 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Gene
Date: 2023-01-03 04:41
So after playing the alto for several...... years I've decided to put my Clarke and Fobes mpc aside and use a modified tenor sax Caravan mpc .It completely gets rid of the stuffiness and resistance inherent in my B&H alto . It will take a while to remaster tunning ect but I just can"t play that mpc anymore like way to hard.If you wanna here my sound on the Clarke & Fobes youtube alto clarinet Oblivion.Once I'm ready I"ll post the new setup. This was an epiphany for me so easy to blow my alto now.
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Author: Gene
Date: 2023-01-03 09:20
Dan I've been playing off and on as a partime pro sax ,flute clarinet for years, anyways I came to the conclusion I can't get the alto to where my other horns are comfortable to play because of the inherent dimensions of the alto .So I decided to experiment .Looking at the alto you have a large mouthpiece going into a narrow neck into a large bore body yuck not like the sax where its more open all the way .I grabbed a bunch of spare tenor mpc's and the caravan was closest to fitting in socket I painstakenly sanded down the outside shank till it fit the socket tight and then sanded more and layed thin papaer around shank and some grease.It fits and plays but was hard to find the right reed. I experimented with ,legere signature and even a signature Bari reed cause it was the only one to cover the wide table ,but found the T sax vandoren 3.5 worked best sofar. Tuneing was difficult at the begining how do I adjust my embuchure, clarinet or sax. In the end a little of both and focused more on sound rather than pitch which came later .Plays a little flat in bottom end good in middle alittle sharp above high C, I can play upto altissimo A but note very pleasant. Anyways I'm staying with it I will master it eventually,by the way I use a Kooiman etude thumbrest and neck strap I dare say if I had a peg it would be easier less movement at mpc.
Post Edited (2023-01-03 09:24)
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2023-01-03 17:26
There are other ways to get rid of stuffiness on alto without sacrificing intonation. While I absolutely love my Fobes 10K on Bb I personally find the Fobes low clarinet mouthpieces I've tried to be a bit too resistant for my taste (though I have yet to try the 10K low clarinet offerings so my opinions are subject to change!). You may want to try something like a Hite or Grabner. I also have an alto mouthpiece made by Olav Bakke that is by far the best I've ever played in terms of response.
Secondly pad heights are critical on low clarinets. Most stock altos really benefit from having the pad heights increased in key locations, specifically LH3 and RH3 and well as the F/C and E/B keys. This may require having a tech remove a small amount of metal from the feet of certain keys but it can make a huge difference. Clarinet maker Steve Fox even suggested going a step further by removing the keys entirely and having these tone holes remain open if possible. The main concern here would be finger stretch and a slight sharpening of the note. Both of these problems could be improved with a tone hole chimney added over the existing tone hole which a repair tech with a lathe should be able to make for you.
-JDbassplayer
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2023-01-03 19:03
i agree the pad heights are important on altos. if set too low -there will be added resistance . yes playing alto can be frustrating as you just cant seem to get enough air tru it at times where you need more volume. also dissapointed in my fobes bass mpc. expected more from this highly praised mpc. it dosnt like legere reeds! its better with cane but still my selmer is MUCH better. lastly playing alto on a peg makes a HUGE difference. IF you are serious about playing alto-get a peg added. well worth the investment.
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Author: crazyclari
Date: 2023-01-08 07:19
Hi,
IMHO most of the mouthpieces for alto clarinet are not great. I have tried the usual fair. I found the more recent commercial brands choke and had a quite nasally sound. I refaced an old Vandoren and filed the baffle down considerably, improving the mouthpiece considerably. The best I have tried is a Pillinger. Rounder sound, relatively free etc, so far nothing touches it, which is what i now use. Cheers
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Author: Hugues Fardao
Date: 2023-01-08 14:53
The Selmer classic C* Alto mouthpiece is cool, I mean for me better than Vandoren 5RV, B40 and B44. More open with a rounder sound. But I did not test other brands except pomarico.
Careful, all the C* are not the same, I have two of them : one is round and punchier, the other easier to play but with a clear sound. Someone I know tried the BD5, wich seems to be better than the other Vandoren mouthpieces.
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2023-01-08 18:19
i also prefer the selmer c* on alto . i have 3 and they all play the same. very consistant. legere reeds help liven up the sound also. i use the american cut alto sax reed.
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Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2023-01-08 19:23
crazyclari:
Pillinger does not list an alto clarinet mouthpiece on their web site. Is yours an older model or custom piece?
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2023-01-09 21:49
Like others, I've tried a LOT of alto mouthpieces. In fact I have a whole box of them that didn't make it!
Although I use Fobes for Bb and bass (and LOVE them), I didn't like his alto for my Buffet Prestige. Of course I tried ONE Fobes alto so it may have been just that one. I bought a couple Hites that were quite good on my alto and also LeBlanc basset horn.
Right now I use either the Grabner or the Selmer C* with a Silverstein alto sax ligature that frees up the sound a good bit.
Hope that helps.
Eefer guy
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2023-01-10 02:23
my fobes alto peice is fantastic. best i have ever played. i bought one for my bass and am dissapointed. both my selmer c* and vintage woodwind b6 outplay it. it dosnt like legere reeds at all. plays fine on cane.
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Author: Gene
Date: 2023-01-10 03:58
Wow it's been a week blowing and I gotta say and maintain this mpc is a whole new world .My alto blows just as easy as my R13 and the sound gets better every day I play it.Wouldn't change a thing but i did I'm useing a vandoren ZZ#4 reed and FL ligature Omg .
Post Edited (2023-01-10 04:05)
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Author: HANGARDUDE
Date: 2023-01-10 16:23
Very intriguing findings Gene! Just curious- What make of alto do you play on? Altos vary in bore size(albeit with the same mpc socket size) anywhere from 17(Selmer Paris/Bundy) to 18mm(Leblanc/Noblet), and German basset/alto pieces(compatible with French Bb reeds+ligs while still have a 17mm bore size) appear to work well with some of the smaller altos with a larger tenon/adaptor, while the larger bore Leblanc works fine with standard French alto pieces, and I wonder you're playing on one which might've influenced your results.
Also NOLA Ken: Ed Pillinger(whom I know quite well) does make alto mouthpieces, though he doesn't list them on his website but rather discusses it when enquired.
Josh
Post Edited (2023-01-31 15:25)
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Author: Gene
Date: 2023-01-10 20:59
I play a Boosey & Hawkes 1-10.I think my socket for mouthpiece is different I tried my Clarke Fobes on a Vito and it wouldn't fit and the other guys Grabner was to big to fit my socket.I"ll post on youtube in another week or 2once I'm more comfortable with the setup but it's going well.
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Author: Hunter_100
Date: 2023-01-10 21:39
Can anyone comment on the internal differences between a tenor sax mouthpiece and the alto clarinet mouthpiece? The must be similar for this experiment to work out right? I would presume a clarinet mouthpiece manufacturer could duplicate the internal structure on a otherwise normal alto mouthpiece to provide a commercial product and avoid the Frankenstein modification.
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Author: crazyclari
Date: 2023-01-31 10:41
Hi, I just noticed there was a question about the Pillinger mouthpiece. FME/IMHO it is the best going. He seems to have recently updated his website and alto mouthpieces are not listed. I bought a second mouthpiece about a year ago.
The mouthpiece I have is a G which he mentioned was his "standard" facing. I am using a 2.5 vandoren blue box alto sax reed on it and pushing the reed up a bit if I need. Horn is a Leblanc about 1972 that I have done extensive tuning and voicing on its a gun ship:)
Contact him and see if it is still possible. I have tried most of the off the shelf mouthpieces. standard story players choice.
Cheers Glen
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Author: crazyclari
Date: 2023-01-31 10:45
I should note I have tried most of vandorens and selmer. I refaced a B44 and heavily took the baffle down and had a much improved mouthpiece. The BD5 is alright with the mentioned 2.5 vandoren. I found the earlier vandorens and selmers less than ideally made.
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Author: crazyclari
Date: 2023-02-01 02:06
I also tried LaVoz reeds at one stage. They had less resistance, the sounds was not exactly the classical sound I was after, a compramise but it worked. Great jazz sound though.
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Author: Djudy
Date: 2023-02-01 12:39
I'm currently happy with a recent Vandoren BD5 mp and cut-down Légère 2.75 bass clarinette reeds and Selmer ligature on a 2002 Selmer alto.
The previous owner liked a Vandoren B40 with cane but I get more consistent and reliable results with my setup (I play in a concert band that does indoor and outdoor venues). Last sunday at a group concert I was surprised and pleased that someone came up to me at warmup to say what lovely sounding instrument ! I'm easily in tune despite the synthetic reed and often the only clarinet in tune off the batt and not needing repeated tweeking (but I get there early and do a thorough warmup). I am very lucky to have such a good quality instrument, despite its poor right hand ergonomic design, and love the intrinsically zen nature of the alto.
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2023-02-02 02:50
in my experience besides the buffet prestiege-the best value in alto clarinets is the noblet. i have 2 that i paid 350 for one and only 200$ for the other and they both out play my selmer. i just use legere alto sax reeds -the american cut and they work execellent. i have a ton of good mpcs for alto but my fav besides the fobes-is the standard selmer c*. the noblet is more free blowing while the selmer is very resistant and is hard to get enough air tru at times.
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