Author: Max S-D
Date: 2018-04-04 11:15
When starting out, I'd focus on finding something that you won't have to fight, i.e. something free of design/manufacturing defects and probably on the more conservative side in terms of design.
It's probably not your only option, but the Fobes Debut mouthpiece would fit the bill, I'd say. It's an acrylic mouthpiece, but, unlike most similar mouthpieces, is hand-finished in Clark's workshop in San Francisco. Clark designed the mouthpiece and it uses a facing that he also uses on his high-end products (which are amongst the best available). Clark's a low-clarinet specialist and really knows what he is doing. These are available on WWBW for $50 and I don't know what else out there is even close for the price. The Ridenour Encore, I guess. I don't know much about it, but I hear good things.
When I was teaching, I put a couple of students on those and I think it was a good move for both of them. They both had one fewer impediment to developing clear, strong tones and personal sounds and both felt a lot better about playing on the mouthpieces. I got to play one of those and I was impressed. I was playing one of Clark's professional models with a similar facing at that time and, while there was a difference between them, I could probably have played a concert on the Debut without anyone else noticing except maybe my teacher.
You can go deeper down the mouthpiece rabbit hole later. The B50 is a great mouthpiece that I love, but I think I might have struggled to pick up fundamentals like intonation and air support on that mouthpiece if I'd started on it. Not to say it couldn't happen, just that I'm glad I arrived at that mouthpiece with a well developed air stream, embouchure and sound concept.
Vandoren, Selmer, Behn, Fobes, Grabner, Pyne, Borbeck, Backun, etc. all make fantastic cost-no-object mouthpieces and I bet that if you played a bunch, you'd find that they did, indeed, play better than what you've got. I think what you'll also find, though, is that as you learn the instrument, your preferences will develop and change at a rapid rate and the odds of wanting something different in the not-too-distant future are pretty high.
When I recommend that Fobes, it's not because I think it's the best mouthpiece, period, or that it will be perfect for everyone, forever. I just know it's dependably high-quality and won't hold you back or force you to learn weird habits to compensate for its design or manufacturing deficiencies. It also won't put you too far in the hole if you decide that you want to try other things later. Once you've developed your skills, you'll have a solid "neutral ground" from which to evaluate higher-end mouthpieces. Or it might be perfect for you, forever. Who knows?
For the record, I play a Fobes 10K in an SV facing (similar to the B50) and I love it. But, as you know from the guitar world, equipment is a very personal choice and what works for me might not work for you.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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