Klarinet Archive - Posting 000051.txt from 2003/08

From: "Christy Erickson" <perickso@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Mouthpiece Patches
Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2003 12:01:46 -0400

John, I have been playing on a B45 for 7 years and have not been able =
to
find anything that works better for me. However, I will have to say I =
did
order 3 from the Woodwind at the time I purchased my B45 and this was =
the
only one that was good. I use a Vandoren Optimum ligature and VanDoren
reeds. Fortunately, I have never needed a mouthpiece patch since I =
don't
have sharp teeth. In my initial mouthpiece search I did try a crystal
mouthpiece once that gave me a headache. It was hard on my teeth and my
entire head, as well as being very stiff and not sounding very good for =
me.
I just tried out one of Clark Fobes Debut mouthpieces and I thought =
it
was an excellent mouthpiece with a very even tone and good intonation. =
It
will be great for my students but it doesn't match the sound level and =
type
of tone I get from the B45 (and which I need in certain playing =
situations).

Christy Erickson

>=20
> When Walter recently talked about a B45 mouthpiece, I suddenly
> remembered that I had one of those animals in my mouthpiece drawer. I
> found it nestled amidst some 16 other mouthpieces. And what startled =
me
> was the fact that, even though each mouthpiece was a different make =
and
> model, all had one common feature. Each one was equipped with a
> mouthpiece patch. Everytime I try out a new mouthpiece, I install a
> patch to protect it from scratches. The seller always requires this =
for
> tryouts, but why would I need a patch after I own the mouthpiece? I
> guess I got conditioned to preserving the mouthpiece in pristine =
shape.
>=20
> The B45 had never played well or sounded good, and so I had relegated =
it
> to the dead mouthpiece drawer. Well, the first thing I did next was to
> remove the patch and play the B45. The result? It played superbly. It
> had amplitude, timbre, and other good features that I can not =
describe.
> With the patch on, the B45 had reduced vibrations or resonance; =
without
> the patch, the B45 had unrestricted vibrations or resonance. As a
> result, I am now using the B45 exclusively as my main mouthpiece. Oh
> yes, I successively removed the patches from all the other mouthpieces
> and tried each. All played better, but not one of them surpassed the =
B45
> -- not even the new Vandoren M30.
>=20
> I guess my lengthy letter is really asking the question: Does the =
patch
> muffle, or even alter, the sound from a mouthpiece? How many people on
> the list play using a patch, and why do they need a patch?
>=20
> All this leads me to a few more questions about mouthpieces. If you =
own
> the mouthpiece, if your teeth are even, and if your embouchure is
> secure, why would you use a patch? Don't tell me that you don't want =
to
> scratch it because you intend to sell it some day. Also, why do we =
have
> to try mouthpieces with patches? It's kind of like buying something in =
a
> bubble pack and never removing the object. Why don't the sellers let =
us
> test play used mouthpieces so that we can really evaluate them without
> any restrictions?
>=20
> Please be kind if you intend to flame me!
>=20
> JON
>=20
> P.S.: I believe that a mouthpiece itself does not vibrate, but rather
> the air column within it. Whatever it is, there is definitely a
> dampening effect with a patch, and the patch is on the outside, not
> inside the air column. Maybe someone can clarify this for me.

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