Klarinet Archive - Posting 000529.txt from 1996/02

From: Donald Yungkurth <DYungkurth@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Harold Wright's Mouthpiece?
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 1996 11:38:26 -0500

CLARK FOBES <reedman@-----.COM> writes:

>I worked with Everett Matsen about 2 years ago and we >talked about Harold
Wright a bit. Yes, Everett does prefer >symmetrical facings, but that does
not mean that he will >not or cannot do asymmetrical facings. I actually
find a >slight asymmetry to enhance the positive overtones. >Many of the
Kaspar mouthpieces that were original >facings had some asymmetry. It has to
be done right or >the mouthpiece can become too resistant or unreliable on
>attacks.

>I believe the work he did for Mr Wright was primarily on >the table to
correct warpage. I know he has also >occasionally worked on Stanley Drucker's
Lelandais in the >same manner. I have measured Mr. Drucker's mouthpiece >and
it is asymmetrical as well.

I'm sending this to Clark as well as to the whole list, hoping that Clark and
others might respond to my questions. Is the asymmetry referred to in these
comments with respect to the rails only, or does it have to do with internal
dimensions?

The reason I ask is that I recall reading that Vandoren reeds were cut with
the two sides deliberately slightly different in strength to provide some
sort of improved response. It would seem to me that a slightly unbalanced
reed would accomplish the same things as slightly unsymmetrical rails.
Indeed, people that do significant routine reed adjustments might be doing
this automatically.

Any thoughts?

Don Yungkurth (DYungkurth@-----.com)