 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: richardstone
Date: 2019-12-14 22:47
I just recieved a new Behn Zinner mouthpiece with a #3 facing that is very impressive. I contacted Brad Behn last month requesting his thoughts on a mouthpiece that would play easier for me. I shared with him that I'm an adult violin musician who has been playing since the 1950's and that I had taken up the clarinet a couple of years ago. My frustration with the clarinet has been with reeds and mouthpieces. I told him that my current mouthpiece, a Fobes Debut worked pretty well for me but that I felt it took a lot of effort on my part. I also told him that I had purchased a Behn Overture mouthpiece and some Aria reeds and that they were working well for me. In fact, my teacher had commented about how much better my sound had gotten. I did not share with him the fact that I was using the Overture mouthpiece.
Brad said that I could get even better tone and response from either his Sono mouthpiece or a Zinner blank finished by him. I decided to purchase the Zinner blank and it arrived yesterday. I was surprised that it was so easy to play. The tone is rich and full and the articulation is very crisp. I was able to play steadily for about an hour without feeling fatigued by the effort necessary to get a good sound. Over the last year I have tried Ricos and Vandoren mouthpieces in various tip openings along with lots of different reeds. Most of them felt too open for me and were returned.
I an highly recommend the Overture and the Zinner to anyone who is having the problems that I was experiencing. The Aria reeds are also the best reeds I have found due to the consistency from reed to reed. They also seem to last well.
I was hesitant about spending a lot for a mouthpiece, especially without trying one first. I found Brad to be able to ask the right questions about my problems and expected results and then to translate that information into a great mouthpiece.
I would also like to say that the Fobes Debut was a very good mouthpiece but perhaps not the best for me.
richarddstone@mac.com
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-12-15 01:29
It would be interesting to know exactly how Brad altered the facing based on what you discussed with him..........but that's a trade secret that I'm willing to forgive!!
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: richardstone
Date: 2019-12-15 01:51
Paul,
I bet if you asked Brad, he would tell you. I found him to be a very good listener about my wants/needs but also willing to offer suggestions that might help me towards my tonal goals. I have always found any reed over a three to be too stiff feeling. He suggested a three and half or four for his mouthpiece and this morning I tried a three and half and it only felt a little stiff but still very comfortable and the quality of the sound was even better with a more bell like clarity. I have to say that I was skeptical ordering a mouthpiece, that was not returnable because it is among the last of his Zinner blanks, solely based upon our discussions. I decided to take a chance and feel that he nailed it.
richarddstone@mac.com
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Author: fernie121
Date: 2019-12-15 02:21
I ordered a Behn Sono mouthpiece to try. I’ve been using his Aria reeds for some time so figured I should get around to trying his mouthpieces. I messaged him with a few questions and he responded very quickly! Seems very knowledgeable and I look forward to trying his mouthpiece when it comes gets here. There are so many great mouthpiece makers available these days it’s a wonder why anyone bothers with the mass produced stuff. Besides those who can’t afford it obviously. But seeing as Buffet continues to sell lots of clarinets at sky high prices, I suspect many players aren’t investing enough into the most important part of Clarinet equipment. The mouthpiece and reed!
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Author: Ed
Date: 2019-12-15 07:25
You certainly could not go wrong with Brad's stuff. He knows a lot about what makes a mouthpiece work and does fine work.
I agree about the quality of mouthpieces today. There are a number of people out there making fine pieces.
Post Edited (2019-12-15 23:30)
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Author: gwie
Date: 2019-12-15 11:13
Brad's mouthpieces are awesome, and his mouthpiece line covers nearly all the bases. I've started a lot of beginners and even pulled intermediate players on inconsistent pieces back to the Overture mouthpiece, which works superbly well and like the Fobes Debut, is about as best as one will get with an inexpensive acrylic mouthpiece. Prior to a hiatus from teaching clarinet students due to a career shift, I had about a half-dozen kids playing on his Zinner model and we obtained consistently delightful results in tone quality, articulation, and ease of play.
Personally, after a three-plus year break from using any cane reeds at all, I've started using the Aria 3.5 reeds again with one of his older Vintage model mouthpieces (the design preceding the current HCV series), and it's just an amazingly resonant and comfortable experience all around, and I hardly have any reeds in the box that I can't use. I find my Epic HCV works a bit better than this older one does with the Legere Signature European Cut 3.5 so I use that when I'm on synthetic.
Throughout all of this, I've always had my many questions answered in exquisite detail. I'm not a full time symphony player nor a soloist, but Brad shared a lot of his time and expertise with me in my mouthpiece search and recovery from excessive playing fatigue, and I will always be grateful!
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Author: igalkov
Date: 2019-12-15 20:39
Congratulations richardstone and all other happy Behn's users! The day I decided to order from Brad Behn changed my clarinet life forever. I play my EPIC HCV every day now, not because I "have to practice" and all that stuff — I really don't HAVE to long ago — but simply of that amazing feelings this mouthpiece gives me. Sometimes I just can't wait for a next day to come to play clarinet, and it's all because of Behn. Bravo!
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Author: richardstone
Date: 2020-01-15 23:28
Update.
Well, I've had the Behn Zinner mouthpiece for about a month now and I want to share my experiences so far. The mouthpiece is best, for me, with a 3 1/2 Aria reed which is harder than the Aria 3 I started with. The tone is fuller and actually easier with the heavier reed. I wonder if a 4 is in order in the future. The tone is very easy to manipulate as far as dynamics and fullness. I can easily play a whisper and decays from anywhere to nothing is very easily controlled. Articulation required much less tongue effort and movement and the notes are very crisp.
As a fairly new player to the clarinet I knew that there had to be a mouthpiece/reed combo that would make playing the instrument easier and more expressive. Trying the Behn Overture first convinced me that Brad is onto something. Spending $200 was a jump for me, not being sure if it would really help or was just hype. After communicating with Brad I felt that he was sincere in his belief that he could give me a mouthpiece that would open up my playing and address my concerns. I would gladly make this purchase again because I feel like I can start to express myself without the problems I was having before. My professional teacher has confirmed that he hears a huge upgrade in my sound.
richarddstone@mac.com
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Author: jeeves
Date: 2020-01-19 04:16
@fernie121: did your mouthpiece come in? Curious to hear your thoughts on the Sono.
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Author: fernie121
Date: 2020-01-19 21:38
Hello Jeeves, I’ve had the Sono for two weeks now. At first, I was convinced a 4 1/2 Aria was light enough for my Sono (closed). This is where I’m already in a state of mind of trying to relax as much as possible. To my surprise I’ve found even lighter reeds are best. I’m now using the softest 4’s out of the box with this mouthpiece. My embouchure is even more relaxed and a bit more “forward” feeling. I’ve even tucked in more lower lip to loosen things up. All these changes along the way have made things easier and SOUND better. My initial reaction was “wow this sounds bright”. But now I’m able to achieve a much warmer while still vibrant sound than before. I compared it to a BD5 I have in my drawer and the Vandoren seems absolutely lifeless in comparison. I’ve used the SONO in two performances so far and as expected projection is much better than before. So to put it simply, this mouthpiece is great. I highly recommend it. And I suspect there is more to discover on my part as I become more comfortable with it.
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