 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ab
Date: 2002-04-01 00:57
if i decided to get one of those really expensive ones (greg smith, morgan, pyne, etc.) do u think it would improve my sound a lot?
im in high school and i currently play on a vd b45 and m13 lyre. they're pretty good, i guess. but i really want to have a better tone. money isnt much of an issue for me....but should i invest it in a new mouthpiece?
i need your advice
-a flat
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Author: Ab
Date: 2002-04-01 00:58
maybe i should get a few for trial...but im cheap and dont want to pay the shipping costs. grrrr
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Author: Ab
Date: 2002-04-01 00:59
maybe i can go to a music store instead or something.
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Author: Ab
Date: 2002-04-01 00:59
is there a way to edit my previous posts?
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Author: SWTClarinet
Date: 2002-04-01 01:09
Ab,
While Vandoren makes some great mouthpieces for the beginning and intermediate students, I really think that someone wanting to improve in many of the playing aspects one associates with good clarinet playing, then a good mouthpiece from any of the makers is a step in the right direction.
I've not tried any of the makers you listed, (Smith, Morgan, Pyne) but I do however play on a Scott handmade mouthpiece. Like the three you listed, he can be contacted about pricing (mpcs are generally around 80 dollars) and he can even face them to your favorite brand of reeds.
Anyways, a custom moutpiece and barrel (Scott makes these as well), are a great way to get a jump on advancing in your clarinet playing.
My two-hundredths of a dollar's worth,
Joey
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Author: Fred
Date: 2002-04-01 01:29
You really need to see for yourself if a handmade mp would make a big improvement in your sound. It did for me - and I'd played a Vandoren for many years.
My question to you is - Are you really ready to do this? Don't take the question personally - it isn't meant that way. Spending $200 for a mp and possibly another $100 or so for a barrel is a big psychological step up from picking out another $60 Vandoren hoping it will sound better. If I read you right, you are willing to spend the bucks if you can be SURE the results will be worth it. If that is correct, you need to enter the mouthpiece lottery - and the price of your lottery ticket is shipping/insurance charges.
When your need or your curiousity becomes greater than your hesitation, it will be time to pick up the phone and call a custom maker.
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Author: willie
Date: 2002-04-01 02:29
VDs are mass produced with machines. Hand faced means hand craftsmanship and care. My daughter sounded better immediately when she got her Pyne in lieu of the 5RV she was using. You can invest in something of quality or sink money into the product of a big "cookie cutter" and hope for the best. Its your choice.
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Author: Mike B.
Date: 2002-04-01 14:46
Well -
Are you really sure that your moupiece is the limiting factor in your playing? For the vast majority of us (me included), it's definitely not. If you do feel that your mouthpiece is causing you problems but feel its design is about what you want, maybe you can get it tweaked / refaced (much less dinero). One nice thing about mass produced mouthpieces is that they come in a large variety of facings, so you can find what works best for you relatively inexpensively. This isn't an option when shelling out $200 + for a custom mouthpiece. Just my opinion . . .
Mike B.
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Author: William
Date: 2002-04-01 16:57
Ab--the best time to edit your postings is before you hit the post button. Proof-read what you have written as carefully as you would a letter to your "dearly beloved" to be certain that your words actually present what your mind is thinking. Kind of like "hearing" the music before you actually play.
As for your question, a good mouthpiece cerainly will make it easier for you achieve the tone quality and playing response you desire in your performances. You are already using a good mpc (John Bruce-Yeh, of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, uses an M-13 Lyre), but they are commercial and tend to be quite inconsistant--you have to play a lot of examples of the same model to find "the right one." As for custom made mouthpieces, I recommend Gregory Smiths mouthpieces which are hand crafted to very fine specifications and therefore much more consistant regarding tone production and response--what we clarinetists are most concerned about. Regarding Pyne and Morgan mpcs--I've tried them, but don't like them. What I use on my LeBlanc Concerto's is an old Chicago Kaspar #14 and a Gregory Smith "Cicero" Kaspar model with a VanDoren Optimum lig (parallel rail insert) and VanDoren 3.5 or 4.0 V-12 reeds. And most poeple that hear me play think that my sound is "OK." Hope this helps a bit--Good Clarineting!!!!!! (and now I'll read what I have written before I hit the "Post" button)
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Author: Bob Culbreth
Date: 2002-04-02 02:02
Bob Scott does great work, as well as Dan Johnston. Both of these gentleman charge around 80.00 a mouthpiece. The middle of the road (medium) facings which I own are the Scott 112 (Marcellus)facing and the Johnston H3(Wright)facing.
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Author: lala
Date: 2002-04-02 04:36
I suspect that mass produced mouthpiece, because it has to suit many, is a product of concession. Get a carefully hand-made mpc, find the right reed, barrel and lig for it, and you don't have to worry about mpc anymore, but devote your time and energy to getting the right sound.
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Author: t
Date: 2002-04-02 09:19
ab,
Could you please re-edit and resend. Someone intercepted
your e-mail and transposed it into ghetto English...
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Author: jez
Date: 2002-04-02 10:47
Willie writes;
"VD's are mass produced with machines. Hand faced means craftsmanship and care"
True enough, but the facing of Vandoren m.p.s, put on by very accurate milling machines (I bet they're computer controlled) is probably much more precise than those put on by craftsmen who probably use a bit af sandpaper. Vandoren facings are very consistent, and if you like them, it's nice to think you can go and get another that's, pretty much, exactly the same.
I personally don't use them because I prefer the tone chamber in others, I favour Babbitt blanks made up by a good craftsman.
jez
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Author: Ed
Date: 2002-04-02 15:07
It is important to note that mouthpieces are very personal. Find what works for you, your physique, style of playing, etc. Don't buy something because Player Y of the Xnmprwbrhf symphony uses it. Even the handmade ones vary quite a bit. You will never find any 2 that play exactly alike. Close maybe, but not exact. There are always variables. You can find good commercial mouthpieces that are mass produced. You need to look carefully and try a few (or more). But the same can go for hand crafted mouthpieces. I have known some players in major positions, recordings, etc who play on stock Vandorens.
Do not fall into the trap that "If I have difficulties, changing the mouthpiece is the solution." It can be, but it is better to find something that works and make it go.
Bob stated that the H3 was a Wright facing. Johnston's W facing is his interpretation of this. The H3 is quite different from Wright's. I believe the H3 was designed with Stanley Hasty of Eastman. Peter Hadcock, Tom Martin and others have used it. Wright used Chedevilles, with a close, fairly long facing. (about 102 tip). The H3 is about a 115+ tip with wider asymetrical rails. (Someone who does mouthpiece work may know more and be able to add more details)
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Author: Ab
Date: 2002-04-02 16:25
t:
what e-mail are you talking about? I haven't sent a single e-mail in over 4 years.
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Author: David Dow symphony NB
Date: 2002-04-24 14:55
Vandoren are among the finest in terms of accuracy. The M13 Lyre or M15 are exceelent! and I have tried the normal M13 but dislike the tone and response on all...there may be some good ones out there? Some students of mine are really keen onthe B4013 and the 5RV Lyre so they are also worth considering.
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