Klarinet Archive - Posting 000541.txt from 2000/05

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Brilhart MP
Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 12:15:51 -0400

Walt Grabner posted:

<<<These were a serious attempt at a quality mouthpiece for the student
level market. Made by Selmer, they were plastic, but seemed to have some
good workmanship behind them. I ran across one of them several years ago and
had some fun refacing and voicing it.

The tenor sax mouthpiece, as I remember it, was quite good. Again, at the
student level.

I don't believe they are made any more, but I could be wrong.>>>

I will agree in part . . . the Brilharts are excellent sax mouthpieces.

They are *not* student saxophone mouthpieces, however. Unless you consider
Johnny Hodges, Maceo Parker, Charlie Parker, Benny Carter and the entire
Woody Herman sax section of 1956 to be "students." The Brilhart made in
white plastic (the "Tonalin") was the alto mouthpiece of choice for the
beboppers for a few years, until the Meyer gained favor in the later '50s.

You can still buy (black) Brilharts -- they are probably the best deal you
can get in a saxophone mouthpiece. The 3* can be had for as little as 30
bucks through almost any catalog, and is a great all-around sax mouthpiece.
I use the 5* myself for pit work, even though I have a drawer full of much
more expensive weapons. If you want to spend more money for a similar
piece, but an ARB or a Beechler -- I believe they are made by the same
people using the same equipment (and you can even get a white one!)

. . . never did like the Brilhart clarinet mouthpiece, though.

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