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RE: Greg Smith mpc for beginners?

Author: Greg Smith
Date: 1999-08-17 23:11

Frank wrote:
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I recently got some Greg Smith mouthpieces on trial. They are of excellent quality. They do not have quite the depth of tone [or overtone] that my other mp had, but they make controling tone quality much easier. I prefer the purity of tone I am hearing with the Greg Smith mps than the varying overtones of the previous mp. I also find that large leaps from the lower to the middle or high register are easier to make cleanly.

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Perhaps fitting slightly more vibrant reeds (for example V12 3.5 or even 3's) to these mouthpieces over a period of a couple of weeks may draw out the "color" or "depth" that you say you miss initially. Contrary to what some believe, heavier reeds don't necessarily give depth to a mouthpiece and they certainly do not add to the perceived lack of overtones either. If you are already using strengths in the catagory that I suggest, giving time to fit new reeds as opposed to transferring the exact reed from old mouthpiece to new should help. Experimenting with mthpc patches makes a HUGE difference in the resultant sound also not to mention ligature. Try the Bonade inverted (one that fits well sounds the best) and try to stay away from the "cloth" style ligatures that I find dampen the sound.

I hope this is helpfull.Please let us know.

Greg Smith

My past experience says that a 6 month period is need to get the most out of a mouthpiece even though one can tell in a few days if it is taking them in the direction that they like.

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