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Re: non-tarnishing mouthpieces

Author: Max S-D
Date: 2020-03-11 19:34

I have Selmer Concept mouthpieces on clarinet and bass clarinet and both will tarnish some silver ligatures, but not all. I have silver plated Optimums for both clarinets and both are a dark blue-black color. I ran into another player at a gig who had an Optimum that had turned black from his older Selmer mouthpiece as well, but I don't have much experience with those.

I haven't had this happen with Vandoren or Zinner-blank mouthpieces, nor did it happen with my Fobes 10K (in blue rubber). I thought it was happening a little bit with a D'Addario mouthpiece, but I didn't really use it long to say for sure.

I had assumed that the hard rubber that was desirable for machining might have some different chemical properties that caused them to react more with silver plating than mouthpieces made of molded rubber, which I assume has a different chemical makeup.

But I suppose that goes out the window if your Vandoren is causing it.

Interestingly, my Concept mouthpieces tarnish the silver plating on my Optimum ligatures, but not the silver plating on my older Selmer clarinet and bass clarinet (from the early '70s and early '80s, respectively). Obviously the ligature is in closer proximity to the mouthpiece, but they do all live together full-time, especially the clarinet mouthpiece.

Come to think of it, my Selmer ligature is silver-plated, I believe. It's not really tarnished.

Maybe the issue is certain kinds of newer silver plating?

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