they project very well and can be adjusted. Some of the Cicero and Chicago Kaspar's are sadly too deep. Even so, if you have the right gauges, which I do and can measure with or less than a human hair, nail polish can correct some of these. A lot of people like these up close, but they do not project sometimes and the sound gets muffled as the distance increases from the clarinet.
In my shop I have shortened the M series mouthpieces for a few people and it isn't that hard to convert. You have to remove some of the tip until you get the right desired length, then simply reface the mouthpiece. Yes you have to put in a lot of work, but it is possible to bring the pitch up. This also corrects the pitch of the upper register from about 438 or so to 441. It takes 2 hours of work. Is it worth it.
Nope, buy the new Selmer. This mouthpiece is already correct. In 5 minutes I can get the new Selmer playing very close to one of the best mouthpieces you've ever played on. So screw Vandoren and buy these amazing Selmer's, but you have to find the right person to fix the resistance. I have my own line of mouthpieces so I won't mess with them.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2017-11-09 10:20)
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The Clarinet BBoard
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