 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: packrat
Date: 2007-01-10 16:23
I have been asked to play an alto clarnet part on a piece in our community band. I haven't played alto or bass clarinet since college many moons ago... I am going to borrow a school alto just for this concert, but will have to buy my own mouthpiece. I've played lots of clarinet mouthpieces over the years (play a Bay MO-M now), but have very very little experience on alto or bass (never played it enough to warrent buying my own mouthpiece). I don't want to spend a lot on it so can anyone make a recommendation since this will just be an occassional thing. Maybe an intermediate mouthpiece? There's no place close to where I live that sells alto mouthpieces (they have to order them) so I'll have to just take a leap of faith plus time is a factor. As I recall to me it seemed they played a lot different from regular Bb mouthpieces.
Any ideas are appreciated!
Becky
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-01-10 16:32
For the occasional use, a Yamaha mouthpiece might be an economical choice. They perform like 80's Japanese Cars - not exciting, but dependable.
(mine has been relegated to the lesser part of the case, however, since David refaced my Geo M. Bundy mouthpiece)
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Ben
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-01-10 16:34
I bought my Pomarico 3 mellow Alto mp via Riccardo in Italy and have been very pleased with it . Its better than a good old Olympia, no others have even come close !! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Michael E. Shultz
Date: 2007-01-11 00:15
I was going to suggest a Bay MO-M to match your soprano mouthpiece, but upon rereading your post, I see that price is a factor. Bay mouthpieces have become rather expensive.
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2007-01-11 12:28
The right mouthpiece depends on the brand of clarinet, too. My alto, a Selmer, plays well with a Selmer HS* mouthpiece. I use alto sax reeds, btw, for a louder and more resonant tone (closer to a Bb clarinet tone) than I've been able to get with alto clarinet reeds.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-01-11 19:29
Hi Lelia, I also have a fine Selmer Alto, a B Series, 1980's?. Its bore at "neck bottom" is 16,70 mm, at bot of UJ 16.65 mm, which I believe is small compared to other makes of altos. My Pom mp's bottom appears to be somewhat conical, being 16.60 [as deep as my caliper can reach] and its bottom is 16.75. Thus it APPEARS that my glass mp approximates the horn's dimensions much better than my Bundy 3 alto mp, which is 18.00 mm. I have more mps, a Selmer ?C*? perhaps, which I'll caliper and report if it is much diff from the Bundy. Yes, with alto sax reed [soft] I have plenty of volume, even with good tonality. I believe in matching bores ! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Brad Behn
Date: 2007-01-11 21:30
For me, fine Alto and Basset mouthpieces are the older Selmers with the oval stamp on them. They come up on Ebay from time to time and with a good restoration and refacing can prove to be excellent players. Older ones that are even better do exist but they often come plagued with issues that make them tough to recommend. Another option that comes up from time to time is in the French made Bundy Alto mouthpieces. With a good facing, these too can be excellent players. The key is to understand that most likely what you experience before the refacing will practically be unplayable but with patience and a skilled mouthpiecer at your disposal you should have excellent results.
Brad Behn
http://www.clarinetmouthpiece.com
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Author: packrat
Date: 2007-01-12 13:41
So do most people use an alto sax reed instead of an alto clarinet reed? What's the difference?
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-01-12 15:38
> So do most people use an alto sax reed instead of an alto
> clarinet reed? What's the difference?
Price and choice are better with sax reeds. Plus the dimensions (the sax reed is a wee bit wider than the clarinet's).
--
Ben
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2007-01-12 16:59
Reeds are such a hassle.........so I've just stopped using them altogether. I just jam a tuba mouthpiece in the end of that thing and blow away. Maybe that's why I'm no longer the 'first call' alto clarinet guy in my area? Hmm...
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2007-01-12 18:42
Don, interesting measurements. I've been saying that my Paris Selmer Eb alto clarinet dates from the 1980s, but apparently I've been having a senior moment, because the original warranty information and the serial number agree that the clarinet dates from 1979. Here are the bore measurements:
Mouthpiece (Selmer HS*) at neck joint: 17.00 mm
*Neck, upper: 16.56 mm
Neck, lower: 16.81 mm
*Upper section, top: 16.60 mm
Upper section, center joint: 16.19 mm
*Lower section, center joint: 16.99 mm
Lower section, bell joint: 16.17 mm
*Bell, section joint: 19.75 mm
Bell, maximum cone before the outward roll: 63.40 mm
For all of the joints where I had to reach in past a tenon socket, I took the measurement with a manual carpenter's caliper, then used the electronic caliper (which wouldn't reach in that far) to measure the distance between the prongs of the carpenter's caliper. I estimate a margin of error of 0.15 mm (to judge from variations over three attempts), on those measurements, marked with an asterisk, while the margin of error is probably below 0.05 mm on the other measurements.
I don't own any other alto clarinet mpc, but results I've had with quite a few soprano clarinets agree with your observation that better results are likely when there's not a big difference between the diameters inside the mouthpiece and the neck where they join.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
Post Edited (2007-01-12 18:55)
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-01-12 19:17
WOW and TKS, Lelia, you've gone well beyond my measuring efforts, I'll have to study, compare and think about what it could all mean. We [Tulsa Comm Band] will start back rehearsing Thurs and if our other bass cl player comes, I'll be back exploring the Alto's place in modern and older music, since last year's experiance was mutually beneficial, and much FUN. I've been considering if transposing [simple!] the few English Horn parts would be acceptable and "close enough for "Jazz". Regards, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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