 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jura82
Date: 2020-03-06 10:47
Did anyone try Wurlitzer clarinet mouthpieces for Boehm?
https://wurlitzerklarinetten.de/shop/?lang=en
For each mouthpiece there are 2 versions: German/Reform Boehm and French. I'm curious because some of these mouthpieces have tip openings below 1mm and long facing, 20-25 mm. How could these mouthpiece with such small opening work on French system clarinet?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2020-03-06 14:11
I cannot speak to the precise acoustic modeling of the Reform Boehm version, but I CAN speak to the German facing of the Wurlitzer mouthpieces and how that interacts with Boehm clarinets.
First and foremost...........GREAT!!
I had gone through a year of using either modified tenons of German mouthpieces or modified barrels to use unmodified German mouthpieces. My favorite was the latter and it was the Wurlitzer M3+ facing which is exactly what you describe.
https://www.thomannmusic.com/wurlitzer_m3.htm
The issue is not whether it works on Boehm but rather one of changing (presumably) your approach to playing. To quote Bas DeJong of Viotto mouthpieces, for traditional German playing (using the small tip opening, long facing you describe paired with a 2 1/2 strength German reed), "you just put it in your mouth and blow."
There are some caveats there, but compared to what 99% of us go through in the US over embouchure........that's it.
When first diving in you'll say to yourself.......this feels like when I first started in grade school, it's too flaccid, it can't be right. BUT, the sound will be authoritative and the dynamic range will be everything that is NOT present in a beginner scenario.
Key to getting this right is to make sure you are placing your embouchure as close as possible to where reed and mouthpiece come together (the point where you get nothing more than a horrendous squawky sound.......no tone at all). And you need to use the prescribed 2 1/2 strength German cut reed (preferably Vandoren White Master Traditional cut).
Then it's just a matter of getting use to the "feel."
The sound and dynamics are FANTASTISCH !!!!
..............Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2020-03-06 14:28)
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2020-03-06 14:29
Jura82 wrote:
> I'm curious because some of these mouthpieces have tip openings below 1mm
> and long facing, 20-25 mm. How could these mouthpiece with such small
> opening work on French system clarinet?
That is because most of the Wurlitzer mouthpieces are designed for German or Austrian reeds. There are some exceptions like the 3WZ and 3CS, these are designed for Vandoren V12 reeds. This can be seen on the website at the mouthpiece details.
Post Edited (2020-03-06 14:33)
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Author: Jura82
Date: 2020-03-06 15:22
But with such a long facing, you need to put almost half of the mouthpiece in the mouth and without any pressure on the reed. Do you know, are these mouthpieces hard rubber or plastic?
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2020-03-06 16:56
Jura82 wrote:
> But with such a long facing, you need to put almost half of the
> mouthpiece in the mouth and without any pressure on the reed.
>
I never have had any problems with positioning a long faced mouthpiece in the mouth. Also never heard anyone complaining about this. Of course no guarantee in your situation but probably you are afraid of a problem that does not exist.
Furthermore, German reeds are far more stiff than French reeds and that compensates for the long facing. The feeling is not necessarily very different from a more open mouthpiece with a French reed. Of course there are extreme setups that I think you should avoid. But if you take e.g. an M3 with a Vandoren White Master #3 you get quite an avarage setup that can be compared with avarage French setups. E.g. a facing like M5 is already considered as very open and requests a strong embouchure to control. But of course this is all related to the stronger German reeds. Even a soft German reed (#2.5) is stiffer than a strong French reed. You can't play these facings with a French reed.
> Do you know, are these mouthpieces hard rubber or plastic?
a good quality plastic
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2020-03-06 18:43
Well, more like plexiglass. Wurlitzer has been using this material since the '80s.
I'd say it is safe to say that German reeds are a half strength stronger than their French counterpart. But again, if you want to experience the German mouthpiece in a traditional manner you need to use softer reeds.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: crusius
Date: 2020-03-07 00:46
I have the FO. It works well, has a similar feeling and sound to the Vandoren B40, but takes reeds that are a bit softer.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2020-03-07 04:21
So what are tip opening and lay length dimensions of the FO?
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: Auke
Date: 2020-03-07 12:00
Fo 1.05/20 (holzblaeser.com)
Fo* 1.07/19 (holzblaeser.com)
Fo** 1.09/19 (bastein.de)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2020-03-07 21:52
Oh, just got a response on the "FO" dimensions from Wurlitzer. They say it us a company secret. I can't even begin to tell you guys how frustrating it is to hear that these days when familiarity with some basic numbers SHOULD free all of us up from either comparing to some random Vandoren or saying something like, "it produces the sound of dark liquid chocolate during an electrical storm."
Spare me
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2020-03-08 18:53
I also mailed Wurlitzer for information about the differences in their French facings (e.g. 3WZ, 3WZ*, 3CS) and I got the response: "Differences can only be tested. It is too individuel." Well, true of course but not very helpful.
On my question how I could test them I didn't get a response yet...
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2020-03-08 20:37
Wurlizer can be Sphinx-like in responding to certain questions. Geichweit is more informative. They list lay openings and length for every model they carry and have a trial testing policy of charging only postage and test fees for mouthpieces not purchased. Here's the German version of their website:
https://www.gleichweit-mundstuecke.com.
Gleichweit still makes traditional close German and Viennese facings in some of their models (for example the Daniel Ottensamer DO at 34mm, 0.87 mm or the Alexander Neubauer AN at 35 mm, 0.81) but most of their mouthpieces are much more open at the tip, especially the Boehm models, which start at 1.15 mm and go up from there. Even so, the Gleichweits I've heard have been very vibrant and balanced in sound. Gabor Varga sounds great on his.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gabor+varga+gleichweit.
Post Edited (2020-03-08 23:02)
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