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7182 or CB604

Author: diz
Date: 2002-03-21 22:46

Hi - has anyone played on Leblanc's 7182 or CB604 (Vito contrabass clarinets), and, if so - were they any good?

thanks

diz, sydney

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RE: 7182 or CB604

Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-03-22 16:25

diz -

I've played a plastic Vito in BBb. They're decent, though I prefer my paperclip Leblanc. Kalmen Opperman spent hundreds of hours on a Vito and turned it into the only professional quality BBb contra I've played. (I asked him to do one for me, but he said "never again.") Charles Bay does the same thing with plastic basses, and I've heard that he did at least one contra, but I don't know whether he does it for sale.

Best regards.

Ken Shaw

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RE: 7182 or CB604

Author: diz
Date: 2002-03-23 05:49

Ken - thanks for your reply - if you were to be blind-folded and then have someone play the paperclip and then the vito - would the difference in sound be astounding or subtle?

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RE: 7182 or CB604

Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-03-25 14:40

diz -

There's a significant difference in bore size -- the Leblanc is considerably larger than the Vito. Most of my Eb contra experience is on a Selmer, which I think has about the same bore as the Vito. The Selmer sound is lighter and more flexible than the Leblanc -- an extended bass clarinet. Anything you can play on the bass clarinet, you can play on the Selmer. The Leblanc sound is broader and slower in response -- very much contra.

Nevertheless, I think the difference would be subtle to moderate -- much more noticeable to the player than the listener. It probably depends more on the mouthpiece and the reed (and the player) than the instrument.

The Vito BBb goes down to, I think, written Eb. Frankly, the bottom 3 semitones are not much use on the Leblanc. It's nearly impossible to hear what pitch they are. Those notes are great fun to rattle the windows with, and if a composer writes them, you need to have them, but many people with Leblanc paperclip contras take off the bell and the Db/C piece, feeling that it improves tone and response.

The older Leblanc BBbs (more than 25-30 years old) came with a wide mouthpiece that takes Vandoren contra reeds. Leblanc then changed to a mouthpiece the same width as their Eb contras. This takes Vandoren bass sax reeds, which are about 1.5 mm. narrower. (Selmer Eb and BBb mouthpieces are also the narrower width. I'm not sure about the Fobes BBb.)

The wider mouthpiece gives more volume and more distinct pitch on the bottom notes. The narrower one gives a more focused tone overall and quicker response.

If you have the narrow mouthpiece, I think the difference between the sound you would get on Leblanc and Vito would be small.

Best regards.

Ken Shaw

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