Author: John Peacock
Date: 2022-05-19 13:47
Attachment: facings.pdf (79k)
I play on a C85 120, and have various comments:
* They are quite variable. I've bought a few off eBay to try to build up a stock of spares, and they can play very differently - but a good one is hard to beat. They also come in different lengths, so yours may be one of the shorter ones.
* I agree that C85 throat tones tend to be sharper, but I think that is a good thing. With many mouthpieces, it's the opposite problem: Vandoren 13 series particularly tend to produce F and F# that are flat (for me, at least) and G#/A/Bb OK. With a C85, F and F# are OK, and G#/A/Bb are a little high. But (a) how high depends on what resonance fingerings you use and (b) it's easy to tweak the tuning of these by slightly filling the G# & A holes. But a flat F/F# is much more problematic.
* I attach a plot showing facing measurements I made: my main and spare C85; B40; B40L; B45; BD5. B40L is most similar in measurement to C85, and indeed is the closest in feel. The other 3 are a little shorter, and I like them less - especially the BD5, which has a marked flare in the opening in the last couple of mm. I know the BD5 is very popular now, but I find it dull and stuffy, and I'm sure this is related to the short and rapidly flared facing.
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