Klarinet Archive - Posting 000627.txt from 2005/03

From: "Thomas" <thomas@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Re: Legendary Mouthpiece- Where is it?
Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2005 22:50:58 -0500

Hi all -
My husband, Terry Guidetti, does not subscribe to the list because he can't
keep up with the mail but was interested in the "legendary mouthpiece"
thread, since Harold Wright was his teacher....and he asked me to post this
with regard to the mouthpieces....

>>I first visited Everett Matson around 1970 when Harold Wright, with whom I
>>was studying, suggested I get some mouthpiece work done. I visited him
>>many times after that and learned most of what I know about my mouthpiece
>>work from him.

After not seeing him for a number of years I visited him a couple of times
again shortly before his death. During one of these meetings I asked him
about the work he had done for Harold Wright and about the legendary
"McLane" mouthpiece. He confirmed the existence of the three Cheds mentioned
in Ed Wojtowicz's email which he said Wright periodically rotated in to him
(Matson) to have the wear on the facings removed. When I asked him about
the "McLane" mpc. he said, to the best of recollection, that it existed in
addition to the other three and that it was never used that much because it
really "never worked out that well".

We all know that there are many old, "vintage" mpcs. that fall into this
category. I run across them all the time in my mpc. work. You can improve
them a great deal but there are still remaining problems that make them
ultimately undesireable. I was surprised to think that McLane actually built
his reputation, at least in part, on this mpc. However, anything is
possible.

A player, especially a great player like McLane, can "make" a mouthpiece
play and he or she can "live with" and overcome the imperfections of the
mouthpiece and decide to stay with it in spite of what problems there may be
if it has an "irresistable quality" that he or she can't seem to live
without. (Yes, I'm still talking about mpcs.) This is my honest
recollection. Of course, I suppose it is always possible that I
misunderstood him. <<

So, there you go. :)

Lynn

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