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Re: Mouthpieces and reeds by the numbers

Author: Mojo
Date: 2017-08-16 16:41

I have a bunch of videos on YouTube about various refacing topics. Most are sax related. I do have one that compares different feeler gauge systems in use. But I do not have much insight into how the original Erick Brand feeler set was chosen.

I do challenge the logic of using the Brand feeler set. It does help to standardize on a set so you can easily trade readings with other refacers or players. But I find this is less useful than it sounds. Usually the readings are rounded to the nearest whole or half number. Or, they contain reading errors or bumps and flat spots you would not want to duplicate on another mouthpiece.

The "standard" set also has some large gaps between feeler sizes I think are significant. What happens at .005" can affect the response a lot IMO. How flat or curved is the shape between .0015" and .010"? If you do not measure it, you do not know.

I use my own set of feelers as shown in my videos. I used to sell feeler sets but there is not enough of a market for them to make it worthwhile for me. If a client wants me to match a facing measured with a Brand or other set, I plot the supplied readings and fit a curve through them. Then I can use the fitted curve to calculate targets for my own set of feelers.

https://youtu.be/jLXNVzWbqiw

MojoMP.com
Mojo Mouthpiece Work LLC
MojoMouthpieceWork@yahoo.com

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