Klarinet Archive - Posting 000080.txt from 2001/09

From: "CLARK FOBES " <reedman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Mouthpieces and reed longevity
Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 11:22:45 -0400

I have not followed the entire thread, but I know from my experience as a
player and mouthpiece maker that mouthpiece design can add to reed
longevity. Mouthpieces that have a slight "dip" in the table, in my
experience, provide a more stable surface for reeds than "humped" tables.
Flat tables (perfectly flat) are non-existent, but there are mouthpieces
with very slight humps or dips that may seem "flat" to an untrained hand.

>From my playing experience and from working with many, many clarinetists the
general experience is that reeds are more unpredictable and "fade" sooner on
mouthpieces with tables that are slightly convex ,"humped". I have not
measured reeds to prove this, but the anecdotal evidence is that reeds
mounted on this type of table tend to bend or "warp" toward the tip rather
quickly. Also, the reed does not have a definitive fulcrum point from which
to vibrate so, the variation in pressure from the ligature position or screw
tension will have a greater degree of effect on the way the reed performs.
Any swelling of the reed will exagerate the "humped" quality of the table.

If the dip in the table is done properly, the reed will sit squarley on the
table and does not tend to warp towards the tip so readily.

There are certainly other factors in mouthpiece design that may reduce reed
longevity such as tip opening , window length, tilt and baffle shape, but I
believe that shape of the table surface has the greatest influence.

Clark W Fobes

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