 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Filipe T.
Date: 2001-10-24 21:26
I read that you shouldn't swab your mouthpiece. well i've got a crystal mp and i've always swabed it.( I have it for 3 months) is that bad???? i can only rinse it with water when I play at home or church( or where i have a water faucet nearby). Should I always clean it with water??? what other things can i clean it with ? (other that water)
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Author: MsRoboto
Date: 2001-10-24 22:04
I use a regular Vandoren Mouthpiece and I swab it too. Drives my teacher nuts but I really think I want to at least wipe it out after playing.
I don't pull the pull through all the way through so is there really any downside to this for Filipe and his crystal or me and my plastic moutpiece???
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Author: beejay
Date: 2001-10-24 22:08
I went to a basset horn meeting in Germany earlier this year and everyone was swabbing out their mouthpieces like crazy. It will probably wear out the mouthpiece eventually, but cleanliness is next to godliness, nich wahr?
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-10-24 22:27
Das stimmt ! BeeJay  The mouthpiece will probably be totally useless from swab-wear by about 3016 - give or take a couple o' years.
- ron b -
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Author: Sandra Franklin Habekost
Date: 2001-10-24 22:28
I always clean my mouthpiece, but never with the instrument swab. I use a small swab 2-3" long that is rather like a yarn brush made specifically for mouthpieces. Very carefully, I just remove the condensation. I cannot stand the thought of waiting to arrive home and using tepid water only. I also use vinegar to clean and sanitize mouthpieces. In the past I have dropped mouthpieces in the sink only to break when using water, so my tendency to swab is not unfounded.
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Author: Peter
Date: 2001-10-25 00:41
I have always swabbed my mouthpieces and have yet to notice any ill-effect. Not to say the ill-effects may not be there, neither I, nor anyone around me has noticed, to my knowledge.
I use a "mouthpiece saver" or "mouse," probably the same as what Sandra described as "a small swab 2-3" long that is rather like a yarn brush made specifically for mouthpieces."
Then I wash the mouthpiece about every one or two weeks.
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Author: Eoin McAuley
Date: 2001-10-25 07:12
What I was told was that you should never use a pull-through swab on the (hardened rubber) mouthpiece. It is not that it wears it out, it is that it pushes the sides out, enlarging the chamber slightly, which will damage the tone. I don't know if this would apply to crystal mouthpieces. I also don't know how true it is.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2001-10-25 07:25
If one doesn't clean or swab a rubber mouthpiece, saliva left to dry inside it will cause the shiny interior to craze or roughen, an undesireable result. Roughness inside a mouthpiece will cause loss of response.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2001-10-25 12:20
I wish that we could hear from some of the mouthpiece makers to get their take on the swabing issue. I never put anything smaller than my elbow in my mouthpiece but this is a personal decision. Probably, a soft piece of cloth - like silk or newer microfiber will not cause significant wear in your lifetime but anytime there is an OK to do something there will be those that do not use common sense and use inappropriate things- and suffer the consequences. Some of the swabs in the "beginner kits" are very close to 60 grit sandpaper. The only reservation that I would have about the brushes or fuzzy yarn on a stick is that the rigid item (wire winding or other means used to attach the brush or yarn) will somehow wear through and scratch or abrade the inside of the MP, rails, or tip. Crystal is probably safer for swabbing than hard rubber but has its own set of internal vices (breaking and chipping and temperature fluctuation tonal changes). Often, if I am rushed I will just blow out the condensation in the MP and then rinse it out and wipe down the clarinet when I get home. The oral hygiene part of clarinet playing should not be overlooked because it is the major contributor to mouthpiece buildup and mold, mildew and bacterial growth. We all get in situations where brushing is just not feasible before playing or get snacks during breaks, but all of us can carry water (it is really necessary for extended playing sessions) and can at least rinse out the oral cavity before playing.
The Doctor
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Author: Peter
Date: 2001-10-25 14:29
Hi Doc,
Just to say that the "mouthpiece saver" or "mouse" I use have rubber caps over the wire-core ends and long, thin (but thickly populated,) threadlike yarn. They usually start leaving lint behind long before the caps or anything else wear out and at the very first sign of this, they should be thrown out.
I often keep one (a new one) just to use with a mild detergent solution to wash out the mouthpieces every week, or so, and again, throw it out at the very first sign of wear.
I usually buy a handfull of them at a time, so I have spares around as I need them and am not tempted to keep one past its "prime."
I don't doubt that they may not be good for the mouthpiece in the long run, but in my particular case, I don't use the most expensive mouthpieces and of the ones I use, I've never had one I felt I couldn't readily replace (although I've seen some that, if they were mine, I probably would not swab.)
I'll add my vote to the Doctor's idea that perhaps a mouthpiece manufacturer should add their two cents to this discussion. How about it, BBoard sponsors?
Please enlighten us.
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2001-10-25 15:10
Here is my take,
I don't think it is very scientifically sound to say that swabbing will erode significantly your mouthpiece. I feel, it is better to swab than not do anything and have that nasty build up inside the mpc. The buildup will actually significantly change the shape of the mpc and I am not even mentioning germs...
On the other hand, if you want to be completely safe you can always try to clean it using some fancy cleaning solution. Yet again, that solution might be harsh on the rubber and erode it too.
The bottom line, the variation that your mouthpiece will undergo through swabbing are insignificant compared to the variation of your embouchure.
My mouthpiece does not get tired after 2 hours of intense playing, I wish I could say the same about me...
-S
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Author: sarah
Date: 2001-10-25 22:30
Mr. Quijote, could you give a bit more info on the experiment you did? Like the kind of mouthpiece, the kind of swab, and how long you conducted the experiment?
sarah
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Author: Mario
Date: 2001-10-26 12:37
The secret: be gentle! At any rate, mouthpieces are not expensive and should be changed regularly, as we grow and as our physical requirements change. It is never a good idea to become so obsessed by ** this ** mouthpiece that we get phyched-out the day it breaks.
I change reeds regularly, ligatures and mouthpieces once a year, in order to keep using something fresh.
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