 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Halofreakgirl
Date: 2013-09-28 00:22
I have heard that swabbing out a mouthpiece right after playing on it damages it. It has been said that each time you pull the cloth through the mouthpiece, it slightly changes the shape of it. Is this true or is it just a myth? What are some other ways I can clean my Vandoren B45 mouthpiece if swabbing is bad for it?
~Clarinet Is Not A Horn
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Author: NBeaty
Date: 2013-09-28 01:12
In general, swabbing is not bad for the mouthpiece. If the swab is silk or otherwise very smooth and there is no metal piece going through the mouthpiece, it is fine to swab it. Carefully of course, since the most likely damage from swabbing is dropping it in process.
Swabbing the mouthpiece while still on the instrument is not a great idea. Many people swab through the bell, which means the mouthpiece is facing the ground and very likely to accidentally bump into something. It's not hard to break a mouthpiece if it is hit on something hard, especially falling.
Using the right swab and holding the mouthpiece firmly in your hands will be fine. It will certainly prevent buildup of calcium and whatever you ate for lunch if you clean it regularly.
I personally don't clean my mouthpiece that often, maybe once a week with q-tips. My professor cleans his after every use, dipping it in water and wiping the outside to prevent calcium buildup. He says his builds up in a matter of days to where it is difficult to remove. So it depends a bit on how your body is and how paranoid you are about the "to swab or not to swab" question.
Do a search on the bboard, since this topic has been discussed numerous times by some very reputable mouthpiece people.
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Author: TAS
Date: 2013-09-28 01:44
A silk clarinet swab is best. Avoid the wire or other metal inserts.
Speaking of mouthpieces...
The B45 is a good mouthpiece. Better than almost all student and intermediate mouthpieces out there. If you really want a great mouthpiece, I recommend you look into a Theodore (Ted) Johnson TJ3 or TJ3+ clarinet mouthpiece. Zimmer blank, improvements on the Cicero Kasper design that I played for many years. I picked out my mouthpieces in Frank Kasper's living room as a high school student, so I have some creds here.....
Retired after decades in with the Cleveland Orchestra. Originally from Chicago, student of Jerry Stowell back in the day, Johnson has created a poorly marketed masterpiece of a mouthpiece. I use a Vandoren 3.5+ or 4 reed or, more often now, a Gonzalez FOF 3.5 worked down ever so slightly and it pairs perfectly.
They list for around $275.00. but you can negotiate a deal if you google a dealer, I'm sure.
I know this thread is on cleaning a mouthpiece, but we all know choosing a mouthpiece can be daunting...and every bit of inside information from practicing clarinetists helps.
Johnson also makes a TJ1 plastic student line that, at $30.00, plays better than student mouthpieces at twice the list price.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2013-09-28 02:44
Think about it this way. If you were to take a cloth and try to rub it on a piece of plastic or hard rubber how long would it take you to remove an 1/8 of an inch? Probably about a year. Every time you swab you may remove a couple layers of molecules but there are over a billion molecules in the period of this sentence. You'll get better sound and intonation by having a clean mouthpiece. If your worried one trick I use is to blow into the back of the mouthpiece to let all of the moisture out of the front but this works best if the reed is still attached.
Jdbassplayer.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2013-09-28 12:37
IMO the best way to clean a mp is via a water rinse , and it should be as soon after playing as possible. I suppose the best way to accomplish this would be to carry a suitable container of clean or soapy water with you. Swabbing with the mp attached....and from bell to mp drags the remnants of saliva from the whole horn through the mp and is probably not a good idea. Most mp damage is from dropping or being hit and in most cases spells the end of that mp's usage. IF you choose to swab then use a silk handkerchief style and leave the barrel attached since a mp by itself is easy to drop. Damage to the playing properties of mps due to silk swabbing is a theoretical issue.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2013-09-28 13:28
I've been swabing my mouthpieces as long as I can remember. My present one, a Morgan is about 25 years old, perfectly fine. I use a silk swab and always put the swab in through the bore not through the tip opening so it does not pull against the facing. If you want to clean it once in a while I suggest either warm water with a mild hand soap and or 1/3 regular kitchen vinegar 2/3 water, let it soak for about 3-5 minutes, not the cork area of course, and than scrape off anything calcium with your finger nail or soft, small, childrens tooth brush for the inside. Cheap and efficient.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: acermak
Date: 2013-09-28 23:07
I use a saxophone neck swab. It is sort of a small swab with a stiff tail. It doesn't have a weight, though so I don't need to worry about scratching my B45. I do that after every time I use it (typically twice a day).
Once a week I wash it with a soft plushy thing (mouthpiece saver) that I soap up with lukewarm water. Then rinse in lukewarm water. Since I do the daily swab thing, I never have enough build up to have to use one of those brushes.
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