Klarinet Archive - Posting 001430.txt from 1999/03

From: Spiegelthal.Dave@-----.COM
Subj: [kl] Re: Mouthpiece making is not a black art
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1999 09:46:18 -0500

Clark Fobes wrote:
<I just don't agree with the "luck" part, Dave. You may find that if you
begin to make careful measurements of what you are doing you will eliminate
the happenstance which you perceive as luck.

Another aspect of mouthpiece making that is almost completely ignored by
people who are into refacing is the bore. I feel that the bore is the
foundation of a good mouthpiece. The relationship of the bore to the
chamber dictates the available color and tonal character AND intonation.
Mouthpieces have a very high rate of inconsistency in bore specifications
which adds a real wild card element to any refacing work.

It required only about 10 years of work and an investment of about $2,000
in various bore reamers to develop a consistent method for working on my
bores. I use 4 different reamers to achieve an ideal bore (for me).

Tip openings and facing #'s really have very little meaning unless you know
something about the interior dimensions of a mouthpiece. Facing a
mouthpiece well is perhaps the aspect that requires the greatest skill, but
it is only a portion of the larger picture. This is why you depend on some
"luck" to come up with a really good mouthpiece.

Dave, if you find this interesting and you enjoy the work then I would
encourage you to start measuring what you do, keep a log and develop a more
scientific approach.

Clark W Fobes>

Clark,
Thanks for your thoughtful message about mouthpiece making----You're
absolutely correct that very careful measurements, skill, and proper
equipment can (and should) take the "luck factor" out of mouthpiece-making.
What I meant to say (but didn't say very clearly) is that for the hobbyist
musician such as myself, there IS an element of luck (or call it
statistical variance, process tolerances, or whatever), simply because I
don't have the tools and skills to produce a precise mouthpiece. Even if I
were to take careful measurements (which is itself a significant task), I
don't have the equipment and the training to reproduce those measurements
on a mouthpiece, and as a hobbyist, I'm not likely to invest the time and
money in such. I'm a mechanical engineer by trade, so I do understand
fabrication processes and everything that's involved in making consistent,
repeatable machined items. For my own personal needs, I'll just keep
muddling along in my hit-and-miss fashion, because I've gotten good results
over the years and more importantly, I enjoy it! I do have a lot of
respect for professional mouthpiece makers such as yourself, who have
indeed taken the luck out of the process and made it an art based on
science. I apologize for any inference that luck is involved in the making
of mouthpieces by professionals.
Dave Spiegelthal
Calverton, VA

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org