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Mouthpiece Refacing? Lay?

Author: joeyscl
Date: 2007-04-12 08:42

This is probably a n00b question and I should probably go through the search results more carefully but.... What exactly IS refacing? What is its purpose? And what part of the mouthpiece is the "lay" of the mouthpiece?

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Re: Mouthpiece Refacing? Lay?

Author: BobD
Date: 2007-04-12 11:57

Caution, not an expert: Refacing is the act of altering the surfaces of the mp that the reed faces so as to improve the sound produced when playing. It can also include adjusting the profile of the tip, filling pits therein and also bite marks in the top surface of the mp. It can also include any other adjustments the refacer may deem desirable. "improve the sound" can mean different things to different players.

Bob Draznik

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Re: Mouthpiece Refacing? Lay?

Author: stevesklar
Date: 2007-04-12 13:26

- also making the table flat,
- adjusting the width of the rails & tip dependent upon desired results
- changing the "curve" from the table to the tip to the type of playing needed (and/or balancing the two from side to side),
- changing the tip opening (the space between the reed and tip) either larger or smaller by adjusting the curve
- it may also include changing the inside "specifications" of the baffle, side walls, throat, etc whether that is adding material or changing the shape by removing or altering it

just think of what is required from a solid block of hard rubber to get a mouthpiece in the end

fe, simple "refacing" is just to make the mouthpiece play better. Alot of modern manufactured mpcs simply are churned out quickly and may have imperfections (unbalanced rails, thick rails, unflat table). Refacing in this sense makes them play better, like they should. These issues also make it difficult to find a reed that plays well on it. And, for example, an uneven table required the player to clamp down hard on the reed with the lig, thereby not allowing it to vibrate as freely as it could. Remember, you don't want air escaping under a "groove" just because the table isn't flat.

Then you can go even further to "redo" the mpc to your type of playing or tonal qualities you are trying to achieve from it. Of course, you could try different mpcs too.

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