The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Wes
Date: 2001-07-22 06:47
Hi!
Does anyone have a recommendation for a mouthpiece for a Selmer Series 9 basset horn in F?
This is a small bore instrument that is supposed to take a standard clarinet mouthpiece and it is in excellent condition with a new overhaul. The several mouthpieces I've tried, including my favorite for my R13, an old Mitchell Lurie, don't seem to respond as well as an old Conn mouthpiece. Any comments would be apprecieated.
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Author: eilidh
Date: 2001-07-22 13:17
someone i know uses an alto clarinet mouthpiece.........dont know how that works though sorry........i dont play either
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-07-22 13:57
I'm far from expert, lets hope that Arnold [the B H'ist] will read and reply to provide his experience to this thread. Others, Ken Shaw, Larry Combs, our several pro-mouthpiece makers and acoustic experts like Lee Gibson also please respond. My feelings based engineering fluid-flow considerations and on my alto and bass cls [and a slight bit of B H] experiences are that close matching of mp bore with neck [barrel] bore and [in the case of Bb and A cls ] matching barrel bore with UJ bore is necessary to provide NON-Turbulent air flow and the best development of the nodal configurations on which our tonality depends. To me, this speaks to also having differing length barrels, or at least properly sized tuning rings, for different tuning environments. Just my thots on a very complex subject. Don
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Author: Arnold the basset hornist
Date: 2001-07-23 09:02
Hmmm,
your mouthpiece must be conpatible with the bore diameter of your instrument (otherwise you may get horrible intonation effects like the ones when I tried my alto clarinet mouthpiece [for 17 mm bore] at my A clarinet), thus an alto clarinet mouthpiece usually will not work for your horn
The second thing is, your also have to use the apropiate reeds for your basset horn. If it's too hard for the lowest tones and too soft for upper clarion and altissimo usually the cut is too short. And then you'll usuallay look for a mouthpiece with a facing length which is some (or little) longer than at your soprano clarinet.
There are still more parameters, like the 'size of the chamber' of your mouthpiece, but for this information you need some experts for mouthpieces, I think.
I hope, my information will help,
Arnold (the basset hornist)
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-07-23 14:07
Thank you, Arnold, I was sure you could help. The only advice I've heard for a Selmer BH mp is to use a Bb [or A?] soprano mp. I'd use the largest bore of these available. Suggest measurements to allay fears of incompatibility. Don
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Author: Mike Harrelson
Date: 2001-07-24 02:46
For what it's worth, the Leblanc Clarinet Catalog lists the 2502-2L Mouthpiece as the one supplied with their Basset Horn. When I looked up 2502-2L in the Leblanc accessories catalog, I found it listed as an Alto Clarinet Mouthpiece. So it would appear that the alto clarinet mouthpiece is the one to use on the basset horn.
The Basset Clarinet, a different animal, is pitched in A (not F) and does take a Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece, not unlike your basic A Clarinet.
I am not a basset horn player, just a catalog reader.
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Author: Arnold the basset hornist
Date: 2001-07-24 06:29
Hello,
just a remark to Mike,
the bore diameter of basset horns differs a lot (by product), e. g. 18.0 mm Leblanc, 17.0 mm my Uebel, 15.5 mm Schwenk-und-Seggelke, and a Ripamonti type which uses a soprano clar bore (approx. 15 mm). If you once get the chance, try to play a soprano clar with an Eb-clar mouthpiece (if you can close the air leakage) to hear the results (which depends on the free volume in the gap between the small tenon in the larger socket, too).
Arnold (the basset hornist)
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Author: Wes
Date: 2001-07-25 05:01
Thank you for your comments. This is not an easy question to answer because there are so few of these instruments. Selmer recommends a Selmer Paris Bb clarinet mouthpiece but I don't know which model they meant. The one I have is not the best for this instrument.
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