 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2023-03-02 03:25
I recently got a Vandoren Diamond Perfecta 5RV mouthpiece in pristine condition. It's completely original and unaltered, a beautiful example of its kind. I play-tested it and it plays with a sweet, focused sound with very little effort.
After measuring the facing, I was very surprised. I made a very detailed measurement, but considering the more or less standard feelers (.0015, .010, .024, .034) it's: 32+, 20+, 10, 4, and the tip is 1.01 mm. So it's short and closed, compared to any other facing in the current Vandoren lineup. Maybe the closest one would be the long-discontinued (but excellent) 3UD.
This is very different from more modern examples of any 5RVs! They usually measure around a 37-38 facing length and 1.06-1.07 tip. My questions are:
- What was the point when Vandoren decided to completely change this facing under the same name?
- Why did VD decide to use the same facing designation when the measurements were changed completely?
- Do you have other examples of original Perfecta 5RVs with facing measurements (at least tip + facing length)?
I'm excited to hear your thoughts on this.
Mark
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Author: Ed
Date: 2023-03-03 21:46
I thought that the 5RV lyre was longer and more open, but the 5RV was still fairly short, but maybe a 105 tip, although I know often their published numbers do not match what you find. Are the numbers you list for the current 5RV or Lyre?
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2023-03-04 04:49
The Vandoren Perfecta that has the short-closed facing was made in the 40s. It was the first generation of Vandoren mouthpieces. They are a different animal in every aspect. I’m just curious why did the company keep the 5RV facing designation when they started to sell something completely different in the 50s.
Mark
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