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Re: Asymmetrical curve vs. Symmetrical curve

Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-11-22 07:03

I think that people, refacers mouthpiece maker need to make symmetrical mouthpieces. It's a must.

I've looked at many mouthpieces that are said to be symmetrical mouthpieces and magnified them and there are bumps all over the place. For example the person refacing the mouthpiece has 4 or 5 gauges, known as "Feeler Gauges," to use and the glass. These are dead on square. But when you look at them under a powerful magnifying glass the rest of the cures are uneven and have bumps on the rails and also flat spots. This happens with machined faced mouthpieces as well. It is a special art to develop that curve. Most people cannot achieve it as well as the facing machines.

So it is often easier to say asymmetrical curves are better. This is just wrong. This is because the people just don't know how.

Let's take a moment and look at plastic reeds which are flat and do not warp. If the rails are off the plastic reeds will never vibrate correctly. Well this is the same with regular reeds. A lot of cane reeds are thrown out because of bumps and flat spots and uneven rails rails.

When I made reeds at Rico the rails on both sides of the reeds had to be within a 1/2 thousandth of an inch from side to side in the from and 2 thousandths in the back, about the thickness of a human hair. That's all. The rest of the reeds had to do with the quality of the cane.

So why would someone want an asymmetrical curve when the reeds are so delicate? Because they don't know how to put on a great symmetrical curve on a mouthpiece. The ones that do are true Masters.

These measurements stated above don't mean anything if the rest of the mouthpiece rails are uneven.

For example I use 18 gauges. Not 4 or 5. I also designed a special diamond dust cutting wheel to assure that the rails have no bumps, flat spots, or are uneven. The mouthpieces won't leave the place if they are not even. This process often takes hours. I often have to walk away from a mouthpiece and come back to it later, just from stress.

Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces

Yamaha Artist 2015

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