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Re: German mouthpiece facings

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2023-04-06 00:50

I had done an initial foray into German mouthpieces on Boehm about eight years ago. Bas DeJong sent me a Viotto N1 and a bunch of 2 1/2 strength reeds for me to try. This mouthpiece actually worked quite well on my Yamaha CSGs. So much so that I played a year or so on German mouthpieces (finally settling on Wurlitzer M3+). Bas pointed out that really the only sticking point was the larger tenon size both 1.00mm longer and 1.00mm larger in diameter. Bas had the tenon made smaller to work fine with Boehm. For the Wurlitzers, to maintain their dimensions (long story), I decided to modify a few barrels.

Fast forward to a few months ago I asked Michele Zukovsky for suggestions for some good German mouthpieces now that Zinner is gone. She mentioned both Gleichweit and Maxton (I believe they were one company until recently). I initially tried the Geichweit D4-2 with the larger Viennese bore as an experiment. One thing that I was not crazy about with the "older" German mouthpieces was that the altissimo seemed to need some lipping up. I attributed this to the longer length of these mouthpieces (smaller internal bore size but longer from bottom of tenon to tip of the mouthpiece). The D4-2 is amazing.......full stop! Firstly, there is no problem with the altissimo (and the mouthpiece is a normal length.....for Boehm). The tenon is smaller in diameter already with Gleichweit using different sized o-rings to make up whatever socket diameter you need. The length is barely millimeter longer but this does not seem to be an issue.

Unlike Micke, I have no pitch problems with the Wien (Vienna) bore at all. If I had a mouthpiece like this that plays with such authority and ability to lock in on pitch and timbre back when I had my Wurlitzers I never would have sold them........pity.

I followed my purchase of the Wien bore D4-2 with the Gleichweit German bore version. The difference is almost imperceptible (on both Yamaha CSG and Leblanc OpusII). I may though give a nod to the German bore mouthpiece which seems even more "locked in" for pitch and timbre.

I use these mouthpieces (that have a 24mm long facing and 0.97mm tip opening ) with Legere German cut reeds around 2.75 strength (the main reed I use is an eight year old reed gifted to me by Bas that never had any markings or stickers on it).

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

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