 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2011-12-21 01:30
How is it that a professional like Michael Collins can use the Vandoran B40/B40 Lyre mouthpieces with such excellent results and others have to go spend a small fortune on some 'special' handmade ones. ?
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2011-12-21 01:31)
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-12-21 02:13
They may not have to. But at some point, they chose to.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2011-12-21 16:07
Are there any other professional clarinetists who use 'off the shelf' Vandoran MPs besides Michael Collins ?
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2011-12-21 20:06
If you are an ICA member and receive The Clarinet, there are always ads in there for Vandoren mouthpieces, endorsed/used by any number of famous players. I know also that my daughter's teacher, a symphony player with a major orchestra, was using a B40 on his eefer. He always sounded great with it, when I heard him playing.
A pro can probably make just about any decent mouthpiece sound good. The reason to pick one ofver another is that the choice you make should allow you to produce the soiund YOU want with the least effort on your part.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-12-21 22:33
Quote:
Are there any other professional clarinetists who use 'off the shelf' Vandoran MPs besides Michael Collins ? Too many to name. And even then, some might be off the shelf (literally), some might be 'off the shelf' (selected from a HUGE number of the vandoren mouthpieces, more than the average joe would find in one store), and some might be "off the shelf" (touched up by a resident Vandoren mouthpiece refacing specialist before leaving the factory or at a gathering).
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: miclew
Date: 2011-12-21 23:22
Hey Alexi!
Did you play at the Augusta Tech graduation ceremony at the James Brown Arena in June? I think that was the Signal Corp Band (might have been another Army band though).
michele (in Harlem)
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2011-12-22 02:35
The list of players who prefer Vandoren over handmade mouthpieces is extensive. Though some may prefer something different, there's no question that stock Vandorens can be of the highest quality and a better fit for anyone.
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Author: DrewSorensenMusic
Date: 2011-12-22 02:54
Not to be a buzz kill, but you couldn't pay me all the money in the world to play a vandoren clarinet mouthpiece. I don't like the shape. The facing is too thin. Maybe it's cause I play Rico GCS thick blanks, but they seem to be bigger than the vandoren mouthpiece, but fit fine on my Fobes Cicero 13. You couldn't pay me to play vandoren reeds either. Terrible.
They make good saxophone mouthpieces however.
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Author: bethmhil
Date: 2011-12-22 04:38
As Jeff said... "The reason to pick one [mouthpiece] over another is that the choice you make should allow you to produce the soiund YOU want with the least effort on your part."
He hit the nail on the head. The right mouthpiece for an individual never has anything to do with the price or manufacturer. I have several colleagues in my studio who have lovely tones, and they play on Vandoren's (mostly M30's). Others play on Lomax's and have equally lovely tones. I play on a Gennusa, and I have a lovely tone (or at least am told, eh)... I have played on the Vandoren M30, and am not very crazy about it. Most of my studio members who have played on my Gennusa don't really like it. But, we all have our own preferences for facing, largeness of chamber, etc., as well as physical characteristics of our mouths and physical tendencies of our jaws that play into our choices for mouthpieces. As Jeff said, any professional can adjust to a mouthpiece to get the most desired tone, but whatever mouthpiece takes the least adjustment on your part to get your desired tone is the best mouthpiece for you. That could be a $300 Pyne, or a $60 Garrett. Who knows?
BMH
Illinois State University, BME and BM Performance
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-12-22 12:31
Quote:
Hey Alexi!
Did you play at the Augusta Tech graduation ceremony at the James Brown Arena in June? I think that was the Signal Corp Band (might have been another Army band though).
michele (in Harlem) Yup! That was us (and me). Hope you enjoyed it!
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-12-22 12:49
I read on here a while back that Andrew Marriner plays on a B45 Lyre.
Any well made mouthpiece is good enough for any player of any calibre if it suits them regardless who made it - the most expensive handmade ones aren't always the best suited for everyone, so keep an open mind and try them all out. If a top pro player happens to like Vandoren mouthpieces over everything else on the market, then that's entirely up to them - it's a matter of personal choice (as is the make of clarinet they play which isn't always Buffet).
As Vandoren make a wide selection of mouthpieces, there's surely something in their lineup that suits nearly everyone.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: miclew
Date: 2011-12-22 13:12
Y'all did a GREAT job! I bet there is a waiting list a mile long to get into the military bands! One of my daughters graduated that night
michele
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-12-22 20:05
Thank you! And, yup, the list is getting pretty long (except for clarinets...still a shortage of those)...
Back to mouthpieces...Vandoren has a ton of variety. MANY different facings. So they can appeal to more players than maybe mouthpiece technicians like Greg Smith, who makes a very good mouthpiece, but can't quite hit as much of a crowd.
Also, because Vandoren's are SOOOO massively produced compared to other handmade techs, they are much easier to find and try out. I mean, if you wanted to try a bunch of mouthpieces, you could order a bunch of mouthpieces that are handfaced, where you prepay for at least one and shipping PER artisan (costing many hundreds of dollars), or you could pop over to the local music store and try out their stock of vandorens of which you're almost GUARANTEED that they will have some.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2011-12-22 21:39
DrewSorensenMusic:
"Not to be a buzz kill, but you couldn't pay me all the money in the world to play a vandoren clarinet mouthpiece."
Good to know.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2011-12-23 03:07
Quote;- DrewSorenMusic. 'Not to be a buzz kill, but you couldn't pay me all the money in the world to play a vandoran clarinet mouthpiece.'
Now where's a multi billionaire who'd be willing to test this one out.
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Author: DrewSorensenMusic
Date: 2011-12-23 15:16
:) Yea, sorry. I guess it was a little much. I do find the shape of their mouthpieces quite hindersome (I don't even know if that's a word)
Funny thing though, I was living in London, England for a time, and was unable to order any Vandorden mouthpieces through WWBW.com .
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Author: JamesOrlandoGarcia
Date: 2011-12-23 16:38
Most of the clarinetists I know who play professionally and well don't need to do anything to their Vandoren mouthpieces. They're high quality. Many people people who were playing on handmade mouthpieces by small makers are switching over to Vandoren. They're consistent, fantastic, and CHEAP ($$$) by comparison.
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