 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-11-08 21:49
I've noticed recent topics about "How many clarinets do you have?" and "How many mouthpieces do you own?", so I figured I may as well add "How many barrels do you have?", "How many ligatures do you have", and "How many different types of reeds do you have?"
I have 7 barrels, the first two of which I use on a regular basis, the others of which I basically don't use at all (most of them are stock barrels.)
• 67mm Clark Fobes cocobolo Bb barrel
• 65mm Clark Fobes hard-rubber lined cocobolo A barrel (he sent me this when my other A barrel developed a crack.)
• 65mm Clark Fobes cocobolo A barrel (is still playable, but has a crack running down the side so I avoid playing it.)
• 65mm stock Buffet R13 Prestige A barrel
• 65mm stock Yamaha 650 Bb barrel
• 67mm stock Buffet Pre-R13 Bb barrel
• 62mm unidentified barrel that came with said Pre-R13. Must have been used to tune to a higher pitch standard or something.
I own 6 ligatures, the first of which I use on a regular basis.
• Vandoren Optimum
• Rovner Versa X
• 3 stock ligatures
• German-style string ligature. Really like this one but it's a nuisance to use since you have to tie/untie it every time.
I have 4 types of reeds in my "clarinet drawer," the first of which I use regularly.
• Pilgerstorfer Morré 4s
• Pilgerstorfer Dolce 4.5s
• Vandoren V12 3.5+s
• Vandoren Traditional 2.5s
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-11-09 00:26
What next - Your favourite colour?
Am I alone in finding these lists rather juvenile and tedious?
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2014-11-09 01:04
Tom Ridenour's fat barrels of several lengths for LOOKS (and for tuning of course )
Rovner ligatures for CONVENIENCE
Rico Royal reeds of various strengths for EASE OF PLAYING
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2014-11-09 01:56
Black with silver keys would be my favorite colors for clarinet, though I could go for gold keys and/or white or clear body.
I am interested in this list to know to what extent players USE multiple types of barrels/ligatures/reeds on the same clarinet. Personally I strive to settle on one type of each to use all the time. Is that an unreasonable goal?
I use barrel mics and try to keep 2 working ones at all times, plus a 3rd usable micless barrel (don't want to drag a cable when I don't need one). The mics are lasting longer than they used to (not sure why) so I can be more particular about what barrel I use most of the time, which for now is the one that came with my Arioso. My micless barrel (sealed up hole) is a Ridenour Ivorolon, and if it plays differently I can't tell. Ditto my old wood noname backup mic'd barrel. Maybe one day my playing will advance to the point I get fussy about which barrel I use, and I will count that as a loss.
I've been through a bunch of ligatures, and there were times that changing ligature made a big difference (I even crowed about in on BBoard a time or 2). Now I'm settled on a regular Rovner. Occasionally I'll test my old favorite metal Crampon, or the metal lig that the Ridenours sent with my Arioso. And these days it never changes anything, and for that I am very grateful... I can stick with the Rovner and not obsess about it.
My reed choices are still in flux, but the better and more stable my play gets, the less difference the reed makes. I count this also as progress. Right now Vandoren blue 2.5 or 3 are about equal, I guess I need 2.75. I still need to test V12's and I have my eye on AW's. The last thing I want, though, is to need to keep more than one type on hand for differing situations. I am so close to a "final" choice... maybe I'll get there before too much longer.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
Post Edited (2014-11-09 02:22)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2014-11-09 02:34
fskelley wrote:
> I am interested in this list to know to what extent players USE
> multiple types of barrels/ligatures/reeds on the same clarinet.
> Personally I strive to settle on one type of each to use all
> the time. Is that an unreasonable goal?
>
I don't think you'll get answers to this question in this thread because that isn't what was asked. There's a huge difference for many of us between the number of barrels, mouthpieces, instruments, etc. we use concurrently and the number we *own* (i.e. have bought in the past and put away for one reason or another), which is what these threads ask.
I suppose it may be of some interest to know how players *use different equipment* under different playing situations or in different musical environments. That goes, maybe, to the question of players' flexibility in meeting specific challenges and might illustrate that "one size fits all" is silly.
But the questions that have been *asked* about equipment make no distinction between this kind of flexible approach and plain, old GAS (Gadget Acquisition Syndrome for the uninitiated). If it's GAS we're leaning about, my own response, respectfully, would be WHO CARES?
But, judging from the number of responses containing straightforward lists these questions attract, I guess someone does.
Karl
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2014-11-09 02:51
Norman,
"Am I alone in finding these lists rather juvenile and tedious?" No. I also find listing things like one's reed, barrel, ligature, instrument (s), tuner, swab, organization seat, screwdriver, case cover, etc. (did I miss anything really important) much the same.
While being the associate principal clarinetist in the wind symphony at the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople might be noteworthy to some, spare me.
Cheers,
HRL
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Author: GBK
Date: 2014-11-09 02:59
Hank Lehrer wrote:
> While being the associate principal clarinetist in the wind
> symphony at the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople
> might be noteworthy to some, spare me.
>
> Cheers,
>
> HRL
I saw what you did there pretty darn quick.
...GBK
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-11-09 03:36
I'll gladly delete the thread if it bothers everyone.
Post Edited (2014-11-09 03:53)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2014-11-09 04:15
maxopf wrote:
> I'll gladly delete the thread if it bothers everyone.
>
No question is out-of-bounds, no matter whom it bothers, if the answer is meaningful to the BB member who asks it.
So, again with all respect and no intent to attack your having asked (I'm genuinely curious), what meaning do the answers to your question (and the similar ones that have been posted in the past about "how many ... do you own") have for you? Despite my having exclaimed "WHO CARES?" in my last post, do the answers matter in some way?
Karl
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-11-09 04:42
I'm just curious who has/uses what equipment. I noticed the other threads only covered clarinets and mouthpieces, so I figured I'd add a thread dealing with the other major pieces of equipment. I guess the question could have better been phrased as "What equipment do you own, what do you currently use in performance, and why do you use it?"
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Author: kdk
Date: 2014-11-09 09:01
maxopf wrote:
> I guess the question could have better been phrased
> as "What equipment do you own, what do you currently use in
> performance, and why do you use it?"
Well, I'm still not sure what meaning the first part of this question would have - is it really useful to know what any of us who have been around for a long time actually have stored in our "clarinet stuff" drawers? But the rest of it might be useful to someone - indeed, those questions come up in many ways in the day-to-day content of the BB. For awhile, posters were including footers in their posts (in response to a specific thread that someone started) detailing their current equipment. You still see that information at the bottom of some posts.
Karl
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2014-11-09 10:53
I'll change it to, "What equipment do you own, what do you use in performance and why, and why don't you use the stuff in your clarinet drawer?" That way the question becomes "useful" in that we know why people aren't choosing certain pieces of equipment over others.
There are a lot of topics dealing with why people think pieces of equipment are great - not so many dealing with why they find certain pieces of equipment to be not-so-great.
The original topic really wasn't about usefulness, though. I was just curious what kinds of equipment people have; it's as simple as that.
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Author: KenJarczyk
Date: 2014-11-09 22:37
Currently in a drawer, probably never to see daylight again:
A very expensive new Chedeville 4 mouthpiece, as well as a new Chedeville barrel.
Several stock Buffet and several more stock Selmer barrels.
An "Adrian" cocobola barrel (marketed by Walt Grabner)
Several Selmer HS* mouthpieces of various vintages.
Several Grabner pieces, K14.
Couple Greg Smith pieces, older, very well played and worn out.
Many other various brands of expensive pieces.
There used to be several Vandoren mouthpieces, but I've disposed of those before being discovered!
I have a large collection of various Bonade ligatures, many Rovners, lots of stock types, and a spare Optima, just in case.
Ken Jarczyk, Woodwind Guy
Ken Jarczyk
Woodwinds Specialist
Eb, C, Bb, A & Bass Clarinets
Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2014-11-10 21:11
I'll join the rest of the grinches in my feeling that this sort of question does not further the purpose of this BB. There is lots of useful information and many informative discussions here, but this sort of information seems only to be self promoting. At any given time, I feel no need to list and identify every piece of equipment I own. It will probably be different tomorrow. Nor, for the same reason, do I feel a need to list every position I have ever filled (except for that fourth chair third clarinet position at the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople). A question narrowed to a specific topic or problem is much more useful.
The correct answer is . . . I have as much equipment as I currently have and the longer I play the greater that number gets to be.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2014-11-10 21:17
BartHx wrote:
> I'll join the rest of the grinches in my feeling that this sort
> of question does not further the purpose of this BB.
Define the purpose of this BBoard :-)
Some people like the lists, lots don't. It's a harmless thread. Don't contribute if you don't care. It'll drift off the front page soon enough ... unless you keep bringing it to the front by saying how much you dislike it.
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2014-11-10 21:57
Let me restate my reason for finding this of interest with an analogy.
Many people make do with one vehicle, by choice. I'm assuming one driver here. And they seldom if ever are limited by that (like trying to bring home a sofa in a Prius). So some others might maintain 2 vehicles of different types that they commonly need for different situations. In the clarinet world that would be "needing" a different setup for jazz band than philharmonic. Which of you think such a need exists?
Other drivers who absolutely cannot be caught without a drivable vehicle might maintain 2 identical ones... boring perhaps but very secure. Ditto clarinet players.
Still other drivers with deep pockets keep 2, 3, or even 10 vehicles ready to go, that differ mildly or wildly, just for fun. "Today I think I feel like taking the Desoto." I think some of you clarinetists are essentially doing the same thing. More power to you.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: kdk
Date: 2014-11-10 23:01
fskelley wrote:
> Let me restate my reason for finding this of interest with an
> analogy.
>
> Still other drivers with deep pockets keep 2, 3, or even 10
> vehicles ready to go, that differ mildly or wildly, just for
> fun. "Today I think I feel like taking the Desoto."
Stan, this is where the analogy breaks down. Mouthpieces don't cost what cars do. More likely, what Max will get (if he gets anything now that we've branched off to debating the question itself) is a listing of what players have tried and discarded over time. You don't discard cars as easily as mouthpieces, barrels or ligatures when you find one you like better - you probably sell the discarded cars. Unless you're willing to get involved with one of the auction sites, you're more likely to just stick a superseded mouthpiece or other item in a drawer ("I might change my mind some day"), adding to the growing pile that's already there.
But, Mark is absolutely right - more broadly about any thread that gets started here. If no one responds, it sinks to the bottom and off the front page. If enough people find it interesting, it stays alive for as long as they keep it afloat.
Karl
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2014-11-11 02:37
Because I believe maxopf is genuinely interested, here goes:
Setup 1: Outdoors playing, used most of the time: Pyne PolyCrystal mouthpiece, Rovner Dark ligature, Doctors Products Power Barrel, Mitchell Lurie 4.0 reeds. Why? Because this setup projects like a cannon, yet still maintains very good clarinet tone. It's sturdy, dependable, and reliable, and easily replaced it something gets broken. The PolyCrystal loves ML reeds straight out of the box, and this keeps fussing with reeds to a minimum.
Setup 2: English-bore B&H clarinets: Stock B&H mouthpiece reworked by David Spiegelthal, B&H Monogramme ligature, stock B&H barrels, Vandoren V12 3.0 reeds. This setup brings out the richness and complexity of these instruments. The Monogramme ligature fits the mouthpiece perfectly and functions much like a standard Bonade, leaving the sides of the reeds untouched. The V12 adds a nice core to the nominally spread-out tonal focus of the clarinets.
Setup 3: French-bore clarinets, concert settings: Vintage Coast X4 mouthpiece reworked by Brad Behn, Rovner Dark ligature, stock Ridenour or Backun MoBa barrel (depending on the clarinet selected), Vandoren Traditional 3.0 reeds. Why? Because I like the resonance, sonority, clarity, and unbelievable ease of play afforded by this setup. My concept of the perfect clarinet tone is delivered by this setup. How could one improve upon that, really?
Setup 4: Jazz: Yamaha YAC-1208 mouthpiece, stock Buffet-Crampon nickel-plated ligature, Rico Orange Box 2.5 reeds, no specific barrel: Delivers a nice jazzy, edgy tone with the dependable response of a classical mouthpiece. No bad surprises here as can be found aplenty with Brilhart mouthpieces.
Notable failures in my collection: Bonade Inverted ligature--keeps slipping off and changing position, needs constant fiddling. Buffet Chedeville-blank mouthpieces--sure sound great but are otherwise an inconsistent nightmare to play. Selmer HS* piece--awesome when new but wore out quickly. Various Woodwind Company mouthpieces--proved buzzy, nasal, and just don't respond consistently.
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