 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clarineteer
Date: 2014-02-26 07:54
Does facing numbers on mouthpieces mean how open they are such as 1 being very open and 2 being less open etc.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2014-02-26 17:23
Usually the lower numbers indicate a closer tip and higher is more open.
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Author: Clarineteer
Date: 2014-02-26 14:21
So if I am using a 2 1/2 reed I would need a higher number facing?
Post Edited (2014-02-26 19:23)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-02-26 19:26
Numbers (even actually measurements in mm) should really only taken as a rough guide, and within one manufacturer's comparison from one of their mouthpiece facings to another.
The measurement thing can be off depending on the specific "type" of scale to which the re-facer or manufacturer is talking (I don't recall the names but one is actually double the millimeter value of another).
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2014-02-26 19:39
Clarineteer wrote:
> So if I am using a 2 1/2 reed I would need a higher number
> facing?
>
Not necessarily, although, the question "higher than what" comes to mind. Manufacturers' naming conventions for their mouthpieces aren't standardized, so you need to be more specific about what mouthpiece you're asking about.
Besides, even in cases where the numbering or naming of the facings by one manufacturer is linear - lowest number to highest signifying closest to most open - they generally don't reflect other differences like curve length or the height and shape of the baffle, both of which can profoundly affect the resistance and response of a mouthpiece. So, at least in my opinion, you can't choose mouthpieces by their facing number without knowing more detail - and even then actually play-testing the mouthpiece is much more meaningful.
In any case, I've never understood exactly why players choose mouthpieces because they play well with a specific reed strength. For me, that process is backward - I choose a mouthpiece and then find what reeds work best with it.
Karl
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