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Re: Jenney mouthpiece reface?Info?

Author: clancy
Date: 2010-10-13 14:56

I've seen and worked on over a dozen original George Jenney mouthpieces over the last few years - very nice pieces.

Mr Jenney was a great craftsman, very unique style of workmanship for his time. He generally liked to apply open tip facings and altered the blanks to respond freely - widening the window, baffle and chamber adjustments, etc. Very different style of mouthpiece compared to other makers at the time. I think of his mouthpieces, (also the first Portnoys) as early examples of the open mouthpiece trend in America, with Kanter, Pyne and Johnston taking up the torch in the 1970s.

From my experience Jenney used primarily Lelandais pieces, very nice ones too - the very same type of Lelandais that Kaspar and others used during that period - I believe Miller used that sort of blank as well.

Paul Schaller of the Detroit Symphony was apparently a major supporter of Mr Jenney's - my father studied with Schaller at Wayne State in the mid 1960s - he said Schaller encouraged his pupils to use them.

I personally think they work extremely well if refurbished in the context that they were intended - more open lay, etc. Often times they do not work so wonderfully if closed down to Kaspar or Ched specs as the windows can be too large, also the chamber needs a lot of work to suit a more traditional setup.

If there are any for sale please let me know! I have one myself that I use sometimes.

R Wodkowski

www.ramonwodkowski.com

Post Edited (2010-10-13 15:00)

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