Klarinet Archive - Posting 000507.txt from 2000/01

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Mouthpieces and Intonation, was Morgan Mouthpieces
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 12:31:35 -0500

In a message dated 1/16/00 6:16:54 AM Central Standard Time,
kratofil@-----.com writes:

<< Unfortunately, I don't know physically/scientifically what the
difference is between the mouthpieces. Maybe some people don't play
sharp on Morgans. I sure liked them otherwise.
>>

A brief note on this.

Below the windway (the wedge shaped area that you blow into), the interior of
the mouthpiece continues as a cylindrical, conical bore.

This bore often starts at 13.9 mm diameter, and expands to 14.76 mm at the
extreme end of the bore, where it is supposed to match the bore of your
barrel.

The bore inside the mouthpiece is most often 53 mm, but can range from 56 all
the way down to 45 mm.

The bore of the mouthpiece is a continuation and terminus of the bore of your
clarinet. NOW, imagine a 9 mm difference in barrel length!!!! You can see
that the internal configuration of the mouthpiece, which is MUCH more
complicated than the barrel, has MAJOR impact on the intonation pattern.

The diameters and amount of flare also vary among mouthpieces. Some start
wider and don't flare, etc. with all combinations possible, and probably out
there somewhere.

If you have a mouthpiece with a bore that flares to 15.1 mm, and you put it
on a Buffett R-13 with a 14.76 bore, what will happen????

Now, to make this situation worse, the hard rubber that most mouthpieces are
made from WARP or change as they cool from the mold. So even if the mold is
machined to the most rigouous tolerances, the interior dimensions can vary
depending on heat, humidity, quality of the rubber used, etc. I'm sure the
various manufacturers strive for good quality, but the fact remains: No two
blanks are exactly the same.

As I mentioned to this list yesterday, I need to do more research on this
whole topic. As far as I know, no one has made a comprehensive study of all
the popular brands and models of clarinets and what interior bore dimensions
favor accurate tuning on each. I certainly don't have the time or the
resources to do this investigation.

I try to tune my mouthpieces to slightly above A=440, using a 1968 Buffet
R-13, with a Moennig reverse taper barrel. I use a 65 mm barrel, and am most
happy when I have to pull out about 1 mm or less for a 440 A. (Let's be
honest here, most groups I've heard lately tune to A=440, then wind up
playing at 442 or higher, so I leave some leeway for tuning higher) .

Now, if a purchaser has a clarinet with a longer or shorter barrel, or a
clarinet with a larger bore size, the tuning that they experience will vary
considerably. Therefore, it is not enough to evaluate a mouthpiece on tone
and response. You must use a tuner, or play in a group to see if you will be
able to use THAT mouthpiece on THAT clarinet!

That's one reason that I like to work directly with the "customer". When
Bonnie Davis and I got together recently, down in Nashville, we were able to
fashion a mouthpiece that sounded good for her, and tuned well on both her Bb
and A clarinet.

There are some blanks that I receive from the manufacturer that WILL NOT tune
to my standard. Some I discard. However, since I have to purchase the blanks,
this is not always financially viable. What I do then, is offer a particular
mouthpiece on eBay and frankly state its intonation tendencies. For a person
who is often miserably flat, it can be quite a benefit to purchase a
mjouthpiece that tunes sharp, and vice versa.

So much for brevity......... Thanks for your patience

Walter Grabner
ClarinetXpress
Mouthpieces & More!!!!
http://www.clarinetxpress.com

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