 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: USFBassClarinet
Date: 2009-09-12 06:09
Hello,
I tried the search button and didn't turn up too much. I once again get to play some BBb contrabass in the USF wind ensemble. Last year was a little horrid as the instrument needs a little work done. (which it is getting!) but find I would like my own good mouthpiece as the one the school has is quite pathetic looking and any they would buy would probably not be up to the standard I want. So what contrabass clarinet mouthpieces are good to consider? I have had great success with Grabner mouthpieces on both my bass and Bb and plan to try one, but what else is out there?
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Author: William
Date: 2009-09-12 15:58
Off the topic, but I had the pleasure of talking with Santy Runyon a few years ago in Chicago, Il and a couple of things he mentioned: 1) he never bought a sax mouthpiece in his lifetime--"I made my own from the beginning"; & 2) an accomplished Chicago flutist as well, he said his "flute warmup drove everyone else nuts" as it lasted for over 30 minutes before each show. Here is a link to this now deceased musical icon mentioned above:
http://www.runyonproducts.com/about.founder.html
Even at over 90 when I met him, he was spry and as "sharp as a tack".
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Author: 78s2CD
Date: 2009-09-12 18:39
The contrabass player in our clarinet choir went from "struggling" to "playing very well" after switching to a Grabner mouthpiece.
Regards,
Jim Lockwood
Rio Rico AZ
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Author: USFBassClarinet
Date: 2009-09-12 19:12
Thanks for the replies. I think I will have a go with the forbes and grabner. Any other suggestions are still welcome. anyone have a suggestion for a ligature? I seem to only see a metal selmer available and a rover 4dark.
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Author: 68fordfalcon
Date: 2009-09-13 15:52
I played Bb contra for the first time last fall, and I had the choice between a new Selmer C* and the Leblanc that came with the instrument. The Leblanc was far better in sound and response. This was an old metal Leblanc, and I believe the mpc. was of the same age. Also, I took a lesson with Dennis Smylie specifically for this playing engagement, and he too used a Leblanc mouthpiece for contra. I believe his had been altered, but he told me he preferred the older Leblanc contra mouthpieces to Selmer's in general. Just another option to consider, and it may be a little less costly than a handmade mouthpiece. I think saving money for the reeds is a good idea, since they are pretty expensive. Of course, I would say anything that works is a good option when playing the contra. I do not consider myself a contra specialist, but the setup I had worked for the piece in which I was playing, and required use of the entire range of the instrument, including flutter tonguing, glissandi, and rather fast articulation.
Campbell MacDonald
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Author: USFBassClarinet
Date: 2009-09-13 18:46
The contra we have is one of the old leblancs as well. The pieces we play generally require flutter tongue, glissandos and fast articulations all the time. We very rarely have an 'easy' contrabass part. I think the mouthpiece the school has right now is the old original mouthpiece but it has gotten a little beat up and doesn't play as well as it should. If I wasn't doing such extensive work on it I wouldn't consider a really good handmade mouthpiece. I have also played some of the other leblanc contra mouthpieces in the past but didn't find them particularly special. and if the Grabner turns out to not be a big enough of a difference I can always send it back after the trial. and right now I am trying a Legere on the contra as several of the other contra specialists I have met seem to greatly prefer them, especially for doubling on bass like I am. They tend to warp rather fast when it has to sit on the instrument without getting played through a 10 minute pieces (or longer).
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Author: Don Gross
Date: 2009-09-13 23:04
More than 15 years ago I purchased a low C Leblanc Bb paperclip contrabass clarinet, fully restored and overhauled, from Charles Fail Music in Atlanta for under $2,000. The mpc that came with the instrument was a "Woodwind Company" stock contrabass clarinet mpc. Comparing it to the "standard" Leblanc mpc, it had a much more pointed beak and was slightly smaller and actually closer in size to the Selmer C* mpc that I used on my Selmer Bundy contra alto. Bottom line: Tom Ridenour (before he left LeBlanc) refaced that Woodwind mpc and I couldn't have been happier. I do not have to use the larger (and more expensive) Vandoren reeds and have had marvelous luck with RICO contrabass/contra alto reeds. I also use Legeres as back-up for both my contrabass and contra alto clarinets but much prefer cane. I do not know whether the Fobes and Grabner mpcs can use the RICO reeds, but it would be worth checking out. Also, I would encourage you (or the university) to have your contra overhauled. Two years ago I had Tom Yaeh at RDG Woodwinds in Los Angeles overhaul my paperclip (he had recently overhauled the LA Phil's instrument, Alan Savedoff's - contrabassonist with the Pacific Symphony - instrument, and Gary Bovyer's instrument - like only the 4th or 5th paperclip that LeBlanc ever made that actually had side trill keys!) but it ain't cheap! He mercifully stopped running the meter at $1,600 for just the overhaul...but it was worth every penny.
Don Gross, Contrabass Clarinet, Los Angeles Clarinet Choir, Claremont Winds, Orange County Wind Symphony
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