 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: yearsofwisdom
Date: 2010-09-14 00:51
How much does a typical mouthpiece recork cost? i have a 3-4 year old vandoren m30 mouthpiece that sounds decent but has probably warped to a degree? would it be smarter just to buy a new mouthpiece or have the old one recorked?
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-09-14 01:08
If the mouthpiece has warped, a new ccork is not going to help.
Given the relatively low price of VD clarinet pieces... just get another.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: NBeaty
Date: 2010-09-14 01:13
Getting a mouthpiece recorked is usually between 10 and 15 dollars.
Might be worth sending to a mouthpiece refacer to have them first check to see if it's warped or not, then recork it. Most people would probably measure it for you for free if you ship it to them.
Paying 10 bucks shipping there and back and 10 bucks for recork would be worth it if it's a good mouthpiece. If you don't really like it much or are pretty sure it's warped significantly, just buy a new one.
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Author: yearsofwisdom
Date: 2010-09-14 01:20
yeah my teacher believes that mouthpieces or at least the vandorens warp after 2-3 years so it's not a guarentee that it is but merely a supposition.
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Author: NBeaty
Date: 2010-09-14 02:00
It's possible. Many many vandorens are played for many years without warpage or damage (5-10 or more years). It's a good idea to get it measured if you feel it may be warped.
I've seen muthpiece refacers measure vandorens that looked like they'd been in marching band and had been played hard for 5+ years. The person who owned it figured it had to be warped or in some way changed shape over the years. It was still right on the numbers!
I would hesitate to say there's a set number of years it takes and a mouthpiece is sure to be warped.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2010-09-14 02:40
I may be really naive, but I can't see a reason why any mouthpiece would be assumed to have "probably" warped with only 3-4 years' use unless the mouthpiece has been severely abused. Not saying it *couldn't* be, but I'd never make that assumption unless the mouthpiece weren't playing well and I'd actually checked to see if the table or tip rail _had_ warped or the side rails had started tipping in.
Of course, unless it was carefully checked when it was new, there's no reason to assume the table was ever flat, but if it hasn't been an issue for 3-4 years and the mouthpiece plays well, why worry about it now?
Without seeing the mouthpiece, my gut reaction would be to have it re-corked and play on with it.
Karl
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2010-09-14 11:20
My first thought is why would you throw out a mouthpiece, if you like it, because your teacher told you that VDs warp after 2-3 years & therefore you expect it is warped. This is nuts. Nowhere in your post did you give any indication of how it plays or what the issues are that inspired you to ask this question. So.......
Is the mpc playing well?
If not, has it ever played well for you?
Do you like it?
Is it wobbling or loose in the tenon?
Does it have chips on the lay or beak?
If there is nothing wrong with it & you like it, keep playing it. If you don't like it & never did, get rid of it. If you don't like it but you did like it at one point, think about what's changed. It could be different reeds or strengths, your embouchure may have changed, it could be your clarinet needs some work. ....... and if it's loose or if it wobbles in the barrel, it may just need to be recorked.
There are a lot of things that can cause issues. I would recommend thinking a little bit before you blindly jump to conclusions & replace what could be a very good mpc.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2010-09-14 13:00
I've seen many damaged mouthpieces, but I can't say I've ever seen one that had warped. I've got a Vandoren B45 with many years of hard use and it's as good as it ever was. If your mouthpiece suits you, a recork is worth doing, but if you have problems that are mouthpiece-related or you are being limited by it, then this would be an opportunity to upgrade.
Tony F.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-09-14 16:22
Do a vacuum test to be sure the reed seals against the facing.
Soak the reed well (the whole reed, not just the scraped part) and fix it to the mouthpiece. Then block the tenon off with a wet finger and suck the air out from the tip. Take the mouthpiece out of your mouth and count how long it takes for the reed to pop open. It should take around 10 seconds if the seal is good.
Any less than 3 seconds means the reed is leaking against the facing which could mean the tip rail could be damaged, the side rails could be worn or damaged or the table could be warped.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2010-09-14 21:36
Chris P wrote:
>
> Any less than 3 seconds means the reed is leaking against the
> facing which could mean the tip rail could be damaged, the side
> rails could be worn or damaged or the table could be warped.
>
Or the reed could be warped.
Karl
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2010-09-14 21:42
How much does a typical mouthpiece recork cost? i have a 3-4 year old vandoren m30 mouthpiece that sounds decent but has probably warped to a degree? would it be smarter just to buy a new mouthpiece or have the old one recorked?
Generally it will be 10-20 dollars, but even if the mouthpiece is warped, changing the cork won't fix anything.
Is the mouthpiece loose in the barrel??
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2010-09-14 23:24
I second sending it to a refacer. We're not talking getting it CUSTOM refaced by someone, but just ask for a "touchup". It'll cost mailing back and forth (10 bucks USPS Priority round trip) and maybe 20 - 25 bucks for a touchup.
Alexi
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2010-09-15 02:36
I like the M13's and the M30 mouthpieces. I've refaced several and yes they can and do warp, depending on the type of care.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2010-09-15 10:44
Bob, any mouthpiece can warp. But is there a reason why a Vandoren would warp more easily than others or why it would "probably" have warped in 3-4 years of non-pro use? And wouldn't you examine it for evidence of a warp before shipping it off to someone to "touch up" the facing?
And, to take this discussion on a different tangent, what does a facing "touch up" mean? If you have to flatten the table, you make the whole curve slightly shorter. Then, doesn't the whole curve need to be restored.
I'm still a little mystified by this.
Karl
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2010-09-15 11:28
A "touch up" means to remove or correct areas of wear and tear that happen over time. Thus, trying to make the piece play "like it used to", not redesigning the curve.
There is nothing about Vandoren that will warp more or less than any other mouthpiece that is made of hard rubber.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2010-09-16 09:42
"yeah my teacher believes that mouthpieces or at least the vandorens warp after 2-3 years so it's not a guarantee that it is but merely a supposition"
Scare-mongering!
You say it plays well. MOST clarinetists will be playing well on mouthpieces a fair bit older than 3 years, and have no problem with them. Many guys will be playing well on mouthpieces decades old.
Ignore him /her! Does he/she get commission from leading you to a local supplier to buy a replacement? That happens.
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Author: doublej
Date: 2010-09-16 09:55
If the cork is completely gone just rap the tenon in dental floss. I used to use this all the time and it is cheap. That way you will be able to tell how the mouthpiece plays for a few dollars.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2010-09-16 11:47
If the cork is torn or just too compressed to stay still in the barrel, you can also use Teflon tape - sold for plumbing use. It isn't a permanent fix, but like dental floss or plain cotton sewing thread, it can serve as an emergency fix and a way to tell whether a worn cork is the only problem. (The advantage to tape over floss or thread is that it's much quicker to wrap enough around the tenon to do the job.
Karl
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Author: yearsofwisdom
Date: 2010-09-16 21:59
well my teacher is the principal clarinetist of a major symphony orchestra so i trust her judgement. i think the discussion of my mouthpiece went to the fact that i may need to get a custom one and she saw that my mouthpiece obviously was lacking cork in some areas. Also i was having trouble getting reeds to fit my mouthpiece... and yes i did change sizes etc. and i also had trouble hitting some of the notes in the higher register....and yes my embouchure is fine.
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2010-09-16 22:29
I just finished recorking the tenon joints on my clarinet. I'm not a repair person . I think it's something that any clarinetist can learn to do and it a useful skill to have.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2010-09-16 23:28
Quote:
well my teacher is the principal clarinetist of a major symphony orchestra so i trust her judgement. Awesome! I've seen MANY posts that tell people to get a teacher and see what the person says! So much easier to make recommendations face to face from a knowledgeable source!Quote:
i think the discussion of my mouthpiece went to the fact that i may need to get a custom one and she saw that my mouthpiece obviously was lacking cork in some areas. Excellent. A custom one might be something you need or are ready for. Personally, before I try to get a custom one, I'd at least fix this one if it IS warped. This way I can sell it and get a LITTLE bit of the money back/towards a custom mouthpiece instead of shoving it in a drawer. Or maybe you know of a school in the local area that can use some mouthpieces for their kids.
Alexi
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