 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Gerald Loban
Date: 2002-03-04 20:18
As a very amateur clarinetist who has hardly touched the instrument for over 25 years I have suddenly taken an interest in it again. I find that I also have a cyrstal mouthpiece. I believe that it is a Selmer-O'Brian but the name is etched in the glass and is very faint. My question is: What are the Pros & Cons of these mouthpieces. I note in pictures that both Henry Cuesta and Pete Fountain play them (You can see where my interest lies) and both have lovely sounds. I tried mine, but find it somewhat hard to blow compared with the Buffet mouthpiece on my R13. I also have a MacAferri Nylon mouthpiece which sounds quite nice, but is also a bit harder to blow than the Buffet.
I am not to knowledgable about mouthpieces and the terminology used. I also don't understand what a "rail" is in the mouthpiece.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gerry.
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Author: Gerald Loban
Date: 2002-03-04 21:17
Thank you Mark. Most helpful. Never realized how much there is to know about the intricacies of the various component parts of the Clarinet.
Thanks again.
Gerry.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-03-04 21:40
Gerry - Nearly all of us have had some experience with glass mps, I have several for soprano cl and one for bass cl, and do place the easier-blowing ones among my best. The glass will probably be the best at retaining its characteristics with long use, but, as some of us have found out, they may hit the floor only ONCE !! They may have been most popular in the '30 - '50's, my early O'Briens were marked as 2 or 2S, [close, short lays {French ?}] and are somewhat harder blowing than more modern designs. Newer ones are available in lays which are better [for me]. Take care, have fun, Don
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-03-04 21:56
There seems to be an uncanny number of "us" who learned clarinet years ago - even got quite good at it - and, for whatever reason stopped playing --- and then take it up again!
I played clarinet and viola equally proficiently (but not simultaneously) and constantly regret having given up the piano - so, you kids out there, if you're playing piano - don't drop it, it will come in very useful in later life!!
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Author: William
Date: 2002-03-04 22:12
I just heard Henry Cuesta live--touring with the Welk show--and had a brief chat with him about "old times" and clarinets. From our discussion, it seems that he is currently unhappy with his sound and is looking for an old Selmer BT to buy and play for the solution--not a new mpc. What I am trying to say is that the "sound" of your "clarineting" is more a result of the physical makeup of your embouchure/oral cavity, the concept of sound that is in your mind and (according to Henry) the kind of clarinet that you play. The mouthpiece simply lets you produce that sound with good reponse and consistancy throughout the range and helps you play in tune. Two people playing the same mouthpiece will sound different because of the way their embouchures are built and their inner concept of sound. So playing a crystal mpc will not make you instantly sound like Henry or Pete. If it is a good one, it will simply make it easier for you to sound like "you." As always, try before you buy--and try as many as you can. Good Clarineting!!!! (Henry Cuesta certainly does)
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Author: William
Date: 2002-03-04 22:17
"if you're playing piano - don't drop it,"
Diz--now really!! Why would anyone pick up a heavy piano in the first place??
Kids--be careful out there, but always, Good Clarineting!!!!!!!
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-03-04 22:29
Gerald...I am a big fan of crystal mouthpieces, but it took considerable effort to find the perfect one. Due to the lack of control in the manufacturing of crystal mouthpieces (inherent to the nature of the material), they can vary widely from superb to downright unplayable.
The Vandoren crystal (my main mouthpiece for 30 years) that I use was selected from approximately 20 - 30 different ones in the early 70's. Before finally selecting that "one gem in 30" I noticed that the overall variation between each one was quite considerable
Barring contact with the floor, the chance of it ever changing it's dimensions are nil.
However, as William stated, the mouthpiece is just one factor in the equation of a perfect sound..GBK
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Author: jez
Date: 2002-03-05 10:56
One other thing to beware of with crystal mouthpices.
I seem to have quite sharp front teeth and always mark mp.s even if I play only a short time on them, unless I use a patch.
When I had a crystal (until I dropped it) I was pleased to notice that it didn't get scratched at all so I was able to play without for the first time. After a while, though, I became suspicious and confirmed with my dentist that, instead of the mp. getting worn my teeth were actually getting ground down. If you use crystal always use a mp. patch or it will eventually outlast you.
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Author: John Scorgie
Date: 2002-03-05 17:47
Gerald --
Those old Selmer crystal mpces were indeed made by O'Brien. If yours is hard to blow compared with your Buffet stock mpce, it is probably an HS* facing, which translates to an O'Brien 2 or 2*, I forget which. (The reason the crystal HS* plays different from a rubber HS* has to do with the chamber dimensions).
If your crystal is opened up to the equivalent of an HS**, it will blow more freely. Contrary to what you may have heard, crystals can be refaced. Any good mpce mechanic can do it with a flat surface and a sheet of wet or dry paper, altho many will not work on crystals because of certain problems in modifying the baffle or chamber dimensions as opposed to the facing itself.
If you don't care for the crystal, you can always sell it on ebay since Selmer crystals are becoming collector's items. In that case, don't have it refaced, because if the script lettering on the table is effaced, the mpce value drops.
Or ask around the clarinet players in your area -- someone will be glad to swap it for a nice Vandoren rubber mpce (or other good brand). The B45 facing with a 2 1/2 or 3 Vandoren should be "free blowing", if that is what you are after.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-03-05 18:51
I reface crystal mouthpieces regularly --- it's not that hard (much easier than, say, stainless steel sax mouthpieces such as Lawton and Berg Larsen). And given a mouthpiece with reasonable chamber dimensions (e.g. Pomaricos, my personal favorites) a refacing can make it blow as freely or with as much resistance as you like. As for the hard feel of the beak on the teeth, I always use a clear self-stick mouthpiece patch on top to solve that problem (my personal favorites are the thin Bay patches, available at WW&BW and elsewhere). Note that, to make the patch stick to the crystal, you should clean the area first with acetone (nail polish remover) and don't touch the area until after the patch is installed and pressed down firmly (squeeze all the air bubbles out from between the patch and glass, or the patch will slide off at a most inconvenient moment, such as in the middle of a big solo at an orchestra concert).
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