Klarinet Archive - Posting 000241.txt from 1998/01

From: Dee Hays <deerich@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Cleaning mpc.
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 08:18:45 -0500

Steve Prescott wrote:

> Please substantiate this allegation:
>
> Dee Hays wrote:
>
> "Wonderful point. The vibration of the reed surely ought to be more damaging
> than mere swabbing. Wood is harder than the cloth swab and it is repetitively
> beating on the thinnest part of the mouthpiece. Talk about the opportunity for
> wear and fatigue !! I too will continue to swab as always."
>
> I'm referring to the the part where the vibration of the reed wears the
> mouthpiece.
>
> Steve
>
> Steve Prescott
> Instrument Rep.Tech./ Clarinetist
> Indiana State University
> mipresc@-----.edu

Note: It was not my allegation though I happen to think it is possible. We do
wear tests in general engineering that consist of one part tapping on another.
Depending on the exact conditions you can wear a hole right through one part. So
it is at least hypothetically possible.

However it is irrelevant whether the reed causes mouthpiece wear as you have got to
have the reed to generate the sound anyway.

The whole thing actually started as a discussion of swabbing wearing the
mouthpiece.

As far as I know in either case, there is only people's subjective opinions based
on what they perceive has happened. I don't believe that any fully controlled
scientific experiments have been performed to determine the occurence of wear,
define the cause of wear, and calculate the rate of wear.

But boy is it fun to debate it!

Dee Hays
deerich@-----.net
Canton, SD