 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: AAAClarinet
Date: 2015-03-04 02:49
I understand that the magic of a finished custom mouthpiece is in the skill of the craftsman who makes it, but I wanted to get some opinions on JJ Babbitt mouthpiece blanks. How do they compare to blanks by Zinner and other makers. Is there really much of a difference? Thank you for your time.
AAAClarinet
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kel
Date: 2015-03-04 22:46
The late, and much missed, Doc Tenney used Babbitt products to produce his excellent sax mouthpieces. He hand-selected the best of the Babbitt production, then blueprinted them to exact specifications. They are a joy to play. I think it's safe to say that Doc thought Babbitt blanks are of high quality.
Post Edited (2015-03-04 22:48)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: TomS
Date: 2015-03-04 22:55
Where/how can you obtain Babbit blanks? I don't see them on their web site ... maybe I missed it.
Tom
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2015-03-05 01:25
Babbitt blanks are fine, although their clarinet blanks tend to have windows that are a bit wider than I'd like. A good refacer can make a fine mouthpiece out of any material, from cheap acrylic plastic to any grade of hard rubber, wood, glass, or various metals. That said, for best results the refacer often has to rework the interior of the mouthpiece (particularly the baffle towards the tip, and at the window where many cheaper mouthpieces have a pronounced molding line or ridge). The better blanks need less interior work than do cheaper blanks.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: The Doctor ★2017
Date: 2015-03-05 15:47
I believe that many of the custom mouthpiece makers have their own blanks made by Babbitt in addition to the stock and custom blanks made by Zinner. It is rather expensive (used to be $10K back in the 90's) to have your own mold made with your specifications and also to buy the stamp to hot stamp you name on the mouthpiece. Hite among others had his mouthpieces molded at Babbitt. I am not sure what blanks they have for general sale.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
www.chedevillemp.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: donald
Date: 2015-03-07 05:40
For a while "Music services" (since sold, changed names) was the only source in USA of Zinner blanks unless you got them en mass directly from Zinner. They also sold a stock Babbit clarinet blank that was deliberately "undersized". The bore was narrow, the sidewalls quite close, the entry had a big step and the rails quite thin (so they'd potentially widen when the facing was opened up). This was all deliberate- so that you could actually adjust it to the dimensions you wanted.
I can't comment on the window DS, it's many years since I inspected one of these blanks.
Some people refaced them, and (as many do with the stock Zinner blanks- which suit this treatment) adjusted "non facing dimensions" as little as possible, leaving the impression that Babbit blanks were sharp, stuffy, and with thin rails. Well, they WERE if you didn't know how to adjust the bore/rails etc
that's all I know
I recall a respected mouthpiece maker sitting before me and producing a very nice sounding mouthpiece (more ring in the lower reg than most of the Zinner variations we see) from a Babbit blank... in.... ummm that must have been 1996 and he had to work on the whole thing- ream out the bore, measure and adjust sidewalls etc
dn
Post Edited (2015-03-07 08:24)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
