 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Karel Vahala
Date: 1999-08-15 07:19
I would appreciate advice on the suitability of Greg Smith mpcs for a beginner like myself. I would have to make a firm purchase (from Australia). Which reeds would be most suitable to go with it? Finance is not an insuperable obstacle; I am personally comitted to making as good a sound as I can. Thanks in advance, Karel.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-08-15 14:17
Karel Vahala wrote:
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I would appreciate advice on the suitability of Greg Smith mpcs for a beginner like myself.
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I'll not speak directly to Greg Smith mouthpieces, but to any fine mouthpiece:
They make a _world_ of difference! What you'll do is order 3 or 4 mouthpieces of different styles from the maker, and then select the one(s) that suit you, returning the others. It'll cost you a bit more in shipping and handling, but the peace of mind is priceless.
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Author: Greg Smith
Date: 1999-08-15 14:51
If the difference in price is a few boxes of reeds between a machine made Vandoren mthpc let's say and a finely made handcrafted mouthpiece, and if there is even a little improvement of the fundamental performance for you (guided by your teacher of course) - and since the mouthpiece reed combination is by far the most important part of the set up, the answer seems clear as Mark states.
What you pay for is the quality of the hand work that no machine (as in Vandorens, Woodwinds, Selmers, etc.)can duplicate.
If I had had a mouthpiece from the start that was of the quality that I speak of, the road to where I wanted to get would have been a heck of alot more efficient and enjoyable!
I knew from age 13 that I wanted to be a professional clarinetist in a top orchestra. *******Gregory Smith*******
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Mark Charette wrote:
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Karel Vahala wrote:
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I would appreciate advice on the suitability of Greg Smith mpcs for a beginner like myself.
----------
I'll not speak directly to Greg Smith mouthpieces, but to any fine mouthpiece:
They make a _world_ of difference! What you'll do is order 3 or 4 mouthpieces of different styles from the maker, and then select the one(s) that suit you, returning the others. It'll cost you a bit more in shipping and handling, but the peace of mind is priceless.
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Author: HIROSHI
Date: 1999-08-15 15:56
FYI: I am an eternal beginner! Still I am happy to use good things to emit good tones. Good tones are the first priority, I think.
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Author: Frank
Date: 1999-08-17 22:39
I recently got some Greg Smith mouthpieces on trial. They are of excellent quality. They do not have quite the depth of tone [or overtone] that my other mp had, but they make controling tone quality much easier. I prefer the purity of tone I am hearing with the Greg Smith mps than the varying overtones of the previous mp. I also find that large leaps from the lower to the middle or high register are easier to make cleanly.
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Author: Greg Smith
Date: 1999-08-17 23:11
Frank wrote:
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I recently got some Greg Smith mouthpieces on trial. They are of excellent quality. They do not have quite the depth of tone [or overtone] that my other mp had, but they make controling tone quality much easier. I prefer the purity of tone I am hearing with the Greg Smith mps than the varying overtones of the previous mp. I also find that large leaps from the lower to the middle or high register are easier to make cleanly.
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Perhaps fitting slightly more vibrant reeds (for example V12 3.5 or even 3's) to these mouthpieces over a period of a couple of weeks may draw out the "color" or "depth" that you say you miss initially. Contrary to what some believe, heavier reeds don't necessarily give depth to a mouthpiece and they certainly do not add to the perceived lack of overtones either. If you are already using strengths in the catagory that I suggest, giving time to fit new reeds as opposed to transferring the exact reed from old mouthpiece to new should help. Experimenting with mthpc patches makes a HUGE difference in the resultant sound also not to mention ligature. Try the Bonade inverted (one that fits well sounds the best) and try to stay away from the "cloth" style ligatures that I find dampen the sound.
I hope this is helpfull.Please let us know.
Greg Smith
My past experience says that a 6 month period is need to get the most out of a mouthpiece even though one can tell in a few days if it is taking them in the direction that they like.
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