Klarinet Archive - Posting 001089.txt from 1998/04

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Mouthpiece Facings & Reed Strength
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 14:01:20 -0400

On Mon, 20 Apr 1998, George Kidder wrote:

> Resent since the memory hole got it before -
> >Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 09:02:23
> >To: klarinet
> >From: George Kidder <gkidder@-----.edu>
> >Subject: Mouthpiece Facings & Reed Strength
> >
> >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.)
> >
> >Since I know you are "into" this subject at the present, could you tell us
> what these numbers measure. I suspect I am not the only person who is both
> ignorant and interested.

George,

I posted earlier on this, but it may have been swallowed, so I will type
it again! The following is an excerpt from Morgan's instruction book:

The points at which the facing cureve is measured constitute the
"SCHEDULE", and are 6 number for saxes, 5 for clarinet mouthpieces. Each
feeler gauge will determine a number representing its stopping place on
the glass gauge and the 6th number is the tip opening. For example, the
schedule for teh SLEMER C* alto is as follows:

.0015 feeler 44 actually measures 22mm
.010" feeler 30 actually measures 15mm
.024" feeler 21 actually measures 10.5mm
.034" feeler 8 actually measures 4mm
Tip wand 161 actually measures 1.61mm or .064

This measuring sysstem was perfecte by Erick Brand while he was foreman of
the Selmer woodwind shop, and is the most accurate method devised. In
dealing with hundredths of a millimeter, we are measuring 2.54 times more
accurately than when using thousandths of an inch. The glass gauge is
marked off in such a manner that the line marked 10, for example,
represents 5mm distance from the end or first line The tip wand is marked
off in lines to show .01mm increments.

Hope this helps George!

Roger Garrett
IWU