Klarinet Archive - Posting 000104.txt from 2006/10

From: Nancy Buckman <eefer@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] RE: Wood mouthpieces
Date: Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:03:22 -0400

At 06:35 PM 10/8/2006, Bryan Crumpler wrote:

<<<The life expectancy of a wooden mouthpiece probably isn't very long
(i.e. a few years) unless you live somewhere with very stable and
consistent climate. They are easily prone to warping with changes in
temperature, leaving performance very unpredictable for the traveling
clarinetist.

I have 6 wooden (cocobolo) mouthpieces (2 Gregory Smith - 6 yrs old, 2
Lomax Classic - 4 yrs old, 2 Morales/Backun - one 6mos old and one less
than 1 week old), all of which are more stable than any of my wooden
clarinets. They require a little more care than rubber or plastic. The
Smith and Lomax ones are currently not being played (I would consider
selling them, if anyone is interested). They were coated in almond oil and
are stored in plastic wrap and a zip-loc bag. The other two are oiled
every week with almond oil. They get coated and left overnight, the are
wiped dry the next day. I have never had any trouble from any of them.

<<<As for their tone... that's debatable.

I like the wooden mouthpiece sound. In my ears, wood removes some of the
edginess or harshness of rubber and plastic. I am currently trying to
convince my favorite mouthpiece maker to make me a wooden Eb mouthpiece. I
would NOT classify the sound difference as darker though.

<<<But the fact of the matter is no mouthpiece is exactly the same... and
no clarinetist plays or blows exactly the same...

A truer statement was never uttered. The ONLY way to determine if you like
something is to try it YOURSELF. Your favorite color is yours alone
because YOU like it, not because someone else recommended it. Aside from
the hardware you choose to use, the physical make-up of your skeleton and
soft tissue determine a lot of what you sound like. Add you ability and
then an instrument and you have your personal sound profile.

<<< wooden mouthpieces are better than ones made from zinner blanks???

Zinner makes wooden and rubber blanks.

Nancy

Nancy Buckman
Orchestra AACC
Opera AACC
Baltimore Flute Choir
eefer@-----.net

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