 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: crazy karlos
Date: 2008-01-18 18:18
I decided to get myself a Christmas present of a new mouthpiece for my E11. Phoned the shop (main orchestral instrument purveyor in Johannesburg, where I bought the Buffet and recently ordered a Yamaha bass clari) and discovered they had no clarinet mouthpieces at all in stock, apart from some Rico efforts that the lady on the phone (a sax player) told me seriously not to bother with.
But this really bothers me. There's a thread somewhere here, what's the worst mouthpiece of all, and the answer **has** to be the one they supply with the E11. Not because it's so absolutely bad PER SE. It's fine-tuned to make you think that it's just about OK until you get something decent. But when I recorded, I realised, no way, this is a calamity and I have to get something decent.
But now there's nothing in the shop that I can even try. So this is a bona fide bulletin board emergency.
About 20 years ago, when we had real music shops in Jo'burg with whole shiny racks of Selmer saxophones (you don't find any here any more), I tried all the clari mouthpieces for my B&H Regent, and ended up with a Vandoren B45. Almost can't read the inscription, it's so worn, but this is still the most beautiful mouthpiece for me, I love it. But when I tried it on the E11, it rattled, it was very loose. I put it back on the Regent, and now it has welded tight, I can't get it off, trying any of the tricks suggested. So. I figure it belongs where it is.
I know, this mouthpiece really suits me, so maybe I should just get one for the E11. But why was that other one rattling? And can I fix it? We have a brilliant repairman here called Paul Fix (he's in the phonebook if you ever find yourself here) -- Paul can fix anything. But why the rattle?
So, can someone advise, because I'm going to have to place an order very soon, and I would hate to get the wrong thing. Is there a B45 version that will fit the E11 perfectly?
I know there have been terribly rude things said about the E11 as a beginner's instrument with a spraypaint job. But I love mine. I was totally chuffed to find it's tuned to A=442. Everyone knows it's better to be a little sharp and tune down, than be a little flat and tune up. My Regent was flat in the upper register, so I took it to another famous repairman, Mr Redman, who took a half inch or so off the barrel. It's now in tune in the upper register, totally hopelessly sharp in chalumeau. So I'm used to pulling the notes down. I love the fact that you can gliss up to a note on the E11 and go a couple of Hz sharp and then down again. Much better to play sharp than not to play in tune.
So -- anyone have any suggestions for a Third World Buffet?
And if the spraypaint job gives me trouble, maybe I should take it to the carwash for a hot wax, anyone tried this?
If it's of any relevance, I use Rico Royal 3 reeds ... I can't stand Vandoren reeds, they assume you have all the time in the world and a complete mechanical workshop set up, to spend all day faffing about trying to get something you can play on. I remember reading one clarinetist saying, "You must treat reeds with contempt." This is my philosophy. I always find at least one Rico that plays perfectly straight out of the box, and I just polish it down and keep it for the night. The rest I blow for practice. I have a theory that you can "blow a reed into shape" ... get the sound you want, and the reed will be forced to start resonating to that shape. Kinda thing. I don't have a lot of time to play, can't spend too much time on reeds. The only thing I ever do with reeds (ever since I left my clipper with a friend) is when there's trouble reaching the top notes ... I take a coin, hold the reed against it with the edge just showing, and singe the tip with a cigarette lighter, trick I learned from an old black sax player here, Daddy Selelo. I like it because you can see at a glance how the reed has been "scorched" a little.
Oh yes, I put my reeds to the fire.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2008-01-18 20:22
Sounds to me like the upper socket on the E11's barrel is a little wider than the Regent's. I would expect a new B45 to fit an E11 given the popularity of the E11 (unless, for some reason, the E11's barrel socket was been opened up some time in the past). It could be that, over time, the Regent has compressed the cork on your mouthpiece so that it fits the Regent (apparently tightly) but is loose in the E11. A new B45 should fit the E11 (again unless the E11 barrel's socket has been opened). The greater potential problem with ordering a new B45 (as I see it) would be the inconsistency in this model that others have reported. You might not like the new one as well as the old one.
You could have Paul Fix remove your B45 from the Regent, open up the Regent barrel's upper socket to match your E11's and then recork the moutpiece to fit both barrels. It might cost less than a new B45, if you have to ship from any distance.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: crazy karlos
Date: 2008-01-19 15:18
Thanks very much. I'm going to tell the shop to order at least two, so I have some comparison. They need some stock, clearly. I use the Regent all the time for practising, I want it to have its own mouthpiece.
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Author: crazy karlos
Date: 2008-01-21 06:41
Actually, maybe I should ask them to order a dozen mouthpieces, in the hope of finding the good one. Are Vandoren adopting the same policy to mouthpieces as they do to their reeds? I still think the funniest comment on this board was the guy who tried a bottle of Vandoren wine, and said "Maybe there's only one good bottle in each case."
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