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Re: Powertone mouthpiece

Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2019-11-20 07:48

Yes, I noted the Theo Wanne site and the absence of any mention of a clarinet mouthpiece there. Also did search this site before it was suggested and found only one passing mention of such a mouthpiece with no detail. As I said, the info I could find on Powertone mouthpieces was slim. Most of what I could find was on the listing of two sax mouthpieces, an alto and a tenor, on the doctorsax.com site.

http://doctorsax.biz/powertone.htm

In this JPEG, I note that the "Powertone" inscription is exactly like that on the mouthpiece I have, only mine is in gold on the black material:

http://www.doctorsax.biz/musical%20instruments/mouthpieces/sax/alto/brilhart/powertone/pict02.JPG

Here's his write up on the tenor piece he had:

http://doctorsax.biz/Powertone_Tenor.htm

I have also found a few mentions of a Powertone saxophone sold by B&H that was reportedly an Amanti stencil. Maybe this is the origin of the Powertone sax mouthpieces:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Ready-to-Play-vintage-Powertone-Amati-Boosey-Hawkes-Tenor-Saxophone-Case/133239167188?hash=item1f05ac58d4:g:S2QAAOSwqiVdo7xI

Here's an old Ebay listing for a hard rubber Powertone alto mpc identified as a Brilhart. The inscription again is the same as on mine:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/CLASSIC-POWERTONE-HARD-RUBBER-ALTO-SAXOPHONE-MOUTHPIECE-BRILLHART-/142962391290

Interestingly, I did find on this here site a suggestion of a scratch test to differentiate hard rubber from plastic, and according to that mine tests out as hard rubber (leaves a brown streak on 600 grit sandpaper, not a white streak as plastic is said to do).

Maybe Dr. Sax's comment that they are "relatively little known in the U.S." and that "few were made and fewer survive" is all too true. I was hoping to find someone who is sufficiently familiar with it (or with its putative Brilhart cousins) to restore it. It sure does sound nice for the first few minutes before it starts bubbling and popping with condensation.

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