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EXPERIENCE IN DESIGN
Having "put my neck out" as a crafter of
mouthpieces, it was not long before I received calls from anxious horn players. Their
queries ranged wide and far, from amateur to professional, from military bandsmen to
Principals in major orchestras.
They have called in hope of enlightenment, and in all cases
I have enjoyed discussing their needs. And I have learned by exchanging ideas and
experimenting along with them.
Naturally, to identify problems associated with variations
in mouthpiece design, I have to maintain my playing, so lathe-time and practice-time
sometimes compete at Moosewood.
HORN SPECIFIC
It has been my intention from the beginning (c. 1973) that
custom mouthpieces ought to be "horn-specific". This means that Model
"x" will respond better than Model "y" in the same horn. But Model
"y" will, in turn, respond better than Model "x" in a different horn.
Thus, if you contact me, wanting
a C4 mouthpiece for your Alexander, be prepared for some advice. An Alex ceases to sound
like an Alex with such a free-blowing mouthpiece. Maybe you want your Alex to
have a more "open" feel! In that case, I will help you obtain this
quality.
OK. I've sent you a mouthpiece to try. What should you do
with it?
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