Klarinet Archive - Posting 000543.txt from 2004/01

From: "Gene Nibbelin" <gnibbelin@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] [clarinet] care of clarinet
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 22:36:04 -0500

Correct on the mpc. swabbing. Here is how I swab my mpc. (Detached from the
horn, of course.) I carefully insert the cloth-covered weight at the tip
and protect the tip with the side of my index finger and the bottom of the
"window" with the corner of the tip of my thumb. I have an old cotton
Buffet swab that isn't very bulky which I slowly pull through the mpc. about
1/3 of its length and then pull it back and forth an inch or two several
times and then carefully pull the swab back out, again being very careful of
the covered weight.

I'm sure that this is standard procedure for the professionals and advanced
students, but for the less experienced students, I believe that this is good
advice.

Regards,

Gene N.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ormondtoby Montoya [mailto:ormondtoby@-----.net]
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 9:52 PM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: RE: [kl] [clarinet] care of clarinet

Gene Nibbelin wrote:

> Why dilute the white vinegar? It's only a 5%
> solution to start with. With the dilution, do you
> have anything much stronger than plain
> water?

Heh! I suppose I should have some quip about saving money by using less
vinegar, or maybe about conserving nature's resources.... Save A Grape!!
Dilute Your Vinegar!! ..... or something like that. All I can say
right now is that diluted vinegar is strong enough to do the job.

> Since I very carefully swab and rinse the mpc
> after each use

We should also advise not to pull a full-sized swab through a
mouthpiece. The leading edge of the mouthpiece's window can be easily
damaged and thereby affect the sound. But I agree that rinsing in cold
water (not hot water) is a good thing if the water is conveniently
available at the time.

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