My mouthpiece is stuck :o(

[WoodwindDoubler]

Hey all!!

Well I just bought a V16 7s for my alto - since I sold my mouthpiece, I needed something to tie me over until I get my new horn.

Anyways ... to play in tune i have to push all the the way on ... but when I went to take off my mouthpiece it won't BUDGE!

I will turn ... but no matter how hard I pull it won't come off

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Also, the mouthpiece isn't that far in it's still showing about 1/2" of cork.

(

 

[Gandalfe]

Stick it in the fridge for an hour and then carefully turn it off.

 

[SOTSDO]

If that doesn't work, try some WD-40 soaking at the mouthpiece-cork junction. You'll destroy the cork, but you'll be able to get it off.

 

[Connical]

Also, try and work it forward. Anything to break the surface tension. As Gandalfe mentioned, getting the neck cold will cause the metal to contract (Heat expands). After cooling the neck, try holding the MPC in your hand to warm it, but do so with as little contact with the neck as possible. If this doesn't work, find yourself a hacksaw, or a tech. =)

 

[Groovekiller]

I've had better luck with heat than cold.

Yes, cold should shrink the cork, but heat makes whatever lubricant was initially present more slippery. Try aiming a hairdryer at the neck, or through the large end of the neck. Don't go to extremes with heat, and don't heat the tip of the mouthpiece. If you can put your fingers in the hot airstream without pain, you're probably OK.

 

[Gandalfe]

And let us know how it went; we are kinda left wondering at this point. My wife sometimes can't get a mouthpiece off, but I've never really had a problem. The trick is to remove it without destroying the cork. Also, take the mouthpiece off the instrument after every practice. I usually do that.

 

[Ed]

Another suggestion is to get a bike tube (20" is good) and cut it into a section about the size of the mouthpiece. Place on the mouthpiece and see if the added grip allows you to work it off. You can accomplish the same thing with one of the rubber jar openers if you have it. It can also be used in conjunction with the heat and cold methods recommended.

 

[SOTSDO]

And, if all else fails, there's always a drift pin driven by a five pound sledge...

 

[WoodwindDoubler]

I tried the cold thing .... it didn't work.

I tried the heat thing ... it didn't work.


(

It won't budge.

And unfortunately for me ... my 1 repair man is on vacation in Nova Scotia for 2 weeks and my other repair man is extremely busy as usual playing Dirty Dancing in Toronto and other craziness.

I'm going back to Orangeville tomorrow and I'm going to see if my friend Ryan who also plays sax can do it.


Once I get it off though I think I'm going to have to have to exchange it for something else... maybe a Meyer 7M. I'm thinking a bigger chamber means less chance for it to get stuck!

I say it's Mark's fault for teaching me to play low on the pitch! LOL

 

[WoodwindDoubler]

Thanks for all the suggestions people btw! ...

It's very frustrating as you can imagine!!!!!

I mean if it was stuck but I was in tune ... it wouldn't matter so much.


I gave myself blisters trying to get this bloody thing off.

 

[tictactux]

You sure you didn't confuse cork grease and superglue?
Did you use cork grease at all?

 

[Dave Dolson]

I've been following this thread but not saying anything, mainly because I didn't have any advice other than what was already posted.

But once you get that mouthpiece off, the fix is EASY. Sand down the neck cork a small amount (masking off the bare brass to protect it), then grease the cork. You don't have to buy another mouthpiece - unless you WANT to for a different sound/response. DAVE

 

[Connical]

You sure you didn't confuse cork grease and superglue?
Did you use cork grease at all?

Some advice. You may want to build your hand strength a little. Maybe buy one of the squeezy sort of things to develop your hand grip strength a bit. Although I'm sure your tech appreciates the fact that you aren't strong enough to mangle the neck. =)

Have you asked someone a bit stronger to take a whack at it yet ? It may just require more elbow grease.

 

[pete]

Question for the repair guys:

Couldn't you soak the mouthpiece "end" in something that would eat away the cork? There should be some mild acid/base out there that would do this.

(Googled: benzene, pyruvic acid, bromium, etc. All these also eat away at soft rubber, too, tho. Soak it in penetrating oil?)

Note for the folks recommending force:

That's also an easy way to destroy a mouthpiece.

 

[WoodwindDoubler]

You sure you didn't confuse cork grease and superglue?
Did you use cork grease at all?

LOL ... HAHA ... No I did not confuse the two.

I do use cork grease. I didn't put any on specifically to put on my new mouthpiece - in hind sight I guess I should have. My other one didn't need it that often.

Thanks for the sanding down suggestion, Dave. I'll give that a try. Hopefully that with some cork grease will do the trick. To be in tune, I need to push in the rest of the way pretty much. As of right now I'm flat by almost a semitone.

And let us know how it went; we are kinda left wondering at this point. My wife sometimes can't get a mouthpiece off, but I've never really had a problem. The trick is to remove it without destroying the cork. Also, take the mouthpiece off the instrument after every practice. I usually do that.

Oh ya ... I do that 9 times / 10. This happen after the first time I put my new mouthpiece on ... I didn't even play for more than 10 minutes.

Some advice. You may want to build your hand strength a little. Maybe buy one of the squeezy sort of things to develop your hand grip strength a bit. Although I'm sure your tech appreciates the fact that you aren't strong enough to mangle the neck. =)

Have you asked someone a bit stronger to take a whack at it yet ? It may just require more elbow grease.

I'm pretty strong (heck I lug 5-6 instruments + books + laptop back and forth to school everyday HAHA)... but I'm going to get a fellow sax player to try tomorrow. He's stronger than me - so if he can't do it, I'll just have to wait for Vern to have some time to fix it.

 

[Steve]

You can turn it but you can't pull it off.

can you wobble it at all while turning. then maybe wobble it off ?

you could try soaking it slightly in a soapy water (more like brushing it on and not really soaking it) - especially trying to get it from the inside. i'm not sure how well this would work ... just an idea as i've always been able to get a mpc off a neck.

==========
if you don't care for the cork then put some electrical tape just above the cork to protect the finish. Then use a very sharp blade or knife and cut off the cork. Then start widdling away at the cork under the mpc shank. Hopefully you should be able to get enough off to wiggle the mpc off. Of course, you'll need a new cork.

 

[WoodwindDoubler]

You can turn it but you can't pull it off.

can you wobble it at all while turning. then maybe wobble it off ?

you could try soaking it slightly in a soapy water (more like brushing it on and not really soaking it) - especially trying to get it from the inside. i'm not sure how well this would work ... just an idea as i've always been able to get a mpc off a neck.

==========
if you don't care for the cork then put some electrical tape just above the cork to protect the finish. Then use a very sharp blade or knife and cut off the cork. Then start widdling away at the cork under the mpc shank. Hopefully you should be able to get enough off to wiggle the mpc off. Of course, you'll need a new cork.

I have no problem destroying the cork. I just want the darn thing off! I've never had a problem getting mouthpieces off ... this one just likes to torment me. I think it was the univers's way of saying you need to focus on tenor. HAHA

I'm playing duets today with my friend so I'm going to get him to go nuts.

 

[Ed]

Hard rubber is easily damaged by extreme (actually not all that extreme) heat and cold. Too cold and it is easier to crack. Too hot and it can deform. It doesn't really like acid or much else. Soap and water. Some people soak mouthpieces in vinegar to kill nasty stuff. Good hard rubber will discolor if left in vinegar long enough. The cheap stuff won't.

 

[WoodwindDoubler]

Well folks... I got it off. Well Actually my friend, Ryan got it off.

Thanks for all of your help!


The small chamber isn't gunna work. I'm going for Meyer medium. I liked the meyer better in a way anyways.

 

[Dave Dolson]

WHY doesn't the "small chamber" work? Now that you have the mouthpiece off the neck, maybe by sanding and lubricating the assembly, you can shove that same mouthpiece on far enough to play it in tune and thus give it a better evaluation. You may be surprised at how well it plays when it is properly sited on the cork. DAVE