Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-02-19 18:08
Brilhart mouthpieces were made of "Ebolin" or "Tonalin," whatever those things are (plastic). To understand why these mouthpieces sell, background on Arnold Brilhart himself may help.
Brilhart was a fine alto saxophonist who started his career in the 1920s, playing with a lot of bands that became very popular. In the '30s, he began making mouthpieces on a fairly large scale, larger than any other "specialty" mouthpiece maker of the time. Many well-known players used Brilhart MPs. Among other things, Brilhart was, I believe, the first to produce and sell usable plastic reeds. Most players claimed not to like them, but a lot of them sold over the years. Brilhart also marketed (manufactured? I don't know) a line of excellent cane reeds. He sold his name as a Trademark to Selmer in the late 1960s. For about fifteen years or so, until well over 90, he worked for Rico. He died about four years ago at age 93. I suspect many who buy the mouthpieces on eBay may be trying to grab a piece of history, although I'm sure some players still like them, whether it's because of superior playing qualities or just the respected cachet.
I believe the mouthpiece numbers of the older ones, such as 2, 3, 4, are comparable to those of other suppliers, with the increasing number indicating more openness. Later Brilhart MPs, as I recall, had other numbering. Perhaps someone else will post additional intelligence on this, an area where my knowledge is somewhat fuzzy.
(My ex-wife's husband once worked for Arnold Brilhart as a mouthpiece tester -- tough job, but somebody had to do it. For whaqt it's worth, he says Arnold was a very fine person.)
Regards,
John
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