 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: eliese635
Date: 2014-06-01 18:59
preamble: i am soon to be 69 y/o, have been a musician since 4th grade (1954), began on cornet, soon falling in the too-many-multi-instrumentalist category; mostly brasses from Eb soprano cornet to BBb tuba, but w/ws also (no flute/piccolo or oboe). i've played all saxophones, preferring Sigurd Rascher mouthpieces (for the "common" sizes for which they are available). i have not played nearly as much clarinet, though have performed on Bb, alto, & bass, using whatever mouthpiece was with the instrument. now to the point:
4 months ago, i have tried to become "serious" about Bb clarinet. i have a Selmer Centered Tone (1954), which has with it a Selmer HS* mouthpiece. (1.0x18mm)
i have no reason to believe that was not what came with it. it seems ok to me, but i do not know clarinet pieces like i do sax pieces. so is the HS* good for an "adult beginner" (see above experience)? i also have a Conn Precision #4, a Vito 2V, and some no-name-no-designation "junkers." assuming Selmer included the HS* because it was a good match for the horn, should i stick with that? any comments about the Conn 4 (it seems a bit more open, but works as well as i can tell)?
thanks to all who may comment & offer advice.
john moore, jr
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Author: TJTG
Date: 2014-06-01 19:02
I was using an HS* in middle school on my beginner Selmer 100, and switched to other things in high school.... Then in college I found and went back to my HS*, which I was really enjoying, until I dropped it on the floor and bye bye mouthpiece.
Personally I think they're great for the price and sound pretty darn good. It's mostly personal preference when it comes to matching up such things. I think Mine was circa 2000 and I thought it was a good match even on my buffett!
Post Edited (2014-06-01 19:32)
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2014-06-01 19:35
The Selmer HS* is an excellent mouthpiece, but some people find them to be too resistant in response. If you find the resistance to work for you and not against you, stick with it. On a very-free-blowing clarinet like your Selmer Centered Tone, the added resistance of the HS* may make the instrument more efficient to play in terms of air support.
The Vito 2V is a loathsome mouthpiece with a tip that's rather open and a facing that is very long. It demands the use of soft reeds and very precise embouchure pressure. I find them to be a tiring chore to play. There is no payback in terms of glorious tone or agile response in return for the extra work required to play one well.
I'm not familiar with the Conn Precision #4. But, the Conn clarinets that it probably came with are similar in design to the Selmer Centered Tone--if you find that it works for you better than the Selmer HS*, by all means use and enjoy it.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-06-01 20:01
I played a Selmer HS* for quite a while and found it to be generally a good responsive mouthpiece. I have several in my junkbox and they all play well. The 2V is an entry-level mouthpiece. Lots of kids played them all through high school, but I don't regard them very highly. Don't know anything about the Conn.
Tony F.
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Author: kilo
Date: 2014-06-01 20:48
The HS* on a Centered Tone is the setup my teacher started me out on — in 1958. If you're getting good results as a beginner there's no reason you can't play this piece for years to come.
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2014-06-01 21:24
I keep the HS* that came with my Centered Tone because it is a good mouthpiece that goes well with many instruments. However, on my large bores (Centered Tone and Series 9) I find it a little too resistant. The one I really like on the large bores is a Portnoy BP02.
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Author: William
Date: 2014-06-01 22:25
In high school, I played a Bundy Resonite clarinet and fooled a lot of listeners who though it was an expensive wood clarinet because of the sound I was able to produce. My *secret*.......a Selmer HS* mouthpiece. Even on a plastic Bundy, it sounded great. In college, I gave it up for a Chicago Kaspar #14 because my professor said it was a "good one". But I probably could have played that HS* my whole life--it too was a "good one".
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