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Junk pile Selmer B* mouthpiece

Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2014-02-18 03:13

I was going through a pile of used mouthpieces at a local music store (Abe's in Miami). It's owned by a nice guy who is only too glad to chat you up. I found a Selmer B* mouthpieces in good condition but with an obvious coating of mineral build-up and a slight yellowish tinge in spots. I paid about $17 which is high for something out of a bunch of assorted mouthpieces (other stores have sold me an odd old mouthpiece for $5 on an occasion.

I took it home, and started a cleanup. I soaked it in room temperature water with a squeeze of dish soap and a touch of lemon juice. In five minutes the mineral deposits just washed away after a light touch with a toothbrush. I then removed the yellowing with first 1,000 grit wet sandpaper and then 1,500 and finally 2,000. Satisfied that the table was flat and the bore was clean, I slapped a mp pad on it and took a test. It seems to be one of the nicest mouthpieces I own. The quoted measurements are 1.05 tip opening a 20 mm lay. It offers a touch more resistance than a B45 or other similar mouthpieces with the same quoted tip opening. I suspect that is why it seems to offer better pitch stability and altissimo ease. Articulation is easier with this mouthpiece than the B45 too.

Has anyone had any experience with the Selmer B*?

Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com

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Re: Junk pile Selmer B* mouthpiece

Author: Pastor Rob
Date: 2014-02-18 03:27

My favorite mpc is an old Selmer B* in an oval on the table. Scott Kurtweil closed the facing to 1.01 and on my old Selmer Paris big bore nothing I have plays better. My teacher and I once tried his M30, a Lomax Firebird, and a Charles Bay Ithica and it was obvious, that on that clarinet nothing comes close to sounding like the B*. I'd like to try one of Peter Eatons big bore mpcs, but that would take a lot of coin.

Pastor Rob Oetman
Leblanc LL (today)

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Re: Junk pile Selmer B* mouthpiece

Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2014-02-18 05:12

Is the B* with the oval on the table substantially different from the oval and B* on the reverse of the beak? Which came first?

Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com

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