 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Dan Oberlin ★2017
Date: 2019-03-11 01:10
Some of the middle school band directors around here recommend the M30 and the M13 lyre for their students who have "outgrown" mouthpieces like the Fobes Debut. Clarinet teachers out there, I'm interested in your opinions on this.
Thanks,
Dan
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Author: Ed
Date: 2019-03-11 01:43
The Debut can take one pretty far. Sometimes I think because of the price there are those who think you have to get off it as it is a beginner piece. They play so well, I have had students use them for many years. Certainly one could look at the Fobes Nova and San Francisco lines, which are fantastic players as well. If one were to want to get a mass market mouthpiece, I would probably go with M13 lyre or one of the D'Addario Reserve mouthpieces.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-03-11 03:02
See, but this reflects a complete disregard for the consequences of facing (as well as quality to which Ed alludes). Does one out grow a smaller more controlled facing? If there was a concern over just the price reflecting quality (again which is NOT the case with the Debut) one would perhaps recommend a Vandoren M15 or M13 (nonLyre). The M30 is a complete departure from a the responsive facing of the Debut and the M13 Lyre is.....more open.
Ok had to get that out.
It's like saying, "well l'm older and more advanced, time to get a harder reed." Really? Guess I'm not "feeling" the middle school band directors.
The Debut is an AMAZING mouthpiece that plays better than MANY $300.00 mouthpieces (which I'm glad that I have outgrown.......and remain in my drawer these days).
................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2019-03-11 04:08
What Ed and Paul said.
"Outgrow" a Fobes Debut? Pshaw!
After a student has investigated and exhausted all the realistic possibilities for finding the ideal reed and ligature to use in conjunction with the Debut and still isn't satisfied with the results, maybe it could be time for a change to something else.
If that day ever comes, it most certainly won't be until long after middle school, and by then the student won't need or heed our recommendations.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2019-03-11 05:30
Quote:
The Debut is an AMAZING mouthpiece that plays better than MANY $300.00 mouthpieces (which I'm glad that I have outgrown.......and remain in my drawer these days).
Yes! I have played many mouthpieces that are more expensive, both new and vintage that don't play anywhere as nicely as the Debut. For a time I had one in my case and used it while teaching lessons. I often would forget what it was and think about how great my set up was feeling/sounding and would do a double take once I realized what it was. I could easily play a gig on one.
The quality is far better than one would guess from the price.
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2019-03-11 07:37
I've yet to have a middle school school student "out grow" the Debut, and I've had some really great ones lately. I've had many high school students win competitions and auditions on them. The time usually does come to try other things just to see if we can improve some aspect of their playing that may be mouthpiece related but usually not until they are well into high school and sometimes we stick with the Debut after all.
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2019-03-11 08:22
Agree with Paul about some of the $300 mouthpieces. Recently gave a couple to another player in an amateur orchestra to try, and he gave them back. Guy has good taste. Never played a Debut and can't comment on it, though his Europas are very good. Talked last weekend with Brad Behn in the course of obtaining a mouthpiece I don't expect to outgrow, or even outlive; he's acquired his own CNC shop, and will be coming out with a series that is entirely machined, and therefore can be marketed at a price that's reasonable for amateur band players and high school students who believe they've outgrown whatever they're playing. Assuming he makes them out of one of his proprietary rod rubber materials, they might give the conventional wisdom on mid-level mouthpieces a knock or two.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-03-11 18:45
Of course I think Clark Fobes is already there :-)
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: RKing
Date: 2019-03-11 18:52
After I used my Fobes Debut for a year, I decided to splurge on one of his San Francisco mouthpieces with the same CF+ facing. This "upgrade" cost $300 dollars (and of course I kept the Debut as a backup).
The only thing that I can think of in the band director's defense is the Vandoren M30 and M13 Lyre are in the 100 dollar ballpark and this might be the reason they are pointing their kids to the cheaper Vandorens when the students (or their parents) start thinking about a new mouthpiece.
Ron
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2019-03-11 19:39
Paul, Fobeses are great, although I could not get a 10K to work for me regardless of what reeds I used. It's probably just made for a different kind of embouchure or way of playing. One of the unique things about Behns, though, is the rubber. It seems to make a big difference, and there's just one place you can get it.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-03-11 20:36
dorjepismo,
I have several very good ESM mouthpieces (MCK-1 facing......similar to the Debut) made of acrylic. Also my best German mouthpieces (for German system clarinets that is) are Wurlitzer M3+ facings, also acrylic. I don't really appreciate the difference in material, certainly not compared to the quality of how they are finished and the facing dimensions (that work best for the individual player) which are the most important aspects.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2019-03-11 21:18
For the level of player we're talking about, the material might not make that much difference, sure. Personally, I do find the difference important in my playing. There's a hardness in the ESM I have that I don't find in a Fobes or Behn, and there's a ring in the Behn I haven't gotten from anything else. But a different style of instrument would doubtless respond in a different way. All three are quite good, at any rate.
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Author: AAAClarinet
Date: 2019-03-11 21:36
I agree with dorjepismo about the 10K. But other than my 2 Behn mouthpieces the best I ever had was a Fobes CWF. Great mouthpiece. Even with a tip opening of .96 the CWF felt free blowing and had a big sound with lots of ping. Sadly mine broke two days before I was to use it for an audition.
AAAClarinet
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