 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ted Donaldson
Date: 2001-08-23 23:45
Hello again fellow clarineters!
My mesage this time is in regards to getting a new mouthpiece. I have a month until all state and i want a mouthpiece better than the stock one that came with my king marigaux bass.
My question is, what is the best mouthpiece for under 80 dollars? (not suggested retail, but the price a store might offer)
Right now my mouthpiece is just... not doing to well... in the upper notes. (High b above the bar)
Your help would be apreciated immensley.
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Author: jeff
Date: 2001-08-23 23:59
hello
I am not sure if this will help but i have heard some very good things about the new selmer C* mouthpieces but they are probably around a hundred dollars. If you can go to that level it is well worth it. They are all different so i would rec. trying a few of them( that holds true for all brands and styles).
Good luck to you.
Jeff
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2001-08-24 00:32
For a little more than $80 ($94.95) the Pomarico Crystal might be a good prospect.
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Author: Fred
Date: 2001-08-24 01:34
I would strongly suggest that you contact Dave Spiegelthal directly and discuss your needs with him. If you don't have his email address, use the search feature on the bb and click on his name.
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Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2001-08-24 01:38
Ted, If $80.00 is your price, hurry up! Check out Walter Grabner's CXBB (see Walter's web page-and email at grabnerwg@aol.com or walter@clarinetxpress- he is a Sneezy sponsor and he will be raising his prices about 1Sept. Get in before the rush. It's a "try before your buy" deal so what can you loose? He also has some he is selling on eBay but these are not a professional mpc just student/advance student/intermediate..
Bob A
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Author: Gretchen
Date: 2001-08-24 05:03
The Hite is my favorite inexpensive bass mouthpiece, for about $70. You might try that. Bay is my absolute favorite, but it costs almost $300!
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2001-08-24 13:25
A popular mouthpiece that I use is the Vandoren B45. MIght be slightly more than $80. Check out Woodwind and Brasswind or International Music Suppliers for the best price.
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Author: Stephen Froehlich
Date: 2001-08-24 13:53
In summary there are a list that you should look at:
Bay: $250 - We all love them and it will probably be your last bass mouthpiece, very rich sound, plenty of control, also lots of volume - invaluable when you're the only Bass in a 100 piece band
Selmer C*: $100 - a fine, solid mouthpiece, available at your local music store, I'd say its very well balanced, has a less "rich" tone than the Bay but is nothing to turn your nose up at
Roger Garrett: $70 - the least expensive hand made Bass mouthpiece, lots of bang for the buck - Mine is has a fairly pure "Bb-like" tone which is great for smaller ensembles
Hite: $70 - Gretchen's favorite inexpensive mouthpiece (no experience)
Bundy: $40 - pretty much the same mouthpiece as the Selmer C*, build quality may not be quite the same, though
Grabner: $80 if you act quick - I am very interested to hear more about this mpc
Pyne $200 No experience with - what are they like?
Pomarico: $115 No experience with - what are they like?
And I must reiterate that Dave Spiegelthal is someone you should talk to - he does refacing and he may well have some good, cheap used mouthpieces for you to try out.
I would be interested to hear some about the character of the Hite, Grabner, Pyne, and Pomarico using a C* or a Bay MO-M as a reference point.
Note: all prices are extracted from WWBW.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2001-08-24 14:06
To this list I would certainly add the Clark Fobes mouthpieces for Bass Clarinet. Clark (one of our sponsors) is a premier maker of custom mouthpieces. His Bb soprano and Bass mouthpieces rank with the finest hand made ones. His "San Francisco" Bass mouthpiece is approximately $195. The Bass clarinetist in our orchestra just switched to it, and there was a true difference in his sound from his old Selmer C*. Clark also makes the "Basso Nova" bass clarinet mouthpiece (no experience with it - sorry) for appoximately $89. Based on Clark's reputation as a mouthpiece maker, and very accomodating clarinetist, I would check these out as well....
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2001-08-24 17:57
Above I quoted the Pomarico as "94.95". I was looking at an older WW/BW catalogue. The current WW/BW catalogue lists it at $115 as Stephen stated above. Still pretty reasonable for a reputable piece, though I haven't played one. My personal piece is a custom made Charles Bay with a .100" tip opening. This piece combined with my Selmer 37 low C bass can rival a baritone sax in power and volume. The downside is Charlie charges top dollar. But amortized over ten or twenty years and $300 isn't really that much to pay for a great playing piece.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-08-24 20:56
Ted -
If you're serious about bass, you need the best mouthpiece you can get, regardless of price. Even $300 is cheap compared to the cost of the instrument. Also, as Robert says, you only buy it once, but use it forever. The pleasure of playing on something good rewards you every time you pick up the instrument, and long after you stop missing the money you paid for it.
I would trust a hand-made or hand-refinished mouthpiece over a machine-made one (such as Selmer or Vandoren). You have someone who knows how to play the instrument doing the work and testing it. If money is really tight, you'll do better with Walter Grabner or Roger Garrett.
Any decent bass mouthpiece can play loud. Listen, in addition, for roundness and warmth, which are harder to find.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-08-24 22:35
I generally agree with Ken's view of the bass cl mp question. For those with limited funds, I have a VD B45, had an [earlier] $100 Bay, have presently a Sel C* and an old and a newer Bundy 3. I like the older B 3 the best , next the C*, which leads me to suggest if you can find several B 3's to try out, do so if only for experience. I play a Selmer 31-33 low Eb bass mainly in community band and church orch, [semi-ridiculous to sublime?] so need a wide range of tonality in two registers. When I worked out my double-register-key problems [had a few squeeks!] it plays well. Ken,[or others] who is it that will reface a C* [and maybe a B 3?] to a custom facing, and at what cost ? Don
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Author: Jason Gogal
Date: 2001-08-26 08:36
Schreiber.
Excellent.
I have an HSJ. Very wide open. Super sound. I haven't paid a dime for it yet...how many American companies would let you play before you buy?
http://www.esm-mouthpiece.de
Jason
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Author: Ted Donaldson
Date: 2001-08-26 20:23
Thanks everyone for their input, I have decided to get walter grabners CSBX the 150 dollar one. (i got a budget raise !)
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2001-08-26 20:31
Let us know how it plays.
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