[TroubleClef]

I have this Dukoff Miami that I know very little about and I don't find much info about the specific model here or elsewhere online. It says "original large chamber" on top, and "L D 6" on bottom.

I've tried to research this online but I'm sort of a novice with all this so I'm hoping folks can tell me a little about what its characteristics are as far as the sound type or playability and how it compares to other similar types of mpc's. Also, it looks like the baffle may have been modified but I don't know enough about it's original condition to know how much, or if other parts have also been modified. I'd also be interested to hear any thoughts on how the modifications would change its sound.

Thanks much!

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[turf3]

If I had to guess, I'd guess it plays kind of like a Link but a bit brighter, maybe much like a Meyer. That's not the common Dukoff we all used back in the 70s and 80s, the D chamber (also marked "Super Power Chamber") which had a much higher baffle with a drop off.

I don't think the baffle's been modified, but it may have been cleaned up a bit with some Scotchbrite to remove the inevitable Dukoff corrosion.

Facings on these out of the box can be pretty hinky, as Dukoff QC was always questionable on these "mystery metal" pieces.

How does it play for you? That's the key question.

 

[10mfan]

It’s a large chamber piece with scooped out sidewalls and a rollover baffle like a Link, but with more edge.
Mintzer sounded best to me on his LD7!

 

[whaler]

I had an LD7 that I liked but I'm always scared off by the Silverlite. I guess I think I'll like the mouthpiece and then it will disintegrate in front of my eyes.
They play almost like a Link. Kind of thick but have an edge. Definitely the mellowest of the Silverlite pieces.
I went to Mr Dukoff's factory a few times when I lived in Miami. A nice old gent who let me sit and try mouthpieces in his office. When I showed him an old short shank Dukoff he told me he used to get a lot of returns on those and eventually went with the Silverlite. He told me he thought it "rang" better than brass.
Maybe he started making that LD when people were reminiscing about how they liked the old Hollywoods.
Here's a little clip of me playing an LD7.

 

[MojoBari]

It seem that 90% of the Silverite mouthpieces in circulation are Dukoff D designs. The rest are mixed. M, X, P, S, L, LD. More Ms than the others.

 

[vbluesman]

I had an S chamber back in the day that was badass but after 4-5 years it was worn out. I don't know if it warped or the facing wore out but I replaced with another one, they were cheap to buy during the eighties. I had one with a window cut off center, one rail was super thin and the other was thick. It played great, the best made Dukoffs visually were the P models.

 

[pumseig]

My first real professional quality tenor mouthpiece was a Dukoff 7M.
This is going back around 40 years. It was a "monster" player, until I dropped it on a concrete floor right on the tip.
That was the end of that!

 

[TroubleClef]

Thanks for all this info! This really gives me a better understanding of the piece. And thanks to Whaler, what a great opportunity for a specific demo of what seems to be a bit of a rare piece. This site is a great resource.

In the limited playing I've done with it recently, the low end felt a little difficult but overall it seems to have a pretty big sound that projects well. Beyond that I don't think I can specify other qualities. But I can't put too much value in my judgement at this point anyhow as I haven't played in a long time and my embouchure is currently weak. I guess you could say I'm a re-beginner at this point. I bought the piece online almost 20 years ago to use with my '47 Conn 10m but have rarely played since. In fact I think I may have gotten some advice on the topic from this site at the time but can't seem to find any posts that old, and don't know what login I used...

 

[vbluesman]

I picked up one of the $99.99 Dukoff mouthpieces that WWBW was blowing out recently. I got a D9 and I was really impressed with how well it was manufactured and how well it played. I spent the majority of the 80's on a couple of Dukoffs so I was comfortable immediately on the Silverite material. Back in the day these were quite affordable and I guess they are still are at $275.00 direct. After playing a new D9 I would say anyone would be crazy to pay a premium price for a vintage Miami model. Dukoffs have always been hit or miss. This new one is really good!