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Re: Mouthpiece search and reeds

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-04-21 00:15

Taking your last question first, I would say breaking reeds in that you plan to use to test mouthpieces isn't necessary and maybe not especially productive. You just want to find out how the mouthpiece responds. You probably won't be playing on one reed long enough to waterlog it and, if you do, get out another one.

As to pre-adjusting reeds (if that's what you mean by being "used to doing quite a bit of work" on them, I don't think there's much point to this when you're trying new mouthpieces. You adjust reeds to the mouthpiece you're using them on. If the new mouthpieces were to play the same way your current one does, there would be no point in replacing it with any of them.

I would go with several each of at least two strengths - the one the mouthpiece maker recommends and one slightly harder (3.5 and 3.75, perhaps). I don't think of V.12 #4 as "hard" and #3.5 as "soft." They aren't that far apart, but one will probably sound and respond better than the other, which should be your real concern. I sometimes find myself going up and down between adjacent strengths depending on what I'm playing.

You have to try mouthpieces with a reed of *some* strength. You could tell Greg Smith, Walter Grabner and Rick Sayre that you want a facing that's optimal with a #4 V.12 reed and let them do what needs to be done. But IMO it's better to try the mouthpieces they have with the reed strength they recommend and, if that seems too soft, try the next strength higher. If you really want to stay with the harder strength, you could ask once you've chosen a mouthpiece to have the facing optimized for a #4, but that's a custom facing which may (should) cost more and will be non-returnable if you aren't happy with the result.

Karl

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