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Re: Mouthpiece Tips

Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-03-24 16:39

Another option would be to find a mouthpiece that gives the dynamic range and general tone that you want, and to send that mouthpiece to get refaced. I decided to go this route. I found a mouthpiece which I loved to play, sounded great, but I realized it gave me a little trouble with articulation and some squeaking. I sent it away to get refaced. Nothing major, not destroying the qualities I liked, but opening it up a little bit, and making sure that the facing was of good symmetry (or maybe just making sure it's not TOO asymmetrical - I don't know, the tech knows what works best). And if you're close to a very good "mouthpiece refacer person" (the most technical term I know to call them!), it'd be easy and great since you can show up one day, and hopefully, if he/she is patient, try it out and keep adjusting it till your satisfied.

Another option that was posed to me on one of my earlier posts was to order a good mouthpiece blank and to get faced to what you wanted. But for this, I would try out some commercial mouthpieces to find out a general whereabouts as to what facing and opening, etc. you find comfortable to play on. The tech needs a place to start from with a blank.

And yet another option I've heard of was a witty little statement that I can't remember who said it, but I've seen it quoted. Something about the way to choose the "perfect mouthpiece". I believe the procedure is to go out in the ocean with a box full of mouthpieces. Blindfold yourself, pick one out of the box, then dump the rest overboard. Uncover your blindfold, go home, and learn to play on it.

Basically, don't spend SOOO much time looking for that perfect mouthpiece. There are so many great quality MPCs out there, after playing one for a while, you will subconsciously adjust your emboucher to the mouthpiece and will learn to play that mouthpiece to it's fullest. I just rediscovered this. After sending my good mouthpiece away I fell back on my "reserve" mouthpiece with is a much shorter facing and a little more open tip. The first few days of practicing on my backup, I sounded horrible. Now I'm making that mouthpiece sing more sweetly than I've ever heard it play. Still not as great (tone wise) as my good one, but it just proves that you adjust to the mouthpiece, rather than finding a mouthpiece that's adjusted to you.

GL on the search. And try to keep your sanity as you look over and decide which of the 400 available mouthpieces you want to try next.

Alexi

US Army Japan Band

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