Suckers!!!

[bobstad]

If I wanted to improvise a vacuum gauge from a saxophone(or clarinet) mouthpiece, with a bleeder screw adjustment for calibration; wouldn't an appropriate pitch signify what were being drawn, assuming reasonable familiarity?(probably an enclosing chamber to protect the reed and mouthpiece tip, or perhaps a double-reed would be advised; that likely would also somehow assume the regulation for calibration function)

p. s. High quality P-lastic reeds are now available which are quite stable and long-lasting.

[ejp2fast]

let us know how this turns out...

[eurotiva]

auto zone $20

[fattie]

what are you talking about ?

[lessersivad]

Would bring a new meaning to tuning up your car............

[Mike McKown]

what are you talking about ?

drugs.

[blkfordsedan]

If I wanted to improvise a vacuum gauge from a saxophone(or clarinet) mouthpiece, with a bleeder screw adjustment for calibration; wouldn't an appropriate pitch signify what were being drawn, assuming reasonable familiarity?(probably an enclosing chamber to protect the reed and mouthpiece tip, or perhaps a double-reed would be advised; that likely would also somehow assume the regulation for calibration function)

p. s. High quality P-lastic reeds are now available which are quite stable and long-lasting.

I would say yes, in theory. A significant vacuum leak can "whistle" on it's own. I assume your asking if it's possible to calibrate it to the point that an A-Sharp = 12" Hg and a B-flat = 10" Hg, etc? I suspect the calibration would be quite a task due to fluctuating vacuum and poor resolution. Given you have a "musician's ear", in order to properly calibrate it you would need a vacuum gauge to make the proper correlation between pitch and In/Hg. If you buy a vacuum gauge to do this, then what's the point? (unless you plan on starting a Festiva band). If that is your goal, then I have a '93 L with bad valve lash adjusters that I would like to audition for the percussion section.

[batstiva]

If I wanted to improvise a vacuum gauge from a saxophone(or clarinet) mouthpiece, with a bleeder screw adjustment for calibration; wouldn't an appropriate pitch signify what were being drawn, assuming reasonable familiarity?(probably an enclosing chamber to protect the reed and mouthpiece tip, or perhaps a double-reed would be advised; that likely would also somehow assume the regulation for calibration function)

p. s. High quality P-lastic reeds are now available which are quite stable and long-lasting.

In theory, yes. The issue I see is you would first need a vacuum gauge in order to determine what the correct pitch would be, but yes, I suppose you could do that. I gotta say, I actually look forward to your posts. You are definitely an interesting guy.

[bobstad]

better reed than deed...

What got me thinking is a plastic folk oboe reed from FORRESTS MUSIC in Berkeley(<http://www.forrestsmusic.com>; where a person can spend $10,000 on tools to make oboe and/or bassoon reeds a person could easily accomplish with a razor blade and pocket knife, go figure?) that I put inside a piece of PVC plumbing pipe so that the reed is made to sound simply by blowing on the end of the tube that reed is enclosed by.(and/or sucking on the other end of the enclosing tube...)

With such a set-up one can easily connect to nearly anything with a rubber hose(piece of bicycle inner tube from a long section left over from a thorn-proof tube which finally aged into a state where the thing broke in half next to the valve the last time I was fixing a flat; or whatever other tubing comes to hand here, like the tubing also used now for my espresso maker to prevent spray over onto the top of the stove, etc.) so that whatever a vacuum gauge might hook up to could also be the source for intake to draw air through the reed set-up; which could have on the opposite end some sort of resistance control easily contrived from an appropriate valve like device...SUGGESTIONS WELCOME ON THAT?!?!

Right now this enclosed reed is attached sort of flimsily to another piece of equal size PVC pipe about four feet long, that is on the "mouthpiece" end of my PVC pipe "trombone" the other end of which is an automatic transmission fluid type plastic funnel that forms the bell of the trombone.(I've experimented with a couple other versions trying to devise a slide and so far my most successful one* has a slide range of a foot and a half or so and uses a third of a coconut shell as the "bell"...my crotch section of "the coconut wireless" bikini that is designed to be worn by musician friend Kelly Guilfoyle who likely will appreciate equally when the two top pieces are also gainfully undeployed...even though neither has been opened up with "nipple" comfort holes similarly to the long slit in the crotch piece that now allows an interesting effect done with one's "warfinger" while being played-probably my wearing the thing myself being the most likely source of display, is source of inspiring alternative applications?)

*Though a very promising slide "bassoon" has been already tooted; which only needs some modest engineering to bring into full fruition aurally.(and also orally in this instance; since the reed is employed characteristically)

post script: to those who'd discourage me by saying having a vacuum gage is necessary to calibrate; in truth only another or my own car in reliably sound condition would establish what the reed gauge should sound like when everything is in good order, so that variances would be judged from that norm, and given one's insight and intuition about such things there is perhaps possibility a person would have an adequate device without all the rigamarole some seem to regard as inevitable.(good example is my oft proven ability to do perfect front-end alignments; on a '67 Mustang and '66 VW "square-back" with only eyeball and guesswork for precision "tools")