Author: kilo
Date: 2021-01-01 01:33
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A few weeks ago I ordered one of Walter Grabners's new Hi Tech mouthpieces, a "White Velvet" for bass clarinet. It showed up in a few days and the first thing I wanted to know is whether my Bonade Inverted ligature would fit, and it did. Then I took out some of my other mouthpieces just to do visual comparisons. The interior geometry looked an awful lot like my Fobes CF and with rather crude measuring devices I tried to compare facing curves and tip openings. It still seemed similar to the Fobes, but my eye isn't calibrated to thousandths. The next question — "How does it play?" I started with a Legere Classic 3½ which I use on my Fobes. (All the reeds discussed here are Legeres.) It was not a good match, seeming stiff with an airy sound.
Next I tried a 3½ Tenor Sax Studio Cut. This was better but still seemed a bit stiff. A 2½ Classic B.C. was too soft, although the tone quality was very nice. Next I tried a 3 Tenor Sax Studio Cut. This was getting close, although still a mite soft. I had a couple of Tenor Sax Signatures, a 2¾ and a 3 — they were stuffy. So I decided to concentrate on the Studio Cut 3 for now. I'd really be interested in the new B.C. European Cut as the rails on the mouthpiece are made wide for those reeds but they're $45 and, well, it'll happen, but not right away.
One thing I noticed is that, never having had a white mouthpiece before, it was almost impossible to distinguish where the tip of the reed is, and tip placement is critical on Legere reeds. I relied on a magnifying glass for a few days and then decided to try something else. Taking a black Sharpie, I drew a very small line across the inside of the tip. (See attachments) This worked very well. I'll also mention that the tenon was not a snug fit and I've had to bulk it up with Teflon tape. Walter said he corks them to fit tightly in a Buffet socket, so when I take my 33 to my tech I'll have him recork it to fit the Selmer.
The White Velvet is about 3 gr heavier than the Fobes. As JTJC and Walter discuss, the finish on this piece is different from the smooth surfaces we're used to seeing. Even in the chamber the laser milling is evident. I expect that the mouthpiece will look pretty beat in a few months as the white surface picks up smudges and ligature marks. I'm not one of those people who wash, iron, and fold their swab or polish the hardware on their case, and I don't mind if my equipment shows use. I've admired the mirror finish on some metal sax mouthpieces, and the grained ebonite of others but as Walter emphasizes, the important thing is how they sound.
This piece plays beautifully over the whole range of the instrument. I'm still adjusting to the slightly softer reeds I'm using — I'm used to playing with more resistance so control in the altissimo is critical or it can sound shrill. But it's a pleasure to use. The sound is rich and resonant. I think Walter's done a fine job with these and I expect we'll be seeing, and hearing, more of them as the word gets out and things begin to open up again.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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