Klarinet Archive - Posting 000191.txt from 1994/12

From: CLARK FOBES <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Mouthpiece table
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 1994 16:41:41 -0500

You wrote:

>
>Here's a new one for discussion...
>
>Just before he died, I was in touch with Pete Hadcock about some
mouthpieces
>I had sent him to try. His reaction was that, although they seemed to
respond
>well, they played "wild". He attributed this to the concave table and
>suggested that I try an absolutely flat table. Many of you are aware
that
>any number of mouthpiece makers and manufacturers use a concave table,
>primarily for reasons of reed longevity -- a soft reed will "play out"
>much more quickly when the mouthpiece has a flat table.
>
>What have others found??? Hadcock, by the way, mentioned that he
frequently
>had students playing Vandoren B45s running into wildness problems. The
B45s
>are decidedly concave. His students found there mouthpieces to play
more
>consistently after the tables were flattened.
>
>On another point -- I tried the M13 (Vandoren) about which there was
much
>On another point -- I tried the M13 (Vandoren) about which there was
much
>discussion awahile back. The tip opening seemed VERY close. When I
>studied with Dave Hite, he always claimed that his mouthpieces were
based
>on the Chedeville of old. None of the Hites I have ever measured are
>nearly as close as the M13 I tried out. Any old Cheds out there???
>Anyone want to share some measurements on them???
>
>Jim Perone
>jperone@-----.com
>
>There is quite a bit to address here. I'll see if I can do it in about
5 minutes.

A truly flat table is very hard to achieve. It is possible to come
close, but I believe a slight concavity is best. My experience is that
many mouthpieces that purport a "flat" table are slightly convex. I
actually find that flat or slightly convex promotes the "wildness" you
described. This is because the reed has no true consistent point of
leverage from the table. A slight concavity insures that the reed sit
square on the table. A flat reed should touch the table in all 4
corners.

I think the Van Dorens are very incosistent.

M-13 - An Eb facing if ever I saw one.

Dave Hite may have modled his blank after a Chedeville, but the facing
or tip opening is only something personal that is applied to the Blank.
Don't confuse blank styles with facing styles. Seperate issues.

Clark W Fobes