The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kat
Date: 2001-10-07 19:30
Hi Guys I use a B44 Vandoren mouthpiece on a Bb clarinet. I need a louder sound and better tone. I would like to stay with the Vandoren mouthpieces but am not sure which one to buy. I would try them out but I don't feel like ordering 10 mouthpieces because there are so many facings. I'm afraid going with a more closed tip is going to close my sound off even more even if I get a better tone, but I am nervous about trying anything more open because I'm not sure if my tone will sound as good. Any suggestions???
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Author: Peter
Date: 2001-10-07 19:45
I think someone wrote about the Vandoren 11.1 in a recent thread that you sholud be able to find by inig through the recent older topics.
I like the 5RV and the B46 is not bad either, but the best advise I think you are going to get will be to try as many of them out as you can before making a decision.
Possibly the loudest will be the ones formulated, specifically, for playing jazz.
Most major music stores (Sam Ash, Mars Music, etc.) let you come in and try as many mouthpieces as you want to try before you buy one. They simply desinfect them and let someone else try them out after that.
Don't turn your nose up at the "disinfected" mouth pieces, the disinfectants they use are not only effective, but safe for humans.
If you can't get to a major music store or can't spend much time at one trying out mouthpieces, then order several at one time from someone like the Woodwinds-Brasswinds by mail on their try-out program.
Incidentally, I just received a three-section newspaper-sized flyer from them regarding close-out items, and there seem to be lots of mouthpieces listed in several places in it.
Good luck finding the mouthpiece of your choice. Like finding the best reed, it is a time-consuming, on-going effort on the part of most woodwinds players.
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Author: Kim L
Date: 2001-10-07 20:01
Speaking of Vandoren mouthpieces, what material are they made of? Also, can a deep, dark, stuffy tone be accomplished with Vandoren mouthpieces or would you need to try for higher quality?
Kim
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Author: Peter
Date: 2001-10-08 05:38
Kim look in www.vandoren.com and click on products at the bottom, left corner of the home page, then on the left margin of the page, you will find different instruments listed under mouth-pieces.
Click on an instrument to find all the Vandoren mpcs currently made for that instrument and there will be all kinds of information on them, including the materials they are made out of, openings, facings, recommended reeds, etc.
Just above that, on the same margin, you will find an acrobat reader version of the complete Vandoren catalog.
When I go to purchase Vandoren mouthpieces, I usually take a print-out of the catalog with all the specifications for mpcs and ligatures, etc. so I can begin to make my choices of what to try out with any particular instrument according to the information provided in it.
For instance, if I am looking for a relatively open or closed mouth-piece or one for classical music or jazz, the catalog can help to make those preliminary determinations.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-10-08 13:09
Kat -
"Louder" and "better" don't come from a more open mouthpiece. The B44 is pretty open to begin with, and going any more open will only give you louder and raunchy.
If you want to stick with Vandoren, try the 5RV Lyre, which is a medium design that's a little more open than average. Then work on long tones and tone development exercises so that your sound can carry at any dynamic level. For this, you really need a teacher, who can hear you and work on finding how to sound better.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-10-12 07:56
I bought 10( or more) Vandoren mouthpieces these 30 years(or more).
I found to my irritation their tables were 'all' not flat except one(the oldest 2RV).
If I buy one, I would ask a resurfacer to check its table and rail and resurface them.
A resurfacer like this: http://eanello.virtualave.net/
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