 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: CarlT
Date: 2013-01-20 00:18
I'm telling you this to perhaps keep some other poor soul from a similar fate.
Last night, I was starting to swab my clarinet, holding it bell up and by the bell, when in milliseconds, I only held the bell, while the rest of the instrument, obeying the law of gravity, went zooming to the floor. Naturally it landed right on the mouthpiece tip, breaking off a 1/8" x 3/8" piece of the tip, essentially rendering it useless forever. The unusual thing is that my bell never seemed to be that loose. Sometimes I've had to almost force it off, but weather conditions might have been involved...who knows.
Yes, I know some of you would say never swab through the bell first with the mp attached, and I'll grant you that I wouldn't be out $200 (it's a Walter Grabner 18 month old K14 that was, by far, the best I've had). I've swabbed that way since I first started clarinet almost 5 years ago. I hope I don't revert to that habit when I get a new mouthpiece.
I think instead of buying a relatively expensive mp, I will go back to looking at Vandorens and certainly giving the new Rico X0 and X5 a shot. I'll do that for several reasons...first, about half the price, and second, when (not if with me I'm afraid) I break it, I won't be out so much dough.
Thanks for letting me gripe about my own stupidity.
CarlT
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-01-20 01:14
Sorry for your loss, but there's a valuable lesson here. Almost done it myself, saved by the tip of a rapidly moving shoe.
Tony F.
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Author: Maestro_6
Date: 2013-01-20 02:21
Brad Behn does mouthpiece restorations that can repair the tip and restore it to original condition. You can find information about this here:
http://www.clarinetmouthpiece.com/mouthpiece-restorations/
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Author: JHowell
Date: 2013-01-20 02:53
Besides which, I think it's a bad idea to run your swab through your mouthpiece. I've seen enough old mouthpieces with the tip and rails rounded from the inside out by swabbing. If you want to dry your mouthpiece out with a corner of the swab when you're done playing that's fine, but running it through like the rest of the clarinet, I wouldn't.
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Author: ABerry
Date: 2013-01-20 07:00
Carl,
I've had three clarinet instructors since I graduated high school, and they all said the same thing, the mouthpiece, last on and first off...before swabbing.
You may be in luck, Walter keeps records of all the pieces he makes, tip opening, facing length and inner dimensions. Give him a call or contact him with the serial number from your piece, he may be able to duplicate it.
Allan
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Author: Bill
Date: 2013-01-20 18:43
I agree with Allan -- go back to Walter and get another K14.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: CarlT
Date: 2013-01-20 22:44
Thanks, fellows, for your good advice. Starting today, I will try to do the "last on, first off" when swabbing. May take a bit longer, but it could save the mp.
I checked with Mr. Grabner, and he doesn't think it feasable to repair the damaged mouthpiece, suggesting I just purchase another one. His mp's are now $220 (I paid $195 eighteen months ago).
Since I can likely find some other way of destroying a new mouthpiece, I think, for now and the foreseeable future, I will seriously look at the new Ricos since I've read so much about them (for half the cost of a Grabner). As I said, it wouldn't hurt quite as bad when I do break it ;-)
I still may check with Brad Behn about fixing the old one, but if Walter doesn't think it's fixable, then it probably isn't.
Carl
CarlT
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2013-01-20 23:21
You are not alone in this regard. Lots of folks (like me) have been in the same boat, with mouthpieces which were not as readily replaceable as yours.
I always have a spare mouthpiece in my case, with cap and ligature. It is perhaps not as good as my daily player, but will sure work in a pinch.
If you are a professional, also consider getting all-risk professional instrument (sometimes also called "inland marine") insurance coverage. The American Federation of Musicians offers this coverage, but you can also many times get it economically as a rider on your Homeowners insurance policy. This is a good plan, even if you don't necessarily want to pay premiums for a low enough deductable to cover a broken K14.
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