 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: CPW
Date: 2003-03-21 21:59
I know that mpc. facing are either symetric or asymetric.
What does this refer to?...the actual openning of the tip, the length of the rails, the shape of the rails?
Why the difference?
What are the pros and cons of each?
Site some examples. (eg Kaspar, Pyne, Fobes etc....which uses asym. vs symetric?)
Fold your blue book in half and hand it in at the close of the exam (couldn't resist)
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-03-21 22:50
Asymetrical facings usually are slightly out of line at the top tip rails....the left is slightly more open than the right. this tends to give the sound more ping or brilliance.....
David Dow
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-03-21 23:01
It would be nice if maybe Gregg Smith wuld come by to quantify or elaborate on this area.
David Dow
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-03-21 23:26
David...I've always found asymmetric facings to have more negative aspects than positives.
The biggest negative is that balancing the reed becomes more difficult.
I've also felt that asymmetric facings tend to make the tone too bright. Also, I think that soft dynamic levels are more difficult to control and focus.
That being said, there are many players with beautiful sounds who successfully use an asymmetric facing.
I think that the trade off to get a bit more "ping" in the sound is not worth the numerous negative aspects...GBK
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-03-21 23:58
As a player that makes a mediocre sound with an asym and an execrable sound with a standard facing, I still remember the fundamental reasoning...
Many of us hack amateurs naturally skew the instrument up and to the right while playing. We tend to generate sufficient torque at the mouthpiece to put (minutely) more mouthpiece in on the right than on the left. An asymetric facing makes the left side 'longer' to achieve balance.
Bottom line- I can practice longer with the asym than without.
As to improving my sound... the cat now climbs in my lap when I practice.
Presumably this is the only way it can get me to stop playing.
My wife just goes out to the garden.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2003-03-22 00:16
One article dealing with this:
http://www.ridenourclarinetproducts.com/articles/facings.htm
I also agree that for me at least, I have had better success on a symmetrical facing. I also had trouble working on reeds and with focus. I also agree that I know some who use and love them and sound great. I don't know about all of these facings, but some I have seen are more open and longer all of the way down the facing. You might also check the archives on the klarinet list. I think there were some postings in the past. I seem to recall some by Clark Fobes and Tom Ridenour.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2003-03-22 07:01
Having refaced a lot of mouthpieces, I do not understand how an assymetrical facing can be a good idea. It doesn't seem to make sense. Perhaps someone can explain it.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-03-22 12:22
I myself feel the tonal concept of the asymetrical facing too bright....i have never used them. That being said there are players like Hasty who have had good results with them.
David Dow
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Author: PJ
Date: 2003-03-22 13:36
For years I played on Symetrical facings until a friend loaned me a mouthpiece that had an Asymetric facing. I've found that the Asymetric gives my embouchure a more comfortable feel. As for the sound, I'm able to get a "darker" tone but with a bit more edge to it. Articulation is easier for me, I have a greater dynamic range and I find that more reeds are playble and easier to balance. The only difference in my mouthpiece and the one I borrowed was the facing; they were from the same maker and were the same model otherwise. (Incidentally, I later bought this mouthpiece from the friend.)
Now, as for the reasoning behind all of this? I have no idea! I've tried analyzing it to no end and suffice to say that what works for me works for me. Synonymous Botch makes a good point about holding the insturment a little to one side. That could be. I've read and heard several different comments completely downing an asymetric mouthpiece. For them, it may not have worked. For me, I know what is best for me and no one else.
Don't you just love this part of clarinet playing?????????????
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Author: CPW
Date: 2003-03-22 20:50
Thanks to all who responded......I just got out the feeler guages and checked by F Kaspar Ann Arbor mpc.........It is dead on symetrical. So is the better one of my two "identical' Vandy series13 with the less favorite backup mpc being slightly asymetric. A "rejected" M15 (regular series) was way off when I compared the two rails. A Smith 1+ was also dead on symetrical. A Gigliotti prof. mpc was also symetrical.
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