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Re: B40 or 5RV for alto

Author: Shorthand
Date: 2006-02-21 20:45
Attachment: alto_mouthpieces.pdf (11k)

See attached chart to get a feel for the product spectrum out there.

I'd order from the US if you can - prices seem to be better here than in Europe.

If you're really looking to keep your budget in check, I'd think about the Bundys as they're essentially Selmer Paris deisgns with quick-and-dirty build quiality. Do you have some sort of time constraint that you need to buy locally in Israel?

Given the $100 US price point of the Vandoren and Selmer Paris alto clar mouthpieces, I would defintitely take a good hard look at Roger Garrett's offering in this area:

http://www.iwu.edu/~rgarrett/mouthpiece_info.html

Much of your decision needs to be based on the kind of playing you're doing and what kind of alto you have. If you want to approach the Alto as more of a basset horn sound / nice warm polite clarinet - just a little lower, then favor the 5RV or one of the closer faced Selmers (or Bundy).

If you are thinking of it more as a small bass clarinet that needs to project in a wind ensemble, the B40, the C*, the Garrett, and the Grabner should be in your consideration set.

I know they're a little pricey, but as for Bass, I would be remiss in not telling you to also consider Clark Fobes and Walter Grabner's offerings for the Alto:

http://www.clarinetxpress.com/altoclar.html
http://www.clarkwfobes.com/Low%20Clarinets.html

If the CF facing on his Alto mouthpieces behaves like the CF facing on the bass mouthpieces, both of the Fobes will have excellent response but won't have huge amounts of projection.

If you plan on keeping this Alto, the more expensive offerings are definitely worth considering as the Alto is a much-neglected instrument with generally poor mouthpiece choices outside of the three custom makers that also have developed serious offerings for the Bass Clarinets. (Fobes, Grabner, Garrett.)

Given what I've seen, Roger Garrett and Walter Granber are the ones who have put the most effort and time into the Alto.

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