 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Carl L
Date: 2001-06-12 23:55
Brenda's thread on wood mouthpieces got me to thinking. Years ago, glass mouthpieces had their fifteen minutes of fame. Anyone use them religiously? Any particular brand? (Yes, the Mouthpiece Search IS a never-ending...no matter what the instrument. I have 18 tuba mouthpieces...)
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Author: Anji
Date: 2001-06-13 00:56
I have a Continental (probably a Promarico over-run) with a similar facing to my Vandy M13, it has a normal bore. The tone is considerably deeper than my stock M13, with a very stable top end.
I had and sold several O'Briens, that had eccentric bores and closer baffles. They were loud and bright.
I have a couple of crystal Eefer mouthpieces and one of my pro-playing buddies just ROCKED on it.
Tuning with these can be a challenge, but they can really play well.
Bottom line, they're hard to kill and should wear more slowly than hard rubber.
Tweaking them is a difficult proposition.
I think that they must be difficult to hand tune, so getting a good one is a long search.
anji
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Author: Daniel
Date: 2001-06-13 05:13
The only crystal mouthpiece i've ever played and liked has been my old A. Lelandais. I have a really really old Buffet crystal mouthpiece that plays alright but is flat. But the Lelandais actually sounds pretty close to their rubber blanks. As with most crystal mouthpieces you need a bit softer reed than what you would need on a rubber mouthpiece.
I haven't really tried the Vandoren or Selmer crystal mouthpieces but i don't like their modern mouthpieces in rubber so i probably wouldn't like their overpriced crystal models.
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Author: john gibson
Date: 2001-06-13 05:55
WHAT????
Have a Selmer #3 facing and it is one of the best MPCs I've ever played....and just got a Pomarico "diamond" (open facing) and it too plays wonderfully....have never had a tuning problem with either....use a Mitchel Laurie #2 on both...sweet sound and easy to control (if you know how to use your lips).....
gibson
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Author: bob gardner
Date: 2001-06-13 13:59
i have three Michael Lurie's. Two rubber and one glass. I really like both of the hard rubber but fine the glass to closed. It is premium model. The rubbers are M2 and a M3. The M2 is more free blowing then the 3.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2001-06-13 14:06
The Selmer #3 is a very good mouthpiece, but it does require a pretty soft reed. Excellent sound and flexibility.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-06-13 14:52
I regularly play (slightly refaced) Pomarico crystal mouthpieces on both soprano and bass clarinets, for what it's worth. But then again, I'm not famous (not even close). Nor do I play any well-known clarinetists on TV.
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Author: Bob Culbreth
Date: 2001-06-14 02:01
I played GG crystals for years. I think Pomarico took over this company. I used the -1 facing. The ones I played were fairly resistant but had a nice warm sound and most tuned extremly well.
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Author: Lynne
Date: 2001-06-14 06:48
I've used a crystal Vandoren mouthpiece (no2 facing) for about 20 years now, and nothing compares with it. It is so easy to control, especially in the altissimo register. I wouldn't swap it for anything!
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-06-14 14:01
I have a warning to make with crystal mouthpieces. In my experience (O'Briens and Pomaricos) both the tenon area above the cork groove, and the step up to the full diameter of the mouthpiece frequently have a sharp burr, one on each side of the mouthpiece. This remains from between the two (ill-fitting) moulds that were used to cast the crystal. As the mouthpiece is 'screwed' into the barrel these sharp edges cut into the timber of the barrel.
I solve the problem by grinding off the sharp edges with a diamond wheel (dental technician equipment).
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2001-06-14 16:10
I have owned and sold two Pete Fountain crystal mouthpieces. Haven't played any other crystals. Initially, I liked the sound on the Fountain, but as time went by I stopped wanting to play it because it didn't have the flexibility of the hard rubber or wood mouthpieces.
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Author: Mike Harrelson
Date: 2001-06-16 22:46
I played a Selmer HS** crystal for over twenty years and it finally chipped and broke. A second one broke after about a year.... that ended the love affair.
By the way, the cork seemed to be a problem. The glue used didn't want to stay attached to glass. Perhaps the local repair shop used the kind meant for hard rubber mouthpieces and it just didn't work as well on glass. In those days (using a crystal) I was always putting a paper shim to get it to stay tight in the barrel.
But boy did those high notes sound clear with glass.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-06-17 12:55
On every crystal I have seen there has been hopeless glueing and unsuitable, 'chip' cork. But your technician must still have used a poor glue, or used it poorly. I have replaced many original corks using Evostik contact adhesive which has never let go.
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