[PoorButSaxy]

Hey,

does anyone know anything about Joes bass clarinet setup (especially the mouthpiece)? I found a lot online about his sax setup, but sadly nothing about his preferences on bass clarinet.

 

[milandro]

Try the Saxophone Journal in May/June 1997

There was a thread already on him here that's where I found this information

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?167309-JOE-TEMPERLEY-question/page2

Joe was interviewed in the Saxophone Journal in May/June 1997 and featured on the cover of that issue. At that time he was playing a Conn baritone #210,xxx with a Link 8* metal and Hemke #4 reeds. The details of his set-up on tenor, soprano and bass clarinet were also given.

I've got most of Joe Temperley's CD and really enjoy his playing. There's a great recording of him with Michael Hashim and another with Dave McKenna.

Rhys

There is a really nice five part interview with Joe Temperley on YouTube:

Parts one to three mainly cover his history and have some great stories about the people he played with. Parts four and five have some thoughts on sound production, vibrato and some examples of Joe's playing.

He seems to be playing his Selmer BA and Selmer Soloist here and making a great sound.

Rhys

You can look rather closely at his instrument and mouthpiece here

 

[PoorButSaxy]

Yeah, I've read that thread, but couldn't find that issue anywhere. I guess if noone knows, I'll have to order the back-issue online.

Sadly I am not knowledgeable enough regarding bass clarinet mouthpieces to determine which one he is playing in the video. But maybe someone else here is?

 

[KMR]

He talks about his mouthpieces in this clip.
Go to about 2 minutes and he says his bass clarinet mouthpiece is a HERB COUF.

On looking for your info, I listened to it all. I believe he makes a mistake.
He mentions that on his Conn baritones he uses an Otto Link. I'm sure that is correct.

Then he talks about his SBA baritone mouthpiece, and he calls it a WOODWIND piece. I think he is mistaken. It is a SELMER SOLOIST on all the clips I've seen.

 

[milandro]

if he had a H couf bass clarinet mouthpiece then won't be too easy yo find

https://reverb.com/item/26728481-herbert-couf-2-artist-bass-clarinet-mouthpiece

The ligature is certainly a Vandoren

 

[PoorButSaxy]

He talks about his mouthpieces in this clip.
Go to about 2 minutes and he says his bass clarinet mouthpiece is a HERB COUF.

On looking for your info, I listened to it all. I believe he makes a mistake.
He mentions that on his Conn baritones he uses an Otto Link. I'm sure that is correct.

Then he talks about his SBA baritone mouthpiece, and he calls it a WOODWIND piece. I think he is mistaken. It is a SELMER SOLOIST on all the clips I've seen.

Thanks, can't believe I somehow missed that clip. As far as I know, Joe played a Soloist on his Selmer for a while, before getting the Woodwind Co piece. I find it interesting that he is talking about how he likes smaller tips, when his links on baritone all have a 9 tip opening according to Nicolas Trefeils website (who refaced them). https://www.nicolastrefeil.com/baritone-sax-player-s-setup

Milandro, seems like your right, a quick search didn't turn up much about those mouthpieces. I think it makes more sense to look for something in the same vein than an actual h couf. Thanks for the reverb link. I wasn't able to find any information on the tip openings of those mouthpieces, so I guess I'll try to find something about the architecture/chamber design to see if there are similar pieces that are more readily available.

 

[milandro]

Couf didn’t make his own things anf had other companies to make his stuff, maybe this was made by someone else.

 

[PoorButSaxy]

Couf didn't make his own things anf had other companies to make his stuff, maybe this was made by someone else.

Yeah, the H Couf saxophones where apparently made by Keilwerth. But I can't seem to find any info about the mouthpieces.

 

[milandro]

Saxophones were certainly made by Keilwerth and he entertained very good relationship with this brand, it may be conceivable that the mouthpieces for the bass clarinets were made by some other German brand.

Some of his saxophones mouthpieces were marked with made in West Germany. I think that he wouldn’t have been shopping at different makers for similar things.

Zinner may have been the only brand which had a range including clarinets as well as saxophone mouthpieces (other brands would have a smaller range). Zinner is now closed, I think, so there is little chance for you to have this cleared from them.

 

[rhysonsax]

I looked out my copy of the Saxophone Journal from May/June 1997. It included the following about Joe Temperley's bass clarinet.

Bass Clarinet " I have a Selmer bass clarinet that goes down To Eb. The low C bass clarinets that I've played don't compare with my low Eb." Herb Couf mouthpiece: " it's fairly close." Hemke #4 tenor saxophone reeds.

In the interview he was asked "what advice would you give to baritone players who need to double on bass clarinet ?" and he replied: "To play the bass clarinet you have to tune yourself to play in the extreme lower register. But a good exercise is to play in the altissimo range, as well. Play long tones in the altissimo range all the way up to double C. That give you a good perspective of pitch and also strengthens your sound tremendously."

Rhys