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Reginald Mouthpiece

Author: Its_Michael
Date: 2009-12-21 01:03

Hey everyone

I have a mouthpiece marked Reginald (named after Reginald Kell). It is made of hard rubber and plays with absolutely amazing tone and control.

Does anyone else use one of these, or know anything about them?

Thanks,
Michael

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Re: Reginald Mouthpiece

Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-12-21 15:16

Reginald Kell mouthpieces were made in the late 1950s, in a student and professional model. I tried them but didn't like them enough to switch.

He also designed a student model clarinet for B&H, but I don't think it ever went into production. I've read that his final years were an unfortunate slow decline into Alzheimer's, so he wasn't available to push them.

Ken Shaw

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Re: Reginald Mouthpiece

Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-12-21 15:24

His keywork designs were incorporated in mainstream production with B&H in the early '60s (I assume the nailfile LH F/C touch and lengthened C#/G# touch were his suggestions), though the long side Eb/Bb touchpiece was replaced with the traditional shape one.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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Re: Reginald Mouthpiece

Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-12-21 15:49

Chris -

I met Kell at the National Orchestral Association convention in 1961, where he was showing his B&H model. I liked the nailfile engraving on the left F/C touch, but disliked the straight Eb/Bb touch, both of which Kell said here his innovations. The straight Eb/Bb follows the German design, but I have long fingers and a long thumb, so I have trouble even with the usual design, let alone having the touch even farther around under the instrument.

The model did not have Kell's other key quirk, which was the left E/B touch bent almost straight up at the tip. You can see it on the covers of some of his American Decca LPs and also, rather dimly, at http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.music.ed.ac.uk/euchmi/ugw/ucjd2801%2B2g111_s.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.music.ed.ac.uk/euchmi/ugw/ugwf1l.html&usg=__2KtEBEE44qfjxHKyJfr-LIHP6A4=&h=709&w=283&sz=106&hl=en&start=12&um=1&tbnid=zYlq08d7Q88i7M:&tbnh=140&tbnw=56&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dreginald.kell%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:*%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1.

Ken Shaw

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