 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-01-14 00:15
I was trying out some of my various mouthpieces on my newly acquired Selmer CT this afternoon and noticed a small crack in my vintage O'Brien 2*. The crack is about 1/2" long and inside the chamber beneath the table. It does not extend up to the surface of the table and the mouthpiece still plays beautifully. Is this something to worry about and is there anything I can do to keep the crack from getting bigger?
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-01-14 04:02
Be gentle with the mouthpiece, and more than likely the crack will not grow. That said, if a crystal is your main mouthpiece on any instrument, ALWAYS carry a backup mouthpiece in the case. My main mouthpieces on Eb and bass clarinets are crystal, so I speak from experience.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2011-01-14 04:09
Crystal is simply glass, of course it is a high grade of glass. Unlike wood, glass should never change due to the weather conditions. As with glass, it can break and crack, if it hits something.
A friend once said if you drop your crystal MP you won't have to pick it up!
Anyway, you should be fine. I've seen and refaced crystal MP's and a few were cracked. I've experimented with super glue and it actually works well sealing minor cracks. Since yours is in the inside and not cracked through I'd leave it alone and keep an eye on it.
I've heated glass over a flame and then dipped it into cold water. It will crack all over the place, but it won't break. Kind of interesting. They were service cracks.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2011-01-14 04:12)
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-01-14 04:29
Thanks for the tips. It's not my primary mouthpiece and in fact I've only played on it a few times before. That being said it does seem to really get along with the Selmer CT so it'll probably be getting a lot more playing time in the future. I can't say for sure how long the crack has been there. The mouthpiece looks to be a pre-1950's O'brien so it could conceivably have been there for decades. I'll leave it alone and try to be extra careful with the mouthpiece.
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