 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-10-07 19:11
How does one tell the difference between a Plastic & a Hard Rubber Mouthpiece? I remember Chris Hill telling me to rub the mouthpiece against my pants leg, to heat it up, & if I smelled something with a slight burning smell ... it was rubber.
I have 3 Buffet Evette-Schaeffer mouthpieces which have to date back 30-40 years I would guess. The French Chedeville mouthpieces were marked by having, I think, the single line in the middle and 3 close-together lines at the bttom perhaps 1" ro 2" from the bottom (I haven't measured & am going by memeory as i sit typing).
I have tried rubbing against my pant leg and can't decide what I am semlling or am just coming down with a cold, even though I take plenty of Vitamin C!
FWIW, the weight of these Buffet mouthpieces appears to be equivalent to that of a B45 or a Selmer C*. I notice thatg one of the 3 has less color present; e.g. its a darker. The other two have pretty noticeable white lines. Did Buffet have 2 Ched mouthpieces ... one plastic & one hard rubber?
Your thoughts would be welcome, please. OR, should I go buy a chemistry set?
:-)
Thanks.
mark
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Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2000-10-07 22:20
Mark, I don't think that doing that to your mouthpieces is such a good idea. The smell is probably because of overheating the mouthpiece, which isn't a good idea however you do it. One time I took an old cracked junker and ran it along the carpet to brush something off. I did smell burnt rubber, and it damaged the mouthpiece. Good thing it was unusable anyway. Not only can you burn plastic and hard rubber, you can also heat the mouthpiece up enough to warp it, without smelling it. If you are placing the facing of the mouthpiece against your leg and trying, it'll probably wear down a little. A little is all it takes - there's a reason not to swap a clarinet w/ mouthpiece on. How I usually tell the difference in materials, is by the feel, weight, and look of them. You can try tapping them with your fingernail - it should be pretty obvious then. If you can't tell, try taking it to someone who might know. A good repair tech should be able to tell the difference. By the time a mouthpiece heats up enough to smell of burnt rubber, something can't be good. I'd try explaining how to tell the difference in the two, but I can't really put it into words - sorry. You could try getting ahold of a couple examples, and learn the slight differences for yourself. Another thing, try them out. If its a good mouthpiece, its a good mouthpiece, no matter what it's made of. Nate Zeien
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-10-08 13:19
Nate, the rubbing is on the back side ... and it isn't rubbed to get it THAT hot. AND, I would NEVER rubb the table, tip or rails! (only the rear , loer portion of the mouthpiece just above the tenon.) Just 6 or 7 strokes. The mouthpieces play very well. I was told, separately, to try a tiny scratch at the bottom of the rear of the mouthpiece which can then be buffed out w/some 2000 brit sandpaper. Up until this point I would have agreed with you that you can tell by the look and feel. Because Buffet used Chedevilles I wanted to be sure. Thanks for the assist. mark
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2000-10-09 03:47
If you rub the mouthpiece on your pants leg vigorously enough to melt the mouthpiece, you'll probably set your pants on fire! :^)
I meant that one should rub the back of the mouthpiece lightly a few times. This won't do any damage to the mouthpiece, but, one does need a very good sense of smell. If the mouthpieces play well, then they are probably worth working on, regardless of who made the blank.
That said, I think that the Buffets made with Chedeville blanks are the ones with the logo printed below the three lines. I could be very wrong about this, so, if Greg Smith is reading this, do you know the answer to this question?
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-10-09 04:20
Chris, replied (later to me, after his post above) :
"If you want another way to tell, sand one swipe from the tenon with 600-grit or finer sandpaper. Check the color
of the residue on the paper, and if it is black or brown, it's rubber; if it's white, it's plastic."
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I use 600 grit to polish the back of my V12's, so I just happened to have some! :-)
The residue from the tenons was brown. Of couse, now I am confused because the Eette Schaeffer Logo is higher than Chris said ... "between the lines". I'll follow up later. Thanks all. mw
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Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2000-10-09 04:24
Chris, I wasn't referring to actually *melting* the mouthpiece. If you could do that, you'd never have to worry about matches to start a campfire. :-) Rub the mouthpiece in the wrong place though, and it would be possible to do damage. Rubbing the back of the mouthpiece should be fine, unless it gets a little hot to the touch. Chances are this won't happen unless you are wearing corduroy pants, or trying really hard. I do find the idea of starting one's pant on fire with a clarinet mouthpiece quite humorous. I'd try it myself, but..... Nah! Cheers! -- Nate Zeien
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-10-11 15:44
Try opening your mouth slightly while sniffing the mouthpiece without rubbing it first, too. Many people have sensitive enough noses to catch the scent of rubber at room temperature.
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Author: Gregory Smith
Date: 2000-10-12 03:30
No, I think it's with the logo between the lig. lines. Also many are stamped "c".
Greg Smith
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