 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Exiawolf
Date: 2015-02-25 07:13
Greetings! Recently on my Vandoren CL4 13 I have been having a bit of the "chirping problem" that many people face. Looking it up, I found that it can be an issue caused by a non flat facing or abnormal dimension. I would like to have the mouthpiece looked at or refaced, but I don't know where to go or who to send it to. Does anyone have any suggestions? (Either in Tucson or online?)
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Author: tylerleecutts
Date: 2015-02-25 07:33
Heck, I can do that.
Always check for scratches, as they cause more chirps than you would think.
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Author: Exiawolf
Date: 2015-02-25 07:36
The mouthpiece is new and has no visible scratches on the surface. It really does LOOK well balanced and flat. Maybe the problem is the flatness of my reeds? Just threw on a few Legere Signatures, and while the sound wasn't as nice, the chirping was gone. Whenever I try to sand the back of cane though, they end up being more warped... Its frustrating
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Author: tylerleecutts
Date: 2015-02-25 07:40
Send me pictures of reeds and mouthpiece over Facebook- Tyler Cutts is my screen name.
It may be possible that you really need to push down on the sandpaper to get a good flat reed back.
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Author: Exiawolf
Date: 2015-02-25 07:44
Doing so right now
EDIT: Pictures have been sent
Post Edited (2015-02-25 07:49)
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Author: TomS
Date: 2015-02-25 22:29
Send it to Brad Behn, David McClune, Richard Hawkins or Tom Ridenour ... will normally run between 75 and 100 bucks ... if that's what it really needs.
Probably others out there ... but I've used David and Richard. Brad has a flawless reputation (not used any of his stuff, yet), and I've played hand-made Rideonour's MPs which are excellent.
These guys should be at the peak of their art and science, right now.
My 5RV-lyres chirped a bit until David McClune redid the facing and chamber ... came back much improved. I don't know if Vandoren actually measures all their MPs after the facing is cut. Some might slip out that are funny, or maybe some warp or asymmetry in hot storage and transportation ...?
Totally machine made stuff ... I say trust, but verify. Machines have hiccups, too.
The Legere reeds seem to help ... at least you know the reed is balanced and flat. Might not be reed warp but just left-right balance problems.
Tom
Post Edited (2015-02-26 02:24)
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Author: donald
Date: 2015-02-25 23:55
To be honest, if it's not chirping with the Legere reed then there's a fairly high chance it is caused by your reed.
Those high pitched chirps at caused by side to side vibration of the reed that is not consistent with the various vibrational modes that usually result in pitch/tone. (I know that sentence is a bit pretentious, but I worded it deliberately so it meant exactly what I mean)
In my experience as a performer, teacher and mouthpiece refacer, it can be caused by....
The facing- nicks, scratches, uneven tip rail. Asymetrical facing tends to have an affect on the response and tone, but in my experience seldom cause those chirps.
The reed- of course cracks chips, but also (and, DIFFICULT TO DETECT) a "thin spot" in the tip region of the reed. If the reed/tip is asymetrical this compromises tone etc, but when you get an area that is ridiculously thin (sometimes a result of over enthusiastic reed balancing) I have found the chirps are more likely. The side to side tests most accurately test the edge/side regions of the reed and sometimes it takes a bit more experience to "feel" if the thin spot is closer to the centre, without using a "Perfectareed" or suchlike.
Very occasionally these chirps are caused (or encouraged) by asymetrical measurements in the mouthpiece blank- I once had a bass clarinet mouthpiece that was worked on by a top refacer who I trust implicitly... it still chirped. The last thing we tried to fix it up... measured the baffle and discovered it was asymetrical. Files and sandpaper applied to the baffle and window (don't try this yourself if it's a mouthpiece you really care about....) and the chirp disappeared. True story, but only maybe twice in 20 years has this been the problem.
Sometimes, the facing is symetrical- but it has been applied to the mouthpiece "off centre" (so, when the facing is measured it appears to be good, but it's not "good" in relation to the mouthpiece baffle/bore). I have found this in some old Noblet/Leblanc mouthpieces (made from good blanks, but poorly applied facings make these a nightmare) and sometimes in "refaced" mouthpieces.
So, if your mouthpiece didn't chirp with Legere (pretty much a well balanced reed, regardless of whether you like them of not) it's probably a reed issue.
dn
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Author: ned
Date: 2015-02-26 04:33
Hi there Exiawolf, from Australia.
I had the opportunity to visit Tucson about 20 years ago.
I had a great Italian meal (two, in fact as I went back the following night). Stayed at a quirky hotel (have some pix, but no name) saw the bus depot named after Linda Ronstadt and then went to this enormous 2nd hand music retailer...again the name escapes me. Well...it WAS over twenty years ago.
I was looking for Albert system clarinets and so I searched through, maybe, a hundred or so cases which contained all Boehm system unfortunately.
I gave up then because I did not have time to look at the other couple of hundred cases! The proprietor didn't give up on me though...he tried to sell me a piano...despite my telling him I was from Oz...and...that I didn't really play the piano.
Chrs...JK
(PS) sorry, I can't contribute to the ''chirping'' dialogue. I just wanted to say Hi, as I had a pleasant stay in your city.
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