by Thomas Greer
(Click for Printer friendly version)
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.
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 huge mouthpiece for your Alexander, be prepared for some advice. An Alex ceases to sound like an Alex with very large mouthpieces. 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?
NEXT ===>