Klarinet Archive - Posting 000104.txt from 2010/09

From: "Bill Hausmann" <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Cleaning mouthpiece deposits
Date: Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:20:48 -0400


> > From: "Jennifer Jones"
>
> On Sun, Sep 5, 2010 at 9:53 PM, Mike Vaccaro <mike@-----.com>
> wrote:
> > Try vinegar to get the discoloration out of the mouthpiece. Soak it.
> > Mike
>
> Is this for the deposits or the green color? I would expect it
> wouldn't help with the green-ness. I think that is caused by the
> ozone. So then the question is what are the deposits made of and does
> vinegar work for that. I know vinegar is helpful for hard water
> deposits on the faucets at home; whether this is magnesium/calcium
> deposited soap or inorganic salts from the water I am not sure. I
> like to imagine that the deposits on the mouthpiece are dried proteins
> (lysozyme!) and stuff in the mucous. Acid does tend to solubilize
> things faster than water... It might speed up the dissolving of
> precipitated proteins and other soluble biological compounds. Maybe
> some of it is calculus, like the stuff plaque producing microbes
> deposit on your teeth that the dentist scrapes off. Though I don't
> get much tartar. It takes a couple weeks for much to build up and I
> scrape it off with a fingernail pretty regularly. It is also only
> recently that I've been playing much at all and this is only at home,
> so the reed-mp setup stays together for probably a week at a time. I
> wipe out the mp and wipe off the reed periodically. Sometimes I have
> to straighten out the tip of the reed, when it gets warped, though it
> is not necessary, if I am willing to tolerate five minutes or so of
> stuffy unstable playing.

All I know is that vinegar DOES work on the deposits. The deposits on the
mouthpiece ARE mostly calcium. I understand lemon juice works even better,
but have not tried it myself yet. The greening of hard rubber is caused by
sunlight, heat, etc. Since it is on the surface, it CAN be polished off if
you are so inclined, but beware damaging the facing. I don't think vinegar
has any effect, or there would be very few green mouthpieces.

>
> Some suggested denture cleaner

Should work.

> Some suggested lime away or CLR, which sounds terrible. Other people
> thought that sounded nasty too.

I'd avoid that. Too strong to then put in your mouth.

>
> Should the cork be removed and replaced after soaking?

NO. Corking a mouthpiece is a $10 or more job. If you soak in a narrow
glass with the tip down, you can keep the cork dry.

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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