 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Claricrooner
Date: 2025-05-07 15:32
For those who are able to make synthetic reeds work on bass clarinet, what does your setup look like? Do you play bass reeds, or perhaps tenor saxophone? Are there some mouthpieces that work better than others on bass for synthetic reeds?
I play synthetic (Legere European Cut) professionally on Bb clarinet. I’m hoping to do the same on bass but am yet to find a way to make it work. I’d be grateful for any help or advice, or recommendations for setups to try. Thanks!
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2025-05-08 00:32
i have had good results with syynthetic reeds on bass using legere-BARI venn and hartman fiber reeds. not all mpcs respond well to synth reeds but i have had great results with vandoren and brilhart bass clarinet mpcs. tenor sax synth reeds work just fine on bass clarinet. the venn reed only worked for me on very close facings as it a very stiff reed.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2025-05-08 00:53
I use both tenor and bass Legere reeds on bass clarinet. Both my best MPs are Selmer Soloist C* that have been refaced by David McClune. A few VDs work but do not come close to the C*. Any ligature seems to work just fine.
HRL
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2025-05-08 02:32
yyes thhe selmer c* is still the best bass clarinet mpc -just unbeatable. even my fobes sanfrancisco mpc cant touch my selmer c*
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-05-08 02:35
I use a Vandoren (Pomarico) A2 crystal with Legere Signature 3 on bass.
I find the Vandoren/Pomarico crystal bass mouthpieces have a much fuller, fatter and focussed tone than the Vandoren B46 and Selmer C* I also have. It's not a spread and characterless or 'flabby' sound as some people make - I had the 2nd clarinettist in one of the local orchestras say it felt like he was sat by the cathedral organ when I was playing bass during a rehearsal.
Someone I know recently said their clarinet teacher said crystal bass mouthpieces are "the wrong sound" for orchestral playing.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2025-05-08 18:46)
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2025-05-08 07:51
i found synth reeds worked execellent on xystal when i played a obrien on Bb for years. back then all there was was the BARI brand but it was an execellent set up. i imagine its true for xystal on bass now also
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Author: Mojo
Date: 2025-05-08 18:31
I was playing a Fobes San Francisco AP (little more open than a C*). Now I play my own 3D printed BC mouthpiece that is similar, but with my own refinements. I like 2.5 strength Legere ECs. 2.75 if I have a lot of high notes.
MojoMP.com
Mojo Mouthpiece Work LLC
MojoMouthpieceWork@yahoo.com
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Author: kilo
Date: 2025-05-09 14:45
Fobes CWF with Légère French Cut Tenor #3½
Mojo projecting refaced mpc with Légère Tenor Studio Cut #3
Selmer Focus – still dialing this one in; seems to do better with softer Légères (3 - 3¼)
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Author: HANGARDUDE
Date: 2025-05-09 15:36
kilo wrote:
> Fobes CWF with Légère French Cut Tenor #3½
>
> Mojo projecting refaced mpc with Légère Tenor Studio Cut #3
>
> Selmer Focus – still dialing this one in; seems to do better
> with softer Légères (3 - 3¼)
kilo: Just curious what facing do you use on the Fobes?
Although I only occasionally use Legere reeds, I've had considerable success using their Tenor Sax American Cut 3.5 reeds(running the same as the VD V12 sax/bass reeds) on both my Fobes 10K AP as well as my Corbin C2 (both ~1.90 opening, similar to Selmer D and B40).
I've also previously played the Bass Euro cut(same strength) albeit liking it less than the Tenor American Cut. I've also tried their French Cut and preferred 3.75 (the French Cut runs 1/4 softer than the others, same as the VD Blue Box/D'Addario Reserve) but haven't extensively bought and used them due to budget reasons. Furthermore I previously used their tenor studio cut as well as their signature some years ago and they worked decently. Ironically it appears that Legere's tenor reeds generally work better on both tenor sax AND bass clarinet than their actual bass clarinet reeds do.
As for ligatures, any Vandoren, Ishimori, Rovner, Silverstein ligs should work fine on any of these Legere reeds.
Josh
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Author: kilo
Date: 2025-05-09 19:07
My Fobes CWF is the CF facing; 1.70 tip opening. I'd been pretty satisfied with the European Cut (3¼) but shifted to the French Cut, which seems sweeter-sounding and more "compact" – moving from 3¼ to 3½ because, as you say, the FC's are a bit softer.
I was surprised that the Focus required different reeds than the Fobes, but while the tip opening is only slightly more (1.90) the facing curve is longer. I wish I had a Fobes AP (1.90) to compare it to as the facing is still less than that on the Focus, 24 vs 32. Légère's are great because you can see the difference in the facing after playing for a while just by glancing at the moisture pattern that builds up on the rails.
I've got a few well-played American Cuts from when I used to play tenor and you've convinced me to try them out on the Focus. Even with the exchange program, finding the right Légère can be a bit daunting but once you find what works you're golden.
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