Update! learned something after posting this video: have a quick 2-minute read here: www.earspasm.com/blog/2023/4/18/student-bass-clarinet-mouthpieces-an-update
I can hardly wait for this video! :) I teach Clarinet Sectionals at a local middle school. And the Bass Clarinets are having a lot of difficult playing across the break into the upper register. So I told them I would recommend some mouthpieces for them. This is all excellent information. (I play on a Clark Fobes NOVA Bass Clarinet mouthpiece).
Fun fact: all Fobes Debut mouthpieces are finished by hand, meaning the measurements are double checked, and certain tweaks are made that can't be done by machine in the factory. This is a step most student (and even professional) mouthpiece makers don't take. Funner fact: I am the person that does this!
Clark Fobes products are incredible. I play at the orchestra with the Nova model...an "intermediate" model (priced like a Vandoren) that plays way better than all the vandos I've tried
I play in a college band that allows community members (small state school). Never switched from my Yamaha 4C after high school (I'm now 30). Last year I bought a Syos with a more open tip and I never realized how much of a huge difference a mouthpiece can make. I liked the mouthpiece comparison video concept. You should do a blind test of a bunch of mouthpieces and pick one. It would be interesting to see what you think without knowing what you're playing.
A friend was asked to double on bass clarinet in a theatre pit band. He found it hard work. It was a student level Yamaha instrument (In a hot Australian summer try keeping that down to A440) and a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece. He struggled with the bottom end and there was no altissimo. I loaned him my Schagerl "came with the horn" mouthpiece and he realised the problems were not of his own making. For my playing I use a Vandoren B46 or a Greg Wier Custom, but it's nice to have the Schagerl to fall back on.
One thing that does strike me is that very few students start out on bass clarinet. Rather they come to it after they've played a soprano for awhile and therefore are more likely to have, say, a 7th grade embouchure than a 4th grade embouchure. Also, good (IMHO) band directors don't put a student on bass clarinet because they are weak on the soprano. Far better for the student and the band to give the bass to a student who plays the soprano pretty decently -- maybe even (again IMO) a student who has been taking private lessons and shown interest in the clarinet and band as more than a just a social activity. The versatility may come in useful for the student down the line. Of course I'm assuming the bass clarinet is in decent shape. Otherwise, all bets are off. All that said, I would still expect the Fobes and Backun mouthpieces to lead the pack. (One other totally unrelated opinion. Any band director who marches a bass clarinet should be fired for incompetence!)
Is it normal for my new mouthpiece to smell like crap. It’s brand new but it smells like burnt rubber it’s almost impossible to play cause it smells so bad.
Any comments about the Mouthpiece that comes with a Buffet Bass (or used to, haven't bought a Buffet Bass since my 1193 in 95), it's made by Ernst Schreiber in Germany as far as I know (ESM)...
I am considering one of the Vandoren "B" series mouthpieces, but have you tested a Clark Fobes Nova bass mouthpiece? Anything to compare it to, or would I be better off getting a different mouthpiece in that price range?
Howarth of London has them. That's where I bought mine (which ist my main piece on Bass, perfekt for a Woodwind doubler). That was before the Brexit though.
Great video and personal confirmation! Looks like I chose wisely when choosing my mouthpiece for my Kessler Custom Midnight Low C Bass Clarinet. I play it with a 2.5 reed as well! We don't need to talk about what type of reed tho (cough cough...artificial...cough cough). 🙄😂
This video is only half helpful😂 I needed a moderate quality student mouthpiece but his thoughts on the reed strengths wouldn’t be so applicable. Been playing sax for 8 years and clarinet for 3. I don’t think I have 4th grade embouchure.
Normalized Audio, You are assuming the person buying the mouthpiece is willing to take it to a mouthpiece technician for refacing (or capable of doing a good refacing job themself). That's not a likely scenario. For most beginners, the mouthpiece that plays well out of the box is the best choice (not the mouthpiece that doesn't play well but has the potential to be made good in the hands of a skilled craftsman).
I have more than one Fobes Debut, and find that its being made of acrylic instead of hard rubber makes essentially no difference. I do have some of his professional hard rubber mouthpieces too, and they're superb. But frankly, I'd be hard pressed to say that they're appreciably better than the Debut.
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Update! learned something after posting this video: have a quick 2-minute read here: www.earspasm.com/blog/2023/4/18/student-bass-clarinet-mouthpieces-an-update
I can hardly wait for this video! :) I teach Clarinet Sectionals at a local middle school. And the Bass Clarinets are having a lot of difficult playing across the break into the upper register. So I told them I would recommend some mouthpieces for them. This is all excellent information. (I play on a Clark Fobes NOVA Bass Clarinet mouthpiece).
Fun fact: all Fobes Debut mouthpieces are finished by hand, meaning the measurements are double checked, and certain tweaks are made that can't be done by machine in the factory. This is a step most student (and even professional) mouthpiece makers don't take.
Funner fact: I am the person that does this!
Jeff, I had no idea! Great work man.
Clark Fobes products are incredible. I play at the orchestra with the Nova model...an "intermediate" model (priced like a Vandoren) that plays way better than all the vandos I've tried
I use the Fobes Debut for alto clarinet and it's pretty darned good.
I agree with this whole heartedly! :) The NOVA is AWESOME.
The Fobes Debut is a fantastic mouthpiece.
I play in a college band that allows community members (small state school). Never switched from my Yamaha 4C after high school (I'm now 30). Last year I bought a Syos with a more open tip and I never realized how much of a huge difference a mouthpiece can make. I liked the mouthpiece comparison video concept. You should do a blind test of a bunch of mouthpieces and pick one. It would be interesting to see what you think without knowing what you're playing.
Did the Syos give you a louder sound?
@@zymurgea louder but also a whole lot more bright.
Thanks for making this video! This type of thing is very helpful for band directors like me who need to make cost-effective purchases.
I LOVE YOU MICHAEL THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO
I have an old hard rubber Bundy 3 that I use on my selmer paris bass clarinet..they are great
A friend was asked to double on bass clarinet in a theatre pit band. He found it hard work. It was a student level Yamaha instrument (In a hot Australian summer try keeping that down to A440) and a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece. He struggled with the bottom end and there was no altissimo. I loaned him my Schagerl "came with the horn" mouthpiece and he realised the problems were not of his own making.
For my playing I use a Vandoren B46 or a Greg Wier Custom, but it's nice to have the Schagerl to fall back on.
Have you done a $100 to $200 mouth piece review. I am looking how much and if I can get Forbes mouth pieces in the UK.
One thing that does strike me is that very few students start out on bass clarinet. Rather they come to it after they've played a soprano for awhile and therefore are more likely to have, say, a 7th grade embouchure than a 4th grade embouchure. Also, good (IMHO) band directors don't put a student on bass clarinet because they are weak on the soprano. Far better for the student and the band to give the bass to a student who plays the soprano pretty decently -- maybe even (again IMO) a student who has been taking private lessons and shown interest in the clarinet and band as more than a just a social activity. The versatility may come in useful for the student down the line. Of course I'm assuming the bass clarinet is in decent shape. Otherwise, all bets are off. All that said, I would still expect the Fobes and Backun mouthpieces to lead the pack. (One other totally unrelated opinion. Any band director who marches a bass clarinet should be fired for incompetence!)
I like marching with it tho
Is it normal for my new mouthpiece to smell like crap. It’s brand new but it smells like burnt rubber it’s almost impossible to play cause it smells so bad.
could i have the link for the clark fobes debut mouthpiece
The selmer concept bass mouthpiece looks interesting
Clark W Fobes is a great manufacturer! I have their alto sax NOVA and it's the best bang for the buck )
Any comments about the Mouthpiece that comes with a Buffet Bass (or used to, haven't bought a Buffet Bass since my 1193 in 95), it's made by Ernst Schreiber in Germany as far as I know (ESM)...
I am considering one of the Vandoren "B" series mouthpieces, but have you tested a Clark Fobes Nova bass mouthpiece? Anything to compare it to, or would I be better off getting a different mouthpiece in that price range?
Top tier content!!
7:33 fobes debute
13:25 yamaha 4c 15:03
Great review. Thank you. 😊
In Italy is impossible to find the Forbes. The only one I can find is the Yamaha. Enyone can help me? 😢
Howarth of London has them. That's where I bought mine (which ist my main piece on Bass, perfekt for a Woodwind doubler). That was before the Brexit though.
Great video and personal confirmation! Looks like I chose wisely when choosing my mouthpiece for my Kessler Custom Midnight Low C Bass Clarinet. I play it with a 2.5 reed as well! We don't need to talk about what type of reed tho (cough cough...artificial...cough cough). 🙄😂
Love my Garrett MO! A bit more expensive than these, but definitely still affordable. As good as my Nova, and both flexible and resonant.
None of these have anything on the faded, beat up, 32 year old mouthpiece that came with the school instrument
Do you like ANYTHING by Yamaha?
I like their synthesizers. I also hear their jet skis are pretty good.
what about the YCL-221-IIS? @@earspasm
wich of the mouthpieces is more similar to playing the soprano clarinet?
that's not possible to ascertain unless we knew what soprano mouthpiece you play on currently
Why don't your videos have subtitles? I really like your videos, but it's difficult to understand because I'm from another country.
You should try the mouthpieces on a single register-key instrument like the intended market will most likely be using.
This video is only half helpful😂 I needed a moderate quality student mouthpiece but his thoughts on the reed strengths wouldn’t be so applicable. Been playing sax for 8 years and clarinet for 3. I don’t think I have 4th grade embouchure.
It's not that personal haha.
w vid as always
Bundy is the best Go for that one. Good hard rubber stock.
Normalized Audio, You are assuming the person buying the mouthpiece is willing to take it to a mouthpiece technician for refacing (or capable of doing a good refacing job themself). That's not a likely scenario.
For most beginners, the mouthpiece that plays well out of the box is the best choice (not the mouthpiece that doesn't play well but has the potential to be made good in the hands of a skilled craftsman).
I have more than one Fobes Debut, and find that its being made of acrylic instead of hard rubber makes essentially no difference. I do have some of his professional hard rubber mouthpieces too, and they're superb. But frankly, I'd be hard pressed to say that they're appreciably better than the Debut.
You got to work on that Bundy. Flatten the table and shorten the facing. It's worth it. They are good.
But not for students … they would not do that