Mouthpieces irritation from older ebonite mouthpieces...

[Jules]

anyone else have skin irritation problems form older mouthpiece? I've pretty much always used metal mouthpieces (or, recently, a couple of new ebonites). I've just recently started using an old, discoloured, faintly sulphurous yanagisawa ebonite on my soprano (plays great, tasted horrible till it got a rub down with olive oil).
I've also recently got a case of itchy, dry skin on my bottom lip (and I've been playing soprano a lot), I'm not 100% sure the two are linked, could be cold weather related, but I'm intrigued- has anyone else had experience of old ebonite irritation syndrome?

 

[ManEast]

nachoman wrote:
anyone else have skin irritation problems form older mouthpiece? I've pretty much always used metal mouthpieces (or, recently, a couple of new ebonites). I've just recently started using an old, discoloured, faintly sulphurous yanagisawa ebonite on my soprano (plays great, tasted horrible till it got a rub down with olive oil).
I've also recently got a case of itchy, dry skin on my bottom lip (and I've been playing soprano a lot), I'm not 100% sure the two are linked, could be cold weather related, but I'm intrigued- has anyone else had experience of old ebonite irritation syndrome?

Hi Nachoman.
Quite a few years back i do remember reading an article about old green ebonite M.P.s being Carcinogenic.
🙁
After i read it i did Bin two old m.ps that i had sitting around...They both did taste slightly bitter.
Do be careful bud.

Regards.
ManEast

 

[stephanie]

ManEast wrote:

nachoman wrote:
anyone else have skin irritation problems form older mouthpiece? I've pretty much always used metal mouthpieces (or, recently, a couple of new ebonites). I've just recently started using an old, discoloured, faintly sulphurous yanagisawa ebonite on my soprano (plays great, tasted horrible till it got a rub down with olive oil).
I've also recently got a case of itchy, dry skin on my bottom lip (and I've been playing soprano a lot), I'm not 100% sure the two are linked, could be cold weather related, but I'm intrigued- has anyone else had experience of old ebonite irritation syndrome?

Hi Nachoman.
Quite a few years back i do remember reading an article about old green ebonite M.P.s being Carcinogenic.
🙁
After i read it i did Bin two old m.ps that i had sitting around...They both did taste slightly bitter.
Do be careful bud.

Regards.
ManEast

I just wandered upstairs to ask OH about it (he's a cancer research chemist) and his reply was that he didn't know *much* about ebonite but if it was going a gentle shade of green it didn't sound good, and there was certainly a possibility that plastics could be carcinogenic. Can you remember where this article was, ManEast? (Of interest mainly because I've just spent 5 months playing with a 40 year old Berg Larsen with a definite green hue...)

 

[ManEast]

Stephanie wrote:

ManEast wrote:

nachoman wrote:
anyone else have skin irritation problems form older mouthpiece? I've pretty much always used metal mouthpieces (or, recently, a couple of new ebonites). I've just recently started using an old, discoloured, faintly sulphurous yanagisawa ebonite on my soprano (plays great, tasted horrible till it got a rub down with olive oil).
I've also recently got a case of itchy, dry skin on my bottom lip (and I've been playing soprano a lot), I'm not 100% sure the two are linked, could be cold weather related, but I'm intrigued- has anyone else had experience of old ebonite irritation syndrome?

Hi Nachoman.
Quite a few years back i do remember reading an article about old green ebonite M.P.s being Carcinogenic.
🙁
After i read it i did Bin two old m.ps that i had sitting around...They both did taste slightly bitter.
Do be careful bud.

Regards.
ManEast

I just wandered upstairs to ask OH about it (he's a cancer research chemist) and his reply was that he didn't know *much* about ebonite but if it was going a gentle shade of green it didn't sound good, and there was certainly a possibility that plastics could be carcinogenic. Can you remember where this article was, ManEast? (Of interest mainly because I've just spent 5 months playing with a 40 year old Berg Larsen with a definite green hue...)

Hi To You
Go and tell your OH that your M.P is acctually made of Hard Rubber...... Made up from 30-40% Sulphur.

Do not be too alarmed about the Green hue, unless your M.P taste's bad.....I disinctley remeber that it is at the point of chemical breakdown within the Ebonite, that causes the M.P to taste bitter.
It is at this stage that the M.P should be disposed of.

I will try to find the article.

Regards
ManEast

 

[jonf]

I don't have enough of a science background to know whether old ebonite would be carcinogenic or otherwise toxic, but I'd have thought that if there was much of a risk, it would be well known among saxophonists. Also, if it's your bottom lip that's playing up I'd be more inclined to blame the reed than the mouthpiece.

Having said that, it sounds disgusting, particulalry if it tastes bad and smells a bit sulphurous. I'd chuck it in the bin and get another one. I've got one I don't play - a 7 - send me a PM if you're interested.

 

[peedee]

Ive just bought a new ebonite mpc, so I shall be waiting with baited breath for any sinister looking colour changes :erm: