Help me replace my mouthpiece

Tony

Long story short - I played Bb clarinet in HS. Fast forward 30 years - my son started playing clarinet. When he returned his rental clarinet, he also returned my favorite mouthpiece with it.

Now, I haven't played an hour in 10 years. However, I am feeling a sentimental loss - I want to replace the mouthpiece (all my spares are just terrible.) This is probably a waste of money. But the clarinet was my dad's. It's a LeBlanc Normandy which I think is a beginner model. But in 1945 (or so) they were all made of ebony or grenadilla. Even though I bought the mouthpiece, I feel that my father's clarinet is incomplete. I suppose I am missing him. But that's all too depressing. :emoji_rolling_eyes: Let's move on! :emoji_relaxed:

At one time I was a decent beginner. My instructor sent me out to get a mouthpiece and told me what to buy. I thought it was a Vandoren B75. I sent an email to Vandoren asking about it, however, and they say they never had a B75 model. It's been 30 years - I don't remember the brand.

So my question to all of you - Do you remember a mouthpiece model manufactured 30-ish years ago, labeled B73 or B75, for Bb clarinet? I expect it would have been appropriate for the 'serious enthusiast.'

I am sure it wasn't a Selmer, LeBlanc, Yamaha, Conn, Bundy, or LaVoz. It was sold in a typical music store, not super-special mail order (no innerwebs in those days!)

Any help?
 
How about B45?

In some schools it is the default mouthpiece band directors recommend.
 
Welcome Tony. Vandoren lists a B75 here. But it is a rather expensive baritone piece. There are so many good mouthpieces out there *especially* for the beginner to intermediate-level clarinetist. I'd suggest you hike over to a local music store and see if they will let you give a couple pieces a blow. I actually tried a number of tenor sax mouthpieces that way about three years ago at a Mills Music store. :cool:

By the way this is a pretty good charting of the Vandoren clarinet mouthpieces by charactistics.
 
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It was probably a B45. I'm not sure how long they've made them. I know a number of friends who play clarinet that swear by the Vandoren pieces.
 
+1 on the comment that it's a B45.

I replaced my B45 with a Selmer C85/120. You might want to look at one of those.

Welcome to the forum!
 
Well there seems to be a happy ending.

I got out the clarinets I bought off ebay (yes, bad idea) for my son.

One is a wooden Noblet of unknown vintage. The other is a plastic ("resotone" :emoji_smile:) Normandy. I had no idea they made a non-wood Normandy or I would not have bought it.

Anyway, what's missing from this picture? My father's wooden Normandy.

And I seem to recall the Noblet came in a, um, FUGLY case sporting colors you'd normally see on a bowling ball bag. The ugly case was not to be found.

Until today. It has my father's Normandy in it. Good. Now to take stock of the mouthpieces. I have six:

1. An unmarked chipped wooden mpc. I am not sure which clarinet it came from. I assume the wooden Noblet. It's pretty nasty looking and has wear where the teeth would go. Someone got their money's worth out of it.

2. One that says, "France N4." It has discoloration from a ligature and needs a recorking - it current has masking tape over the remaining cork :emoji_relaxed: Looks like something an innovative kid would do. I mean, they're the same color, right?

And I bet it would work fine for a while.

My dad's clarinet had 2 mouthpieces. I dropped one, ruining it while in the 3rd grade (1970) - I still remember my horror. A chip that looked like a half-moon to me came out of the business end. I played on the other for the next 6 years or so. I would wager this is that mouthpiece.

3. One marked "Noblet X2". It is probably in playable shape. May have teeth marks.

4. One marked "Henri Selmer Paris HS*" Has some deep scars/grooves from ligature abuse but is playable. I don't know how you could leave marks with a ligature accidently.

5. One marked "Noblet Paris, France, and 2V"

6. Oh, and what is almost certainly my Vandoren B45. It is unlikely that I'd have one randomly. Yay me! It seems to be the newest of the lot.
 
Tony said:
An unmarked chipped wooden mpc. I am not sure which clarinet it came from. I assume the wooden Noblet. It's pretty nasty looking and has wear where the teeth would go. Someone got their money's worth out of it.
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I'll buy it for $20. I'm putting together, with the help of Steve, a boxwood clarinet from the 1800s and I'd luv to have a wood mouthpiece, even if it's nasty. :cool:

If you want to do this, use my profile --> send message to follow up.
 
If that wooden Noblet clarinet is un-cracked it MAY be a very nice instrument. Most people aren't aware of the vintage Noblet clarinets and look down their noses at them as student level Leblanc 2nd line horns. The Older D Noblet clarinets can be V E R Y nice pro level instruments.
 
The wooden Noblet seems to be in excellent shape. I need to play on it a while. My son didn't like it - it could be there's a setup problem.
 
Tony said:
<snip> Now to take stock of the mouthpieces. I have six:

1. An unmarked chipped wooden mpc. I am not sure which clarinet it came from. I assume the wooden Noblet. It's pretty nasty looking and has wear where the teeth would go. Someone got their money's worth out of it.

2. One that says, "France N4." It has discoloration from a ligature and needs a recorking - it current has masking tape over the remaining cork :emoji_relaxed: Looks like something an innovative kid would do. I mean, they're the same color, right?

And I bet it would work fine for a while.

My dad's clarinet had 2 mouthpieces. I dropped one, ruining it while in the 3rd grade (1970) - I still remember my horror. A chip that looked like a half-moon to me came out of the business end. I played on the other for the next 6 years or so. I would wager this is that mouthpiece.

3. One marked "Noblet X2". It is probably in playable shape. May have teeth marks.

4. One marked "Henri Selmer Paris HS*" Has some deep scars/grooves from ligature abuse but is playable. I don't know how you could leave marks with a ligature accidently.

5. One marked "Noblet Paris, France, and 2V"

6. Oh, and what is almost certainly my Vandoren B45. It is unlikely that I'd have one randomly. Yay me! It seems to be the newest of the lot.
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1 - This might clean up nicely. I'll leave it to others with their recommendations on how to clean it.

2 - Riffault blank. I find them bright. Not bad though.

3 - Riffault blank. I think they're brighter than the ones marked N.

4 - Selmer. Classic. I really like these.

5 - Riffault blank.

6 - B45 - nice pieces.

It sounds like you have plenty of pieces to play around with. If you need to re-cork some of them then do so when you get a chance. In a pinch I have used dental floss in the place of cork to test out pieces.
 
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