flat soprano

[CodyW]

I just got my buescher 221XXX silver plate soprano from ebay. It came with an original buescher mouthpiece. I have the mouthpiece pushed in all the way past the cork and it is still a whole step flat. I measured it and it is a Bb soprano. Should I get a different mouthpiece? Should I get it tuned up at my tech, or look for another mouthpiece with a smaller chamber?

[Dave Dolson]

CodyW: Congrats on the "new" TT. I have two in the #23xxxx range and they are terrific players. I use modern mouthpieces on mine - Selmer Super Session, Selmer S-80s, metal Link and JodyJazz are some that play well FOR ME.

One problem with vintage sops is the rib supporting the high octave vent. That rib prevents any mouthpiece from shoving on very far. Because of that, I had two S-80s cut down (had their barrels shortened) almost 20 years ago. I did the same thing with a metal Guardala (subsequently sold). When the Super Sessions hit the market I switched to those. My cut-down S-80s and the Super Session are the same length.

With the shorter mouthpieces, I can come to pitch and even slightly sharp (if necessary for the setting I'm in). With the standard S-80s, I too am flat. Recently I did a gig where the piano had been tuned extremely sharp. I had to switch horns (to a Yanagisawa) to play in pitch with the piano. No amount of short mouthpiece would allow my TT to play in pitch that night.

I don't think it is a matter of chamber size, but mouthpiece length. DAVE

[Bill08690]

A Runyon Custom is a short barrel, small chamber mpc that might work nicely for you....

[CodyW]

I feel stupid now for not looking, but I lookied in the soprano and found a 6 inch piece of plastic stuck in it! :D So I took it out and the horn is great! I was fairly pleased with it before taking the plastic out, but after finding it and taking it out, the horn really sings. I wonder how it got in there?

[Bill08690]

Wonder if the person sold the horn because of the plastic? What shape is the plastic?

[Dave Dolson]

CodyW: Good news. DAVE

[CodyW]

It is cone shaped. It was recently overhauled (2 years ago) so I imagine the owner could tell the difference whenever the piece of plastic was inserted.

[Morry]

Part of a cheap soprano stand maybe?

[Dave Dolson]

Maybe it was packing material. Whenever I ship a soprano, I stuff a lot of paper towels up the horn to give the tube some support from the inside (as well as bracing it on the outside to restrict the horn's movement). DAVE

[bruce bailey]

While we are on the subject of shortening mouthpieces, I have been doing this for a while and the easiest way is to use a Dremel with the cut-off wheel. It will cut a good straight line and then just hold the mpc against a flat file and work to even it out and sand (#600) and polish. It is quite easy on the newer long shanks but a little harder on sloped ones like the S-80.