Klarinet Archive - Posting 001070.txt from 1998/04

From: RCLARINET <RCLARINET@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Re: Mouthpiece Facings & Reed Strength
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 11:38:19 -0400

Roger -
> I have been wondering about measurement of mouthpieces for some time. In
> your schedule for the M13, the tip opening seems clear enough (are these
> 100th's of a mm) and I BELIEVE the other 4 numbers are distances back along
> the curve to the point of insertion of certain thickness feeler gauges
> between the mouthpiece and a flat plate, but I neither know the thickness of
> these gauges nor the units of measurement (except that they can't be 100ths
> of mm or the first one would require a microscope to observe.)

George (seems weird to type to the listserv when you only live two miles
away!!) -

Yes they are feeler guages - .85 MM, .61 MM, .25 MM, and .04 MM. placed
between the mouthpiece and a piece of glass with measurement marks on
them.

I believe the measurements are 1000ths of a millimeter. That is what I
think they told me at J.J. Babbitt, where I ordered blanks the other day.
If not, someone will, undoubtedly correct me. I know Tom Ridenour knows
this information very well! Tom?

Roger Garrett
IWU

Actually the measurements are 100ths of a millimeter. A millimeter is .03975
inches.
This means .01mm (one one hundredth of a millimeter) is .003975.
This means for every thousandth of an inch you move you move .03 mm.
So a tip opening of
1.00mm equals .039
1.01mm equals .042
1.50mm equals .060
So you can see these .01mm gradations are fine indeed.
By the way Roger, from my measuring and also from the manufacturers
advertising I have found that the M13 is about 1.00mm, not 1.05. What their
advertising says is 1.005.
It is a very close mouthpiece with a rather short curve behind the tip......a
thing that can make the mouthpiece feel a bit stuffy and limit the volume and
resonance of the sound, most especially, but not only, in the upper clarion.
ciao,
tom