 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: crvsp
Date: 2020-10-25 09:25
Hi all, I tested out some new mouthpieces today; 2 BD5s and 2 BD4s.
(as a side note on the BD4s; personally I didn't think they were great; they felt a little bit on the bright side, but articulation and ease of emission was good.)
I noticed a large difference between my old BD5 (2018) and the new ones I got (2020). The new BD5s seem to have a serial number underneath the BD5 text, while the old one doesn't. The new one also seems to have many thin grooves that run through the chamber (this might not be a new feature, not entirely sure as my old one may be worn down). Sound-wise, the new BD5s seemed to be much darker and covered in tone compared to my old one, which I was actually fairly happy about . Take a look at the attachments and let me know what you all think.
Post Edited (2020-10-25 09:30)
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Author: crvsp
Date: 2020-10-25 09:31
Attachment: IMG_5573.jpg (718k)
Attachment: IMG_5574.jpg (1096k)
Attachment: IMG_5575.jpg (852k)
(also after my original post I realized the bottom corners of the window seem to be rounded on the new one whereas the old one had squared off corners)
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Author: igalkov
Date: 2020-10-25 10:38
I’ve seen those grooves in the chamber on the mouthpieces that were CNC machined rather than molded and finished by hand.
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Author: Iván Marín García
Date: 2020-10-25 16:31
Hello! I have a couple videos on my YouTube channel with my impressions and some revoicing I do on the new BD5s , in case it helps. I do not like the new voicing at all, find it very impersonal. Here are the links to those videos. They are in both spanish and english.
https://youtu.be/Y8cNCuhRiq0
https://youtu.be/mZrgA0sHtNQ
Post Edited (2020-10-26 18:10)
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Author: JTJC
Date: 2020-10-26 01:52
I also think the new one was produced by CNC. Vandoren must have invested in new machinery. From what a poster has previously said in another post they already had top-line equipment for producing their old mouthpieces. They’re probably making a lot of their mouthpiece finishers redundant. Very convenient at these times as so many workers aren’t needed in the factory.
Despite the potential accuracy of CNC machines I doubt the new BD5s are exactly the same as the old. For example, those lines along the baffle must have some effect. It’s also possible VD decided to make some changes to the shape with the switch to new machinery. Also, rounded corners are easier, perhaps necessary with CNC.
I’m sure a similar thing happened to Rico Reserve Classic reeds some years ago. They seemed to be great to me but with the switch to D’Addario and new machinery they weren’t exactly the same cut.
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Author: crvsp
Date: 2020-10-26 02:28
Interesting! I would've guessed I might've preferred the old mpc because of the hand-finished aspect, but the new CNC mpc seems to have a different tonal quality that I prefer. I guess it's subjective since Ivan seemed to prefer the old one.
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Author: gatto
Date: 2020-10-26 17:03
*Is* there a "new" BD5 mouthpiece? Is this somehow official? Has Vandoren made some announcement? I have not seen such informations.
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Author: crvsp
Date: 2020-10-26 18:38
gatto wrote:
> *Is* there a "new" BD5 mouthpiece? Is this somehow official?
> Has Vandoren made some announcement? I have not seen such
> informations.
I don't think Vandoren made any official announcements, but based on what others have said they might've switched to CNC machines for the newer models.
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2020-10-27 20:11
I think the grooves are to emulate the file marks. IDK what effect it has.
My thoughts about CNC / printed stuff:
If you are Vandoren you want consistency, and mechanization is the way to go. That said, materials, tools, and methods determine the end result. When you make something differently you usually end up making something altogether different. It may be better, the same, or worse for the intended use, but it’s different.
It’s a choice. Craftsman are never redundant, they are sometimes more expensive and cantankerous. They also make jokes and do things no one else would do.
- Matthew Simington
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Author: JTJC
Date: 2020-10-27 23:42
I’m not sure the lines are to emulate file marks. The file marks I’ve seen on mouthpieces are never as regular or deep. If you’re moving a cutting tip on a baffle I suppose you have a basic choice of lateral or longitudinal. Somehow I don’t think lateral would aid airflow. However, in theory, i suppose a CNC cutting head could go over the surface in any way the programmer wanted. I expect it was an aesthetic choice to have line along the baffle. After all, they could make the inside as smooth as the outside if they wanted to. The fact a couple of CNC makers have done it that way might suggest it’s the best way. I’m sure they’ve experimented.
On the subject of lines on mouthpieces and CNC, I noticed on the lay of the Behn Prescotts there’s the faint shadow image of the radial lines you get on the lays of Vandoren’s (or used to!). It’s not a complete pattern, which is odd. It’s almost as if a mouthpiece was 3D scanned into a CAD program and the ghost of those lines remained in the design through to CNC milling. They must have left the lines there intentionally so maybe there’s a purpose to it.
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Author: Patrick
Date: 2020-11-02 21:46
I like the work that was done to the BD5 that Ivan did. It seems like the BD5 can be improved upon with a personal touch. There are so many players that sound great on them except me.
Patrick
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