 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2025-06-15 03:57
i dont understand why these dont get attention here. i have 1 each for alto and bass clarinet and both are fantastic players.the alto is marked quality superioure and the bass is just 2l
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Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2025-06-15 19:07
I have a vintage G. Leblanc (all on the same line, no other markings) alto clarinet mpc. I haven't experimented with it much because it has thus far proven to be much more reserved on my Leblanc alto than the newer mpcs I have in my collection. One of these days I'll get around to seeing what reeds work pest on it.
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Author: helen628young
Date: 2025-06-16 14:19
Could you tell me a bit more about them? Like their brand, age, or any special features? Sometimes, certain makers or markings might be overlooked or less known in the community, even if the instruments themselves are fantastic. PrepaidGiftBalance activate
Post Edited (2025-06-17 09:21)
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Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2025-06-16 20:45
Helen,
I'm not certain I understand your question or which of us it is directed to, but I'll tell you what I have.
My own contemporary alto clarinet mouthpieces are:
Vandoren BD5 (my current favorite)
Vandoren B44
Vandoren B40
J.D. Hite
(Walter) Grabner (marked A 124 on one side and BA on the other)
Clark W. Fobes San Francisco (marked 11939 serial number?)
Yamaha 4C
BigMouthPiece (a recent creation from a tenor sax mouthpiece)
My vintage or older alto clarinet mouthpieces are:
Geo. M. Bundy 3 (probably fairly new, "jazz" reface per the person I bought it from)
Selmer C* (incised markings; probably post-1960s)
"Olympian" (marked "1" on side)
Coast (marked N3 on the side)
The Woodwind Co. Kenosha/Wis. Steel Ebonite G7*
G.LEBLANC” (logo follows the contour of the upper area w/ "G" on same line as "Leblanc". This logo dates to roughly the 1950s. No other markings.)
Wurlitzer (marked "MO" on side)
I tend to stay with the Vandorens, as they have worked most consistently (sound and articulation) with the synthetic reeds I've tried. Since I don't play alto that much I tend to stick with the setup that just works without much fiddling.
The Leblanc mouthpiece is interesting to me only because with the reeds I've tried on it it gives me the most "clarinet-like" sound, despite the sound being thin and soft and with poor projection compared to most of the others. I intend to explore it more as I have time.
Hope that at least partially answers your question.
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2025-06-17 00:19
wow ken -i have a sizable alto mpc collection my self but i think you have me beat lol. my favs are VanDoren b44-clark fobes San Francisco and the quality superioure marked g leblanc. my b44 gives the best articulation also and best tunning.
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Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2025-06-18 22:33
I have a Leblanc 2L bass mouthpiece stowed away, and decided by this thread to give it a try. But for me the sound was thin and bright compared to the Vandoren B40 I have in my regular use. Of course it may work better for someone else, or suit someone else's taste better.
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Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2025-06-19 04:31
Since we're discussing the esoteric subject of Leblanc alto cl. mouthpieces I'm going to add somethings of my recent experience with that mouthpiece. I've been experimenting with a cut-down Fibracell #4 tenor sax reed on my VD BD5 mouthpiece, and found that it works better than any of the other reeds I've tried on that mpc (- various strenths of Fibracell and Fiberreed Onyx alto sax reeds and cut-down Fiberreed tenor reeds; I've not found any Legeres or Baris to my liking). On a whim I tried that cut-down Fibracell #4 tenor sax reed on my Leblanc mouthpiece and found it superior to anything I've played on the BD5. For me it has a smoother sound, more predictable articulation, better predictability across the break, the fullness of the BD5 but with a more focused sound. I'm very surprised and look forward to working more with this setup.
As a caveate, however, I have to add that for me this instrument has been the most fickle beast I've ever played. It requires constant minor adjustments and what setup works best for me seems to change with the weather. But this is the first time I've been pleased with the Leblanc mouthpiece.
Post Edited (2025-06-19 04:34)
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Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2025-06-19 04:41
I just realized that my original post with all that mpc information may well have been in response to a bot. I didn't notice the link enbedded in the post until this evening. Irritating.
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