What is the best mouthpiece for Buffet R13? Finally, you’ve come to the right place to get all the essential information.
With the reed, a clarinet’s mouthpiece plays a crucial role in influencing tonality, ease of use, and overall sound. However, if you’re learning to master playing the clarinet, the stock mouthpiece’s substandard quality makes the task quite challenging. Hence it’s highly crucial to pick and choose a mouthpiece befitting your clarinet since doing so determines whether you’ll be able to play the instrument like a pro.
The quality of the aftermarket mouthpiece that you select will make a substantial difference in how smoothly you can play. At the same time, a better quality mouthpiece goes a long way in enabling you to pick up the basics. This review walks you through a few top-notch mouthpieces for the Buffet R13 Clarinet.
The 4 Best Mouthpieces for Buffet R13
| Image | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Vandoren CM308 B45 (Top Pick) | Check Price |
 | Vandoren CM3108 5JB (Close Runner-Up) | Check Price |
 | D'Addario Reserve MCR-X0 | Check Price |
 | Vandoren CM3188 M30 | Check Price |
Vandoren CM308 B45 (Editor’s Choice)
A versatile mouthpiece for clarinet, the Vandoren CM308 B45 mouthpiece is Bernard Van Doren’s brainchild and is appreciated worldwide by clarinetists. The CM308 B45 mouthpiece by Vandoren finds favor with the majority of clarinetists because of its distinctive transitional tip opening and an idiosyncratic medium-long face.
Though the Vandoren CM308 has been designed meticulously for pairing with the Vandoren #2.5-#3.5+ reeds, you can use the mouthpiece with several other clarinet models.
With a tip opening dimension of 0.01mm (119.5), this B flat clarinet mouthpiece is highly esteemed for its tonality. Pro clarinetists and greenhorn players will warm up to this standard beak mouthpiece crafted using premium materials, generating an enjoyable sound for various musical styles. At the same time, the CM308 tends to be very responsive delighting clarinetists at various stages of the learning curve.
The Vandoren CM308 B45 also has an aesthetically pleasing appearance with dimensions of 2 x 2x 6 inches and weighing just 0.8 ounces. The mouthpiece’s compact form and incredible lightness make it remarkably easy to handle and use for playing and rehearsing. Not only is this clarinet mouthpiece ideal for seasoned players, but also perfect for those who’re learning to play.
Regarded by and large as the standard, the CM308 B45 serves as an outstanding clarinet mouthpiece for all categories of clarinetists. Especially learners and beginner players opt for this mouthpiece as this piece comes in perfectly handy for becoming a skilled and accomplished clarinetist.
This clarinet mouthpiece is specially geared for jazz, classical, and folk musical genres. Vandoren has meticulously designed and shaped this mouthpiece with a traditional beak for American clarinetists usingA440 pitch.
Van Doren has established itself as the principal supplier of top-quality clarinet mouthpieces as it has been making mouthpieces since 1905. The manufacturer crafts its mouthpieces using ebonite that helps in reproducing a sparkling and articulate tone highlighting your instrument’s sonic character. The CM308 B45 is a versatile mouthpiece that comes across as immensely helpful in playing a range of styles.
Pros
- High-quality mouthpiece perfect for novice and amateur clarinetists looking for a user-friendly upgrade
- Well-rounded, full-bodied sound for staccato and smooth and rich sound for soloists
- Compatible for folk, traditional jazz, blues, and classical music and playing styles
- Amazingly clear tones with excellent intonation and projection, and near-instant reed response
Cons
- More suitable for learners trying to play like pros
- Many players have reported that this mouthpiece is a tad too open
Vandoren CM3108 5JB
The Vandoren CM3108 5JB mouthpiece is looked upon as the finest mouthpiece by jazz clarinetists thanks to its unmatchable response, crisp expression, and immaculate intonation. Sporting a ‘profile 88’ beak with a tip measuring 1/100 (147 microns) and an elongated façade, this mouthpiece is impeccably suitable for Vandoren no. 1.5-2.5 reeds.
The CM3108 5JB comes equipped with a Profile 88 bill that its sheer exterior angle can distinctly identify compared to standard beaks of traditional mouthpieces.
This clarinet mouthpiece by Vandoren features the time-honored proprietary vulcanized rubber of Van Doren beak typified by its extremely constricted tip. Many clarinetists exploit the exceptionally slim tip profile is exploited to the hilt by many clarinetists, particularly players who specialize in jazz and classical music styles. At the same time, the 5JB’s conventional design greatly helps in delivering an instant response aiding learners to a great extent.
For instance, apprentice clarinetists develop an understanding of the amount or degree of resistance to provide while lipping over the reed for preventing clarinet squeals. On the other hand, the Vandoren CM3108 5JB comes to the aid of beginner players trying to play higher registers. Novice players will also appreciate this Vandoren mouthpiece for clarinet because the piece is easy to pick up and mount.
Alternatively, players who have acquired a level of experience will prefer this Vandoren mouthpiece thanks to its ability to reproduce the entire tonal spectrum. The medium-long facing significantly contributes to dialing in more natural, open, warm, and rich notes. In addition, the innovative and ergonomic profile of this clarinet mouthpiece helps clarinetists create a dark and muddy tone with excellent flexibility and depth.
The CM3108 5J B weighs a mere 2oz and measures 1.75 x 6 x 1.75 inches, allowing players to pick up the mouthpiece easily. Designed with meticulous care and crafted out of heavy-duty materials, this mouthpiece for bass clarinet is favored equally by pros and intermediate players. Unfortunately, this clarinet mouthpiece’s somewhat narrow tip opening calls for players to blow a tad too hard for ensuring a direct response and thorough articulation.
This bass clarinet mouthpiece guarantees players the reproduction of smooth, rich, and beefier tones characterized by a velvety high register and a profound low register. Owing to this Vandoren mouthpiece’s rock-solid construction, you can even install it on low-quality clarinets for quickly achieving a higher register.
Pros
- Bb clarinet mouthpiece for jazz with profile-88 beak
- Designed especially for use with Vandoren reeds-sized Nos. 1.5-2.5
- Long facing layout for crunchy and precise expression, flawless intonation, and unparalleled response
- Ebonite mouthpiece ensures a pure tonality accentuating your instrument’s sound
- Vintage-style mouthpiece for jazz
- Simple application with a vibrant sound continuum
- The near-instant response which helps in playing higher register
Cons
- Those habituated to using a mouthpiece with a smaller opening will have to be patient with this mouthpiece (calls for applying extra lip pressure for curving the reed)
D’Addario Reserve MCR-X0
The D’Addario Reserve Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece XO modeled on universally sought-after vintage 1920s mouthpieces taps state-of-the-art technology for reinstating the performance of original ones.
Every D’Addario Reserve mouthpiece has been meticulously machine-milled from rock-solid heavy-duty rubber (instead of being molded) for a better consistency level. Nevertheless, clarinetists should look beyond the Reserve’s signature material, elegant curves, and graceful angles to feel the mouthpiece’s unmistakable sound.
The Reserve Bb mouthpiece for clarinet is unique is in a class of its own owing to its precision machine milling. On the other hand, this clarinet mouthpiece’s design has been inspired by traditional mouthpieces. Consequently, the perfect marriage of modern-day technology and old-school architecture makes the D’Addario Reserve Bb an immensely versatile clarinet mouthpiece.
D’Addario got together highly adept engineers, technicians, craftsmen, and clarinetists to develop a mouthpiece that’d enable players to express their innate potential. This mouthpiece results from CNC (computer numeric controlled) milling, where the raw material is dexterously sculpted into an altogether new form.
This transformation results in creating a premium mouthpiece that ensures an utmost consistency level doing away with variations.
Taking inspiration from clarinet mouthpieces of the ’20s, the CM3188 M30 nicely replicates that classic feel on the one hand. On the other, the modernistic design enables today’s clarinetists to belt out tones of the new-fangled musical genres. In addition, this hard rubber and cork mouthpiece is immensely adaptable, which implies that the component effortlessly fits a wide variety of reeds.
D’Addario’s unique milling mechanism spares clarinetists from the hassle of testing out multiple mouthpieces for zeroing in on the appropriate one.
Pros
- Bb clarinet mouthpiece featuring a1.0 mm tip opening with a medium-long facing and pitched at A=441 Hz
- Produced from a proprietary hard rubber for ensuring uniformity and tonal excellence
- Aids in the cultivation of appropriate playing techniques and practices in apprentice players
- Players can choose from two discrete pitch systems and four different facings that furnish a variety of resistance options for both professional players and students.
Cons
- Many players may feel that they’ve traded off ease of use with tonal quality.
Vandoren CM3188 M30
The Vandoren CM3188 M30 has been designed and engineered scrupulously to ensure clarinetists have greater leeway in turning out notes. The CM3188 M30 comes reinforced with an unusually lengthy facing and a broad tip rail that enables the mouthpiece to produce sonorous notes with the same effectiveness as a B40.
Designed and manufactured in France, the CM3188 M30 mouthpiece, like all other Vandoren clarinet mouthpieces, offers the perfect balance between performance and flexibility of use.
Pros
- Wider tip opening and a longer facing for superior sound production
- Long ligature facing for maximum playing comfort
- Longer facing and larger tip opening guarantees tonal flexibility and well-rounded sound
- Profile-88 beak for excellent playing position, straightforward sound projection, and the greatest manageable and accurate articulation
Cons
- It may take some time before players are habituated with a smaller tip-opening mouthpiece to rework their embouchure.
How to Choose a Clarinet Mouthpiece?
There’s no gainsaying that to make possible use of your clarinet, and you’ll need to select a matching mouthpiece. Of course, the process of choosing will vary from one player to another for a good number of reasons. However, the first and foremost reason or aspect influencing your choice or preference is your distinctive perception or impression of sound.
Then again, your physical profile, especially your facial contours, including oral cavity size, shape, and size of lips and mouth, the dental structure also have a bearing. Last but not least, the existing mouthpiece you are using currently also affects your preference. It does not bear emphasis that given your playing style, the new mouthpiece you’ll ultimately choose will be very similar to the one fitted on your instrument.
Suppose you’re not aware of the essential attributes of your present mouthpiece. In that case, you can take consolation from the fact many seasoned clarinetists are also in the dark about their instrument’s characteristics. Nevertheless
First, the Mouthpiece Design
Though clarinet mouthpieces are available in various designs, most players are concerned with two design aspects. And these two designs-attributes hugely determine how mouthpieces react and perform comprise ‘facing length’ and ‘tip opening.’ The extent or span from the reed to the tip of the mouthpiece is the piece’s tip opening.
Specifically, the curvature’s intensity strictly at the mouthpiece’s tip can be the particular mouthpiece’s tip opening. By and large, a mouthpiece that features a wider opening at the tip tends to be more responsive with smoother reeds. Alternatively, mouthpieces with a narrower or smaller tip opening are predisposed to work better with tougher reeds.
The spot where the mouthpiece’s reed essentially gets detached from the mouthpiece’s table is the facing length. If this separation takes place closer to the tip, then the mouthpiece is said to be shorter-facing. Alternatively, if the detachment of the reed happens a little farther away from the tip, the mouthpiece is medium-facing.
And the mouthpiece is regarded as longer facing if the reed detaches farther back. Mouthpieces with longer facing normally tend to respond much better with harder reeds, while shorter facing mouthpieces work better with softer reeds. So when you’re out shopping for an appropriate mouthpiece, ensure to evaluate the piece in terms of its tip length and facing length.
You must evaluate the perfect combination of facing length and tip opening that’ll work for you to determine your customized sound and comfort. If you’re someone who’s just starting as a clarinetist, then you should opt for a mouthpiece with a medium tip-opening and medium-facing extent.
Selecting According to Responsiveness and Tonality
Once you’ve honed your playing skills sufficiently, you’ll want a mouthpiece featuring a more streamlined response and tonal attributes. The effectiveness of resistance, response, tone color, and warmth will bear the type of mouthpiece you select. The standard dimension for tip-opening is 110 microns with a medium-facing length that works fine with 2.5-3.5 reeds.
Mouthpieces with tip-opening narrower than 110 provide a remarkably focused sound with less resistance. In comparison, a mouthpiece with a tip-opening broader than 110 offers greater resistance and has a more well-rounded sonic.
Pay Close Attention to the Ligature or Bind
After you’re through with selecting a mouthpiece with a befitting reed, your final consideration would be the mouthpiece’s ligature. It is the ligature that firmly secures the reed onto the mouthpiece’s table while letting it vibrate freely without restraint. A lightweight ligature helps generate sound with a faster response, while a heftier ligature aids in making the sound darker.
Conclusion: The Best Buffet R13 Mouthpiece
The Buffet R13 Clarinet created by Robert Carre’e in 1955 continues to be the primary choice of professional clarinetists universally. The R13 not only has a highly focused tone but tends to be powerful across the lower and higher registers. At the same time, this clarinet is perfect for chamber and classical music, jazz, soloists, professional clarinetists, and apprentice players.
The R13 features Bb, A, and Eb keys, and has a 440/442 Hz pitch, and will work with all the mouthpieces featured above. The D’Addario and the Vandoren CM3108 are two mouthpieces that work best with the R13 and are suitable for both pros and beginners.