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Re: Need advice re: facing vs. opening

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2022-11-13 02:26

I would say the very BEST option would be to sit down with one of our fine mouthpiece makers; Clark Fobes, David McClune, Walter Grabner, Brad Behn, Raymond Wodkowski, Ben Redwine and try various mouthpieces that are close to what you know you like. The description of what you like and don't like can go a long way to getting better options from one of these fine artists.

I have been fitting my mouthpieces to my reeds (Legere Euro Cut 3.5s) for a while now. I THOUGHT I knew what I was doing when I sat down with Clark Fobes a few days ago with one mouthpiece I loved and a Fobes that I used to like just a few years ago. I assumed that the facings being quite close to each other (medium close....generally speaking, but even more similar in detail) that Clark could simply adjust the facing on his mouthpiece to make it a copy of the one that works better for me. He did. It didn't.

What was the difference?

Turns out the one that has my attention these days is made from a specific Zinner blank known as an "A Blank." This Zinner blank has a deeper baffle (what I thought only made the sound less filled with overtones) and an associated smaller throat (opening from the tone chamber into the bore). For me, this allows me to push more, and "ride the air" (only way I can put it into words.......sorry) and not have the sound pinch off at low volume levels. Clark pulled out one of his CWF mouthpieces, put the facing I love on it and BAM.......it worked like a charm.

So there IS more to the equation (unfortunately) than the Brand Scale numbers of a facing length and tip opening (and the various associated curves). When mouthpiece makers and dealers say, "you have to try the mouthpiece," that is actually pretty good advice. I do however still advocate trying to narrow the search by having more details available but it is still a matter of doing the hard work of being open minded and allowing for surprises.

.................Paul Aviles

Post Edited (2022-11-13 02:34)

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