 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2004-06-17 07:41
I was wondering if there was a website that had information on this guy that makes these mouthpieces.
And why are they in such high demand? Anyone have any historical information or just random facts about him and/or the mouthpieces?
Thanks,
CG
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-06-17 13:42
C G, Havent we discussed O'B before here?, and maybe on "MouthpieceWork". I recall posting what little I know, a patent # perhaps, my oldies, refaced to longer/more-open, and my OLD mailing tube's info. My first teacher, back in the '30's. liked them, gave me one, still have the tip-broken-off body ! Search, ask Pomarico, and Manfredo Cavallini [I sent him what info I had several years ago, he may have found more]. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-06-17 14:47
I'm not so sure O'Brien mouthpieces are 'in great demand'. I can tell you I've had lots of them in for refacing and most of them played like donkey doo-doo (pardon my Swahili) with the factory facings. They're probably considered semi-collectible because they're out of production; e.g. as soon as Mr. Berg Larsen died ( a couple of months ago, I believe it was) all of a sudden his mouthpieces are being bid way up on eBay --- and most of those mouthpieces, especially production from the past 5 years or so, play horribly. I wish I could understand the market --- like the stock market, it makes no sense to me..........
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2004-06-18 00:48
How do you fix crystal mpcs? Someone said they could use just plain super glue to do it, but is that good enough?
--CG
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Author: SJ
Date: 2004-06-18 06:14
Dave,Berg Larsen died in 1972. The reason why Berg's vintage pieces are getting big bucks on ebay is that after he passed the quality control passed as well. As a sax player of 40 plus years, there's nothing like a 40's or 50's Berg.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-06-18 14:05
SJ,
I stand corrected on Berg Larsen. But your posting brings up a question in my mind --- if his mouthpieces from the 40's-50's were good but he was alive until '72, why weren't the 60's Berg mouthpieces so good (from my own experience they weren't, anyway)? Did the quality start to slip even before he passed? I realize this is off-topic.....
To answer Contragirl's question, a chipped crystal mouthpiece can be repaired with either a good epoxy or a cyanoacrylate adhesive (aka "superglue"). Two key preparatory steps are to roughen and/or re-shape the chip to help the adhesive "lock in" better, and to clean the area to be repaired with a solvent such as acetone just prior to applying the adhesive. The adhesive has to be applied a bit higher than the glass, to allow for shrinkage during cure. After a day or two of curing to get most of the shrinkage done, the mouthpiece usually has to be refaced to some extent.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-06-18 16:29
C G - I've done some O'Brien thread/post searching here, trying to find what patent info I recalled finding earlier. The only US patent [I've found so far] to Harry E O'Brien, Indianapolis IN, is 1,401,634, 12/1921, Attorney firm, Knight Bros [a source of info?], Mouthpiece for Music Instrument [clarinet and saxophone, a metal plate onto a hard rubber/plastic[?, 1921!] for reedholding/facing, for wear purposes] . It was cited in Galper 5,033,350, will check re: any discussion therein. For those who may have a Patent Depository Library [a USPTO PDL] within "reach", its "OR" pat classification is 84/383R, "XR'd" to 383A & B, and 380A if you wish to do cl/sub-cl searching for glass mp's, that is. When I can get to OSU, Stillwater, I'll do some "old file" searching, I suspect O'B had more than this one ! Have fun in this "jungle" ! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2004-06-18 17:18
Actually, I saw one of these rubber w/ metal table/beak thing... They were sellin one on ebay a couple months ago.
--CG
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-06-19 13:00
? No response from collectors and other curious players. Old O'B's can be refaced to playable "new life". Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2004-06-19 14:45
What a load of crap! I have a couple of Berg's from the early 80's that are fine. I have access to couple of old O'Brien's if there is any interest out there.
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Author: SJ
Date: 2004-06-20 17:47
Mark, alot of full time sax players agree that the quality of post 70's bergs are not on the par of the earlier pieces.I'm glad you found a late model you can play.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-06-20 22:02
My friend, Manfredo Cavallini, in Italy, has just now posted on "MouthpieceWork@Yahoogroups.com" re: refacing O'Briens, 2 of which are mine, his comments/procedure will be of interest. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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