Clarinets Clarinet mouthpieces

[MandyH]

I have just acquired a Buffet E11 on fleabay (a bargain to be honest, almost new and in excellent condition)
I took it to the repair tech for a once over and it was declared perfect!

But he asked if I'd considered other mouthpieces.

Now, not being a clarinet expert, and knowing nothing about their mouthpieces, I am at a loss where to even start.

I play Selmer C* (broadly) on all my saxes.

My previous clarinet had a yamaha 4c mpc as standard, which was fine.
This Buffet has a Buffet mpc (I don't know what?!), which I can play OK, but I was wondering what is a good middle-of-the-road mpc for a clarinet?

(I anticipate 100+ opinions on this!!)

thanks

 

[jbtsax]

I strongly recommend the D'Addario Reserve mouthpiece. They are very consistent and affordable.

 

[Alphorn]

The most widely used are Vandoren. If the 4C (1.04 mm) was ok from tip width perspective the next best Vandoren would be the 5 RV (1.07 mm) or 5RVLyra (1.09 mm). The B45 or B45 dot seems to be the mpc most widely used (1,19 mm). Rico is offering the Reserve models. Very responsive but a bit bland to me. In the end you need to test.

Alphorn

 

[Jules]

Another vote for the Vandoren 5RV. my limited excursions into clarinet land have been on that 'piece and it seems a good blend of easy to play and versatile (plus pretty much all Vandoren kit is well finished and functions impressivley

 

[Colin the Bear]

I have been pleasantly surprised with the Rico metalite M11. It's the standard battleship grey plastic high baffle job but it plays so sweet and easy with great intonation and easy altissimo. It will play quiet or loud. I was so impressed I bought the same for alto. I couldn't even blow it.

 

[Justin Chune]

I've never found anything I liked better than Selmer C* and C** mouthpieces. I use them on everything.

A friend gave me a Vandoren 5RV and it does play very well. I went with friend to help him choose a new mouthpiece and he bought a Vandoren M30. The M30 is similar to the 5RV but has a longer lay. Another friend, who is a full time pro, changed over to the Vandoren B40 from the B45. The B40 has broader rails and she thinks that gives her greater stability. Have fun with your selection.

 

[Justin Chune]

When my pro playing friend goes to try new mouthpieces, she gets a few B40s to try, and selects the one that suits her best. They are not all the same, it seems.

 

[jbtsax]

I fought the Vandoren B45 and 5RV for years struggling with the high register, difficulty articulating, and finding reeds that worked. The D'addario (Rico) Reserve is much easier to control and helps to achieve an evenness of tone throughout the entire range of the clarinet.

 

[sdt99]

Another vote for the D'Addario. Even on my old boosey and hawkes clarinet (odd bore) it plays well and gives an evenness of tone and intonation that is better than any of the Vandoren mouthpieces I tried and even better than the original Boosey & Hawkes 926 mouthpiece that came with the instrument.

 

[sax panther]

Put the buffet mouthpiece in the bin. They are generally awful.

It depends what your budget is. D'addario reserve and Vandoren 5RVs are good mid-priced suggestions. Some have suggested B40 and B45 - these are more open than the Yamaha 4C that you've played on before, so if you go down this route bear in mind you'd probably want to use a slightly softer reed. Also remember the D'addario reserves come in different openings, with X0 being the most closed, and I think they do an X15 which is the most open, with 5 and 10 in between.

If these are out of your price range, the Fobes Debut mouthpieces are good quality, consistent, and much cheaper.

 

[Stapes]

My teacher put me on a B40 from the start. I'm certainly no expert but I think it produces a warm and rich tone. I'm being taught the classical route, not sure if that makes a difference?
I bought a 5JB and with it I produce a note more akin to a singing saw!

Bon chance!

 

[jonf]

I've tried various Vandorens over the years, been a bit ambivalent about them. Don't like Selmer C* or C**, too narrow a tip opening for me. I have a Selmer H which is a bit more like it. I also have a mouthpiece from Italy called 'Jazz'. Can't remember who made it but it's OK. Best of all for me is a Rico Metalite. I think mine is an M9. I started out on clarinet forty years ago, and did all my classical grades, but have been mainly a sax player since about 1982. I think that may have had a gradually increasing influence on my choice of clarinet mouthpieces over the years.

 

[Guenne]

Hey,

I played a 5RV Lyre for years, then bought a Pillinger MPC (I told Ed what I liked and disliked about the Vandoren).
Now I am using a Vandoren Black Diamond, which gives me the best results. I am using it with Vandoren V21 3,5.

Cheers

 

[jthole]

I played a 5RV Lyre for years, then bought a Pillinger MPC (I told Ed what I liked and disliked about the Vandoren).
Now I am using a Vandoren Black Diamond, which gives me the best results. I am using it with Vandoren V21 3,5.

I have tried a Black Diamond BD5 a while ago (only one, not multiple). My impression was that it's darker sounding than my current B45 dot. Which is not what I was going for. Otherwise, a fine mouthpiece, easy to play.

I am interested in the new Selmer clarinet mouthpieces, but didn't get the chance to try them yet.

 

[Guenne]

My impression was that it's darker sounding than my current B45 dot.

Yeah, that's what I was looking for.
But I also find it to have a very even "resistance" throughout the range.
And V21 3,5 is a perfect fit for me (Buffet RC Festival).

Cheers

 

[rhysonsax]

I strongly recommend the D'Addario Reserve mouthpiece. They are very consistent and affordable.

I'm having to play a bit of clarinet and I'm very much a doubler, despite having started on clarinet years ago.

I have a Buffet E11 clarinet in clear plastic and it includes a Buffet clear mouthpiece which is OK but now I am thinking of getting one of the D'Addario Reserve mouthpieces. Which tip opening / model are you using @jbtsax and which would you recommend for a doubler ?

Rhys

PS The Buffet mouthpiece is marked 116, which could signify 1.16mm tip opening ( = 45.7 thousandths of an inch). I also have a Bari Buddy De Franco model mouthpiece that has a big sound and is about 53 thou' tip opening. What I really want is something with low resistance and a big sound.

 

[jbtsax]

I am playing on a Lee Livingood custom mouthpiece. Lee is one of the clarinetists who helped design the D'Addario Reserve mouthpieces. For a bigger sound you may want to go with the MCR X10. My teacher generally recommends the MCRX5 for his students.

 

[jthole]

I am playing on a Lee Livingood custom mouthpiece. Lee is one of the clarinetists who helped design the D'Addario Reserve mouthpieces. For a bigger sound you may want to go with the MCR X10. My teacher generally recommends the MCRX5 for his students.

Are these D'Addario mouthpieces tuned to A=442 or 440? I had issues with a Portnoy BP02 which I suspect was designed for the American market. I use that one on my Yamaha YCL-250 now (for outdoors playing) because it tends to be pretty sharp ... the Portnoy makes it a bit more manageable.

 

[jbtsax]

As you can see on their website, the ones marked with an E (European) are A=442.

 

[Justin Chune]

I have tried a few clarinet mouthpieces and nothing works better for me than my Selmer C*. A friend gave me a Vandoren 5RV that plays very well and I keep that as a reserve. Since you already play Selmers on your saxes, you should at least try one on your clarinet.