 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BbMajorBoy
Date: 2014-10-23 10:08
Attachment: image.jpg (429k)
Attachment: image.jpg (91k)
Hi,
I am in the market for a new Rico Reserve X5 mouthpiece.
I am trying to decipher amazons weird identification system.
For those of you who are more experienced than me at mouthpiece theory (everyone!), would you Identify this facing (X5) as Close, Medium, Medium Open or Medium Short.
I have attached the options available on Amazon and Ricos comparison chart.
thanks
Leonard Bernstein: "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-10-23 13:59
Not enough information.
I'd need to see what Rico provides as dimensions for their mouthpiece. The enclosed comparison chart is all out of whack anyway. I completely disagree with how they spread out and categorize the Vandorens for starters.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-10-23 20:12
The X5 at 1.05mm tip is very close by UK standards but of course tip opening is only one of a whole range of parameters that affect how any mouthpiece feels and responds.
Why do you feel certain that the X5 is the one for you?
Only by trying several mouthpieces and testing them properly with the reeds appropriate for each one can you really determine which one is for you.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-10-23 23:04
At very least you also require a dimension for the length of the lay (the distance between where the mouthpiece begins to curve away from the reed to the tip (where you measure the opening size which is the only dimension they provide).
So two more things I don't like about Rico. First, they imply that the length of the lay is identical from one model to the other (or don't bother saying what possible differences there are). Secondly they state (don't even bother to imply) that resistance is a function of the tip opening. Resitance is a fuction of the combination of your reed strength (reeds of higher number within a brand are more resistant), tip opening (as they state, a larger tip opening with all other factors being equal will be more resistant), thickness of the rails (thicker rails are more resistant), length of lay (a shorter lay will be more resistant) and shape of the baffle (the internal roof of the mouthpiece - a concave slope is more resistant; a flatter surface or convex one is more responsive).
1.05 seems to be a decent mouthpiece opening (I wouldn't really go much more than that on a mouthpiece). This might be categorized (in the US) as Medium-close. But it depends on the other factors mentioned how it will play for you.
...................Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2014-10-23 23:05)
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2014-10-24 00:53
As I measure it, the X5 that I have has a 1.05 mm tip opening and a curve length (measured with a standard .0015" feeler gauge) of 18 mm. My X0 is the same length, but with an opening of 1.00 mm.
The tip opening isn't what I'd consider really close - it's perhaps more the bottom end of a medium opening (at least by U.S. standards). The length is also perhaps medium long compared to other French style mouthpieces (German and Austrian facings, AFAIK, can get much longer).
The seeming vagueness of Amazon's descriptions isn't really Amazon's fault. Those terms are what many mouthpiece makers use to describe their mouthpieces. They tend not to give exact measurements, I think, because the gauges used to measure length and tip opening are not always reliably comparable to other gauges, so a mouthpiece with a tip opening that measures 1.05 mm on my gauge may only be 1.03 or as high as 1.07 on another gauge. If the makers give exact measurements using their gauges, a buyer might come back demanding a refund because of the difference, feeling the maker misrepresented the mouthpiece's tip opening.
In any case, your list above mixes the two dimensions together. Ordinarily, you will see tip openings described as close, medium close, medium, medium open and open. Curve length is described as short, medium short, medium, medium long and long. I usually take long to mean 19 or 20 mm (or longer), medium to be 17-17.5 mm and short to be anything equal to or shorter than 16. But those are personal interpretations and others may move them a little one way or another.
The take-away is that you really can't tell very much from any of these terms except perhaps (but not necessarily) at the extremes.
Karl
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Author: BobD
Date: 2014-10-24 10:48
Well, the ad does say "Close"......
Bob Draznik
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Author: BbMajorBoy
Date: 2014-10-24 18:42
I've got an X10 and I feel it is too open for me, I am looking to sell it and buy the X5 as a replacement.
Leonard Bernstein: "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2014-10-24 18:58
x5 is a very good mouthpiece, especially for the meager amount of money involved. I've had a couple of students get them -- in both cases tone improvement was palpable. I play a 1.06 opening in a different brand mouthpiece. I'd characterize 1.05-1.06 as medium close (or is it close medium) facings.
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