 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DAVE
Date: 2006-04-26 22:26
Okay, as I was playing my greenline in a rehearsal today, I thought to myself "why doesn't Buffet make mouthpieces out of this stuff?" As far as I know they do not, but I think it might be a fantastic material. It has a lot of potential. Is there any way to get Buffet to consider this?
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-04-26 22:46
Is there any way to get Buffet to consider this?
There always is. Why not email them? (You might get one of the stereotype answers thanking you for the suggestion but blah blah. But maybe ...)
--
Ben
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-04-27 00:33
Dave,
You know, that may be a great idea. Its a strong, rigid material that has many characteristics of wood without the hygromatic pitfalls. I have seen someone pop the tenon at the bottom joint of a Green Line and it behaves like press-board. It may be too brittle on a fine scale to be practical for mouthpiece work but I too would love to hear some input from the mouthpiece makers out there.
Brad Behn?
Gregg Smith?
Ben Redwine?
............Paul Aviles
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-04-27 00:51
I imagine that the greenline material is more like "plastic" (filled resin) than rod rubber. It will have different characteristics than the materials chosen for top-line mouthpieces.
It might be informative to compare stiffness, damping, density and other physical properties of greenline and other mpc materials.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Merlin
Date: 2006-04-27 11:04
I believe ESM makes mouthpieces out of a similar type of material. I may see if I can get some and reface them. ESM at one time made the plastic piece Buffet puts in their clarinets. It plays alright once a decent facing is put on it.
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Author: Gregory Smith ★2017
Date: 2006-04-27 13:09
I've already tried it several years ago from the rod. Considering that it's the combination of dimensions and material that makes a mouthpiece play/sound as it does, no manner of that "combination" measured up to anything remarkable when all was said and done - at least with my experiments.
I don't know enough about the specifics of the material - just to say that no matter what I did with the dimensions, nothing I found made it worth pursuing any further. I do know that it takes carbide tools to cut the stuff because of it's resistance to that process - perhaps too resistant for it's own good insofar as mouthpiece material is concerned...
Maybe someone else will have better luck with the material. Buffet could farm it out to Vandoren - but I imagine that since the process of pouring into moulds is somewhat complicated, the amount of R & D would be quite expensive (not that Vandoren would be worried about that!).
I think that Vandoren/Buffet - which are now so inextricably linked, have better projects up their sleeve. There's a reason they've passed on the project after the Greenline material has been available for so long now. Bernard Vandoren and Paul Barronat certainly aren't fools.
Then again, next year they may introduce such a product and the joke will be on me.
Gregory Smith
Post Edited (2006-04-27 13:11)
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2006-04-27 13:53
Gregory Smith wrote "Vandoren/Buffet - which are now so inextricably linked"
Are they? Have I missed something in the endless round of mergers and demergers?
-----------
If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2006-04-27 14:27
I haven't even touched a piece of Greenline but from the material description it would have to be very difficult to reface. In addition there may be some concerns about putting that stuff in one's mouth.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Gregory Smith ★2017
Date: 2006-04-27 23:22
David -
They haven't officially merged but their relationship has tightened more than ever before. Many Buffet dealers will now be carrying Vandoren mouthpieces and a "voucher" will be included inside the new Buffet clarinet case that will enable the clarinet purchaser to receive a discount on a Vandoren mouthpiece already in the Buffet dealer's stock.
Of course we've all known the close relationship between the Buffet testers in France (Arringon, Cuper, DePlus, Moragues, etc,) and their use of Vandoren mouthpieces to help advise w/R & D regarding the development and improvement in their clarinet models.
Gregory Smith
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-04-28 00:22
Dear Mr. Smith,
Thank you so much for the insight into the dimension vs. material issue concerning this proprietary material.
My experience with a wood mouthpiece is that the sound can be lovely but often has less "ping" or projection than its hard rubber counterpart. The real downside to wood is that it changes with the prevailing humidity just as a reed does. I hoped the Green Line material may be the ulitmate compromise. Oh well.
Hey, how 'bout titanium? :-)
..........Paul Aviles
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Author: Gregory Smith ★2017
Date: 2006-04-28 08:26
Paul -
If you take advantage of this site's search function, typing in hardwood mouthpieces will return approx 30 hits containing threads about the subject. You may be surprised at the information in the discussions!
BTW, I own several hardwood mouthpieces that I consider the finest that I've ever played. They are years old and have not changed in any way one bit. More about that kind of thing in the threads...
Gregory Smith
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2006-04-28 13:05
We could go the other direction....make the clarinet out of Mouthpiece material....been done, and successfully.
I have made barrels from rod rubber and learned one major lesson....the grinding process, milling, etc. is different from wood.
I have also drilled resinous material....again different speeds and tooling and curing is required.
Not for the faint of pocketbook....and fumes are a whole 'nother story.
disclaimer....(oh you know the drill)
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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