 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: John Gibson
Date: 2002-06-03 13:12
Well...about a month ago I posted to let you know of how wonderful the Buffet wooden MPC was that I acquired. Well....just got a Pomarico wooden MPC, and it is just as nice. Maybe better. Haven't done enough "side by side" yet to fully determine. I will say that for those who've not played a wooden MPC, give them a try. They produce a rich warm sound and are easy to blow.
Update...mentioned that I bought a SILVER KING metal clarinet without a barrel. Found a guy in Maryland who was able to produce an exact replica. Double walled and everything! Today is the day it's going to be delivered to me. Probably in about two hours.
AM I EXCITED???? You bet. I'll let you know once I get it and give it a toot.
John
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Author: dave
Date: 2002-06-03 18:15
I only have one wooden mp-one that I made myself from a cocobolo zinner blank. It plays well with a gorgeous tone, but I can see why people do not regularly play wooden mpcs as they warp terribly after a few hours of play time. Have you guys played for extended amounts of time without experiencing a sudden inabillity for any reed to work? I know mine warps because I measure it often and it changes considerably when it heats up; I suppose the hummidity here could also affect it. It is bad enough to compensate for the changes in the reed, but when both the mp and reed fluctuate it's a nightmare!
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-06-03 20:56
I don't have such stability problems --- search for an earlier Greg Smith post where he discusses his own wood mouthpieces --- I think the bottom line is that, if the wood has been properly aged and stabilized prior to being made into a mouthpiece, the resulting mouthpiece should be quite stable dimensionally.
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Author: nzdonald
Date: 2002-06-03 21:50
i found some Pomarico wooden mouthpieces down here in NZ in a store that certainly would only sell them to students with no clues as to what they were getting and how to look after it (i find this to be a disgraceful business practise). They played with a lovely tone, my only real problem was that the intonation was a bit off- B natural in the lower register was way sharper than usual..... really really sharp instead of only a little bit sharp.
also, living at sea level in a pretty damp environment, and given that the mouthpieces hadn't been played for ages, and that they were NOT at a cheap price- even after the store went bust and it was the closing down sale, i decided not to go with one.... maybe i'll look into Greg Smiths advice and think about getting some Zinner wooden blanks to reface!
donald
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Author: Gregory Smith
Date: 2002-06-04 02:45
It generally sounds like an interesting idea to reface a Zinner hardwood blank although I don't think one can make accurate conclusions based on one sample of anything. It would seem implausible that one hardwood Zinner blank or Pomarico mouthpiece is representative of all hardwood mouthpieces.
Also, as a point of clarification, my finished hardwood mouthpieces are not the standard Zinner blanks simply "refaced". They have been custom manufactured, designed to my specifications and then extensively hand finished by myself both inside and out. I also have and sometimes use my own source for different hardwoods.
If you search this bboard's archives and the Klarinet archives you will find a plethora of information posted about this subject.
Gregory Smith
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2002-06-05 03:42
It is a pity that Pomarico only make wooden mouthpieces with a maximum tip opening of .110. I would like to try a wooden mouthpiece for jazz playing but they are all a bit close. I have just tried a couple of Pomarico's and they were nice but not suitable for what I need.
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Author: nzdonald
Date: 2002-06-06 10:54
hello- Mr Smith, i hope it didn't sound as though i was "making light" of your craftsmanship by saying i would get a Zinner blank and reface it..... everybody i know who does mouthpiece work seems to agree that (like playing) we don't reach an end to the learning curve- i'm pretty much at the opposite end of this curve from you!!!!!!!!!
on the other hand, i can actually reface mouthpieces with some success (and my work is used by players in each of the three full time symphonies in our tiny country).... i'll only improve, and perhaps one day be even half way as talented as people such as you, Pyne, Matson, Johnston etc, if i keep learning/trying new things. It is my plan to spend some time having lessons, with someone who can teach me more about interior dimensions, when i am in the US next year.
At the store i mentioned they had about 10 Pomarico mouthpieces (and i have no idea how they'll ever sell them at the price they were at)- i tried each of them, and they all had a sound that i liked (i'm sick of trying to describe sound with words, just trust me- they sounded "nice") and all had very similar intonation.
donald
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Author: Gregory Smith
Date: 2002-06-06 14:53
Donald said:
"...i hope it didn't sound as though i was "making light" of your craftsmanship by saying i would get a Zinner blank and reface it....."
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Absolutely not. I'm certain that you weren't. Perhaps others might have gotten the wrong impression though and that's why I posted a point of clarification - for others to read.
Sorry. My post was not directed at you personally.
Good luck in your mouthpiece making endeavors!
Best,
Gregory Smith
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