Klarinet Archive - Posting 000179.txt from 2008/10

From: "doctorsprod@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Mouthpiece blog
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:04:45 -0400


I do feel that the architecture of the mouthpiece is the most important
factor in the playing characteristics of a mouthpiece but I think that the
many anecdotes about the special tonal characteristics ascribed to the
Chedeville rubber from many sources can not be ignored.

As a disclaimer I am currently working on my own recreation of Chedeville
rubber and reproducing mouthpieces by CNC machining that I feel bring out
the special tonal qualities of this vintage rubber.

Possibly some of these tonal attributes have been short changed in previous
incarnations of Chedeville rubber because of the lack of scientific
exploration and specialized techniques necessary to duplicate the original
formulation. The latex rubber starting material of the 1930's contained
many impurities which alter the crosslinking patterns achieved in the
vulcanization process and the starting material was obtained from native
sources and not hybridized plantation trees and harvested latex which is
further purified for current rubber product use. Only an exhaustive
scientific analysis of the crosslinking "fingerprint" of the original
Chedeville rubber can hint at what factors modified the crosslinking
patterns found in some of the original Chedeville mouthpieces.

The various molding processes used today to produce hard rubber mouthpieces
all suffer from the fact that no matter how precise the molding process is
to produce a mouthpiece that extensive heat an pressure must be used to
perform the vulcanization process and there is always differential cooling
afterward because of differences in thickness of the various areas of the
mouthpiece that cause deformation. The rubber formulation too must be
different because of the requirements of the molding process than
formulations used to make rod rubber stock rods. The two rubbers therefore
has different resonant qualities.

No doubt the art of making a mouthpiece can alter many of the variables
which affect the way a mouthpiece performs but all of these efforts cannot
change the basic resonant qualities of the material which, in my view,
plays a smaller but significant part in the final tonal characteristics of
a mouthpiece. These differences may only be apparent to a descending group
of players but for many years the old Chedeville mouthpieces have been
coveted by a select group of players and the architecture copied by most of
the highly respected custom mouthpiece makers, but using molded blanks of a
different character than rod rubber stock.

L. Omar Henderson, Ph.D CEO
LBD Corporation - Doctor's Products - www.doctorsprod.com
G-H Corporation - Forte' Instrument Group - www.forteclarinet.com
24 Suffolk Pl. SW
Lilburn, Georgia 30047-5147 U.S.A.
Tel. 1-800-381-0092
FAX 1-770-488-425

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