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Re: mouthpiece patina, additional thoughts

Author: Dan Shusta
Date: 2006-06-07 00:55

This is such a wonderful thread, I hope I don't detract from it in any way.

Concerning the oxidation of mpc's, may I relate the following?

A few years ago, I bid on a really old (now called vintage?) mpc that was badly oxidized over "all" surfaces of the mpc, inside as well as outside. I purchased a mpc oxidation cleaner and soaked it in the bubbly fluid for several minutes. In my enthusiatic endeavor, I removed a lot of brown "gunk" from all surfaces...exterior beak, table area, facing section, baffle area, etc. The more "gunk" I removed, the more I realized that I was changing the entire playing characteristics of the mpc (or so I thought...).

And now for some questions:

1. Are fully oxidized mpcs to be avoided?
2. Does the playing characteristics change much as internal oxidation takes place?
3. Do certain brands of mpcs have a reputation, so to speak, of oxidating faster or slower than others due to their different rubber compositions?
4. As to rail tilt, is there any difference between a closed or open mpc as to how fast the tilt can be formed because of how hard the facing is hit with the reed?
5. Would a very thin tip with thin side walls suffer faster from rail tilt?
6. Since humidity quickens the oxidation process and much has been written about adding humidifiers to clarinet cases to help preserve the wood, does this mean that mpcs should be carried separately, away from the humidified case?
7. How can someone store a mpc when they live in a very humid climate like here in WA where it seems to rain all the time?

Thank you in advance.

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