Klarinet Archive - Posting 000620.txt from 2004/01

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] 'Indented' mouthpiece ???
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2004 12:48:15 -0500

In a message dated 1/18/2004 10:56:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, ormondtoby@-----.net writes:

> But the mouthpiece remained the difficult issue. When I was at
> ClarinetFest, I was surprised to discover that Morrie Backun didn't have
> a barrel to fit my Howarth's tenon (he had hundreds of barrels with
> him), even though my Howarth is only 10 years old. >>

People often assume that the clarinet manufacturers work from a common set of specs. This is just not so. Tenon sizes do vary from manufacturer to another. They also vary from one model to another from the same manufacturer, and even within a given model over the years. (Try getting replacement keys for a 20 year old R-13 - they make them differently now.)

Unless Morrie has a tenon cutter made to the exact size that Howarth uses, there is really no reason to expect that his barrels would fit.

<< Thus I can imagine that finding an Eb mouthpiece to fit (much less play satisfactorily) a 50-yr-old instrument with only 14 keys and wraparound
> register key could be a real hassle.>>

That clarinet is probably more like 80 or 90 years old, not 50.

A good technician can cut down the tenon if it's too tight. I have also put liners in tenon sockets which were way too loose.

Walter
www.clarinetXpress.com

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