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Re: Glass Mouthpieces?

Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2015-03-04 18:31

I have an Opperman crystal mouthpiece. Kal adjusted it several times, saying that it took more work but could be made to play like hard rubber. It plays wonderfully.

In general, I've found that crystal mouthpiece tip openings feel larger than the same measurements on hard rubber, and that they blow with a little less resistance.

As Paul Aviles says, the chambers are quite variable, because crystal shrinks unpredictably as it cools from molten to solid.

Many fine players have played crystal, including Gino Cioffi and Alexander Williams. Williams told me he switched to hard rubber after he left the NBC Symphony because it took too much effort to play the crystal.

You have to try many crystal mouthpieces until you find one that's just right, and many makers are reluctant to work on them because it takes so much effort.

Ken Shaw

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