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Re: Reform Boehm and German clarinet mouthpieces

Author: Reformed
Date: 2024-02-21 21:40

I'm also an owner of Yamaha 846 & 856.

I think these are much closer to the Wurlitzer 187 model https://shop.wurlitzerklarinetten.de/INT-en/clarinets-reform-boehm-system/no-187-in-a-or-b/kl-rb-187-b/. Other German makers have similar clarinets in their catalogues.

I have the Yamaha supplied M3R mouthpieces and some Zinner 3M/R mouthpieces, also a Zinner 4KR. However, I have come the view that these are the wrong mouthpieces for the instruments.

I find that the tuning is much better with a Zinner 2M or similar traditional German bore mouthpiece.

The difference is that while all are 15.0 at the bottom of the mouthpiece tenon, the "R" variants have much less taper towards the top of the mouthpiece. i.e. their bore is wider near the throat.

I have a couple of second hand Wurlitzer mouthpieces which are not marked R but have quite small taper.

Also current Maxton German bore mouthpiece have a greater taper. Note that Maxton also produced a reduced taper for a short time but abandoned this for the more traditional measurments,

Using some Mitutoyo calipers with 40mm arms I measure:

At bottom:

- Yamaha & Zinner R mouthpieces - 15.0mm
- Zinner 2M - 15.0mm
- Wurlitzer D4 & B2 - 15.0mm
- Maxton Clara-D - 15.0mm
- Leitner & Krauss P+4 - 15.0mm

At top (near the throat) 14.81mm

- Yamaha & Zinner R mouthpieces - 14.8mm
- Zinner 2M - 13.8mm
- Wurlitzer D4 & B2 - 14.29mm
- Maxton Clara-D - 13.80mm
- Leitner & Krauss P+4 - 14.1mm

The Zinner 2 M and the Maxton Clara play the 846/856 much better in tune for the middle twelfths (C/g, etc). These notes are horribly wide with the other mouthpieces.

However it is a struggle to play the German Boehms in tune at A440, so I've gone back to playing Peter Eaton Elites and pre-war 1010s with Zinner and Leitner & Krauss mouthpieces which have been drilled out to 15.24mm with no taper, i.e. cylindrical.

I hope this is useful to somebody - I have spent a lot of time and money on German mouthpieces since I bought the Yamaha German Boehms in Tokyo in 1988 or 1989.

I may have arrived at my views because everything in the UK is at A440, but I think Yamaha got the mouthpieces wrong for their German Boehms. Lovely sound, pathetic intonation.

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