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RE: wooden mouthpieces

Author: Greg Smith
Date: 1999-08-05 14:11

Daniel wrote:
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The problem with wood mouthpieces is that the interiors are more fluctuant with temperature and humidity. One day a wood mouthpiece will play gret, another day, it may be stuffy, or it may be bright.. etc.. rather unpredictable. And due to the moisture and temperature change while playing, they even change over the course of a performance. Of course, it also depends on the wood. Some woods change easier than others.
I believe Greg Smith doctors his wood mouthpieces to prevent such changes. But, i still think they change much more over a shorter period of time compared to hard rubber.

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Daniel,

You are only partially correct about the variability of a wood mouthpiece. I do treat the wood to help with slight variabilities but my experience and that of others that play my hardwood mouthpieces is that they do not change "MUCH more over a shorter period of time than hard rubber" as you state. The facing and interior measurements of mouthpieces that I have measured of my customers wood mouthpieces 1 -4 years old have remained stable in every case.

As to the possibility that there are SLIGHT changes in how the mouthpiece plays during a playing session, I have not heard of complaints that it is enough of a margin to be detrimental in any way. One of the beauties of the wood mouthpiece is that the slight change that MAY occur is usually beneficial - creating a "symbiotic" relationship between wood reed and wood mthpc. One is able to "pull" the qualities of the sound of the wood mthpc out from it giving a unique beauty and shape to the sound.

The quality of my hardwoods and finishing techniques minimize this to the degree that if the player uses it under normal "inside" conditions (no sudden temp. or humidity changes) the mouthpiece will be reliable in every way. If ever there were a sense that the mouthpiece had changed, I offer to return it to the original specs. at a nominal charge.

I have many top professional players all over the world that love and play them all of the time. Would a player relying on consistency to this degree take the chance that your post implys?

I have my own sources for wood and it is of distinctly higher quality than that produced by Pomarico.....not to mentioned the difference in the hand crafting that I do.

Greg Smith

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