[Enthusiast65]

Having purchased a Super Session soprano mouthpiece from an authorised dealer, I wondered if the rather irregular finishing (and thick uneven tip) was really 'to spec'. So I emailed Selmer customer service.

Here's a picture of it:

And here's the reply:

Après vérification avec notre Chef Produit Bec, nous vous confirmons que la géométrie du bec est correcte.
Il existe effectivement un aspect irrégulier mais qui n'entraîne pas de problème de jouabilité.

"After checking with our head of mouthpieces, we can confirm that the geometry of the mouthpiece is correct. There is an irregularity to these mouthpieces but that doesn't affect how it plays in the least."

Interestingly Vandoren manage to manufacture mouthpieces that are nicely finished, at almost half the cost of their Selmer equivalents.

What views do everyone hold on this subject?

 

[milandro]

Despite the fact that they may appear to be trying to make excuses , I believe that this expresses the fact that the proof of any mouthpiece pudding is in the eating.

The super session mouthpieces are hand finished ( which explains a lot I think) and each is possibly play tested add to this that there is no proof that a perfectly symmetrical finished mouthpiece plays any better than one with minor irregularities ( such as yours) or even major ones.

read this thread (about a different mouthpiece)

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...de-Rail-thickness-amp-Asymmetric-Window-shape

see how many comment of the fact that symmetry is mostly in the eye of the beholder rather then the ears of the be-player

 

[rhysonsax]

It doesn't look too bad to me, but there seems to be some pixelation affecting the photograph, especially on the side rails.

Some mouthpieces are intended to have a broader tip rail (e.g. Selmer Concept bass clarinet), but I don't know whether that applies to the Super Session soprano.

Rhys

 

[milandro]

the one super session that I bought and played had certainly wide rails , but I believe that OP is referring to the fact that the tip inside appears to be ever so slightly less than a perfect symmetrical curve

 

[milandro]

Having purchased a Super Session soprano mouthpiece from an authorised dealer.....

I have a question... you are probably aware that there are a lot of unauthorized copies of this mouthpiece around? Did you share other pictures with Selmer to certainly identify this as one of their own?

 

[meven ASC]

Having purchased a Super Session soprano mouthpiece from an authorised dealer, I wondered if the rather irregular finishing (and thick uneven tip) was really 'to spec'. So I emailed Selmer customer service.

Here's a picture of it:

View attachment 270988

And here's the reply:

Après vérification avec notre Chef Produit Bec, nous vous confirmons que la géométrie du bec est correcte.
Il existe effectivement un aspect irrégulier mais qui n';entraîne pas de problème de jouabilité.

"After checking with our head of mouthpieces, we can confirm that the geometry of the mouthpiece is correct. There is an irregularity to these mouthpieces but that doesn't affect how it plays in the least."

Interestingly Vandoren manage to manufacture mouthpieces that are nicely finished, at almost half the cost of their Selmer equivalents.

What views do everyone hold on this subject?

It is very common with soprano Super Session. I have corrected loads of them. They are one of my favorite sop mouthpieces out there.

Overall, they are quite badly finished (to me) but they do play relatively well in this original state. Correcting the side rails, tip rails and curve does improve them quite significantly.

 

[Enthusiast65]

I have a question... you are probably aware that there are a lot of unauthorized copies of this mouthpiece around? Did you share other pictures with Selmer to certainly identify this as one of their own?

thanks for responding Milandro - yes I shared that photo and one other (see attached) with Selmer, and I bought it from Howarth in London so I'd think it to be original. They were very happy with it.

Here is the other one:

 

[Enthusiast65]

It is very common with soprano Super Session. I have corrected loads of them. They are one of my favorite sop mouthpieces out there.

Overall, they are quite badly finished (to me) but they do play relatively well in this original state. Correcting the side rails, tip rails and curve does improve them quite significantly.

I agree they are badly finished, and yet this one does sound nice, but doesn't feel as quick responding as my other sop pieces that are more precisely finished with thinner tip profiles. I'm loathe to adjust it myself because the ramp looks like it's a textured finish - which makes me wonder if these are now laser finished and the laser sort of melts the rubber of the ramp? On thing's for sure, the inside of the mouthpiece has not seen a file or sandpaper. hand finishing marks seem limited to the inside of the rails and sandpaper marks on the tip itself. The irregularity of the line under the tip hasn't seen any hand finishing assuming the textured finish off the ramp was there before the facing was applied.

What a shame you are not in London!

 

[turf3]

Those look like wide tip rails to me, but pretty accurately finished.

 

[whaler]

I tried one Super Session but didn’t care for it.
Of the Selmer soprano mouthpieces I prefer the S-80s.
I’d still take any Selmer over any Vandoren I’ve played. I still have nightmares about the blue Jumbo Java tenor mouthpiece I played for a minute.

 

[milandro]

Howarth is certainly a shop which sells original mouthpieces.

I don’t think that laser plays any role into the actual cutting but , if used at all with this model (which may not be the case), simply “ reads” the mouthpiece blank and drives the cnc machine

You can have this worked on (whether is going to return as you expect is a different thing) there are people (on this site too) working from Europe and even in the UK.

 

[meven ASC]

It is very common with soprano Super Session. I have corrected loads of them. They are one of my favorite sop mouthpieces out there.

Overall, they are quite badly finished (to me) but they do play relatively well in this original state. Correcting the side rails, tip rails and curve does improve them quite significantly.

I agree they are badly finished, and yet this one does sound nice, but doesn't feel as quick responding as my other sop pieces that are more precisely finished with thinner tip profiles. I'm loathe to adjust it myself because the ramp looks like it's a textured finish - which makes me wonder if these are now laser finished and the laser sort of melts the rubber of the ramp? On thing's for sure, the inside of the mouthpiece has not seen a file or sandpaper. hand finishing marks seem limited to the inside of the rails and sandpaper marks on the tip itself. The irregularity of the line under the tip hasn't seen any hand finishing assuming the textured finish off the ramp was there before the facing was applied.

What a shame you are not in London!

Yes, you are right, there is only very minimum human intervention on these but they are real players.

I am sure Mr Pillinger would do a great job for you unless you are able to return it (there are also Phil Engleman, Nicolas Trefeil or Pat Morrison in France, and i am sure many others in Europe). But to me, refacing a brand new piece makes little sense, you should not have to pay the full price and then pay more to make it play.

 

[MojoBari]

What you can see by eye is not that important. That is, the uneven rail thickness. As long as the reed can cover the rails the side rail thickness variation is not a problem. If you like thin rails, especially at the tip, that is preference that can affect articulation and tone. Medium thickness rails play the same if uniform or if they vary some. To make them even you would need to thin them which could change the sound if the chamber gets significantly larger from inside adjustments. Outside adjustments would have no effect.

The shape of the facing curve is much more important and only large irregularities can be seen by eye (by some people).

Super Sessions are generally pretty good players. Rely on a play test.

 

[1saxman]

Looks like an amateur tried refacing them at home with a 10" flat file.

 

[milandro]

The shape of the facing curve is much more important and only large irregularities can be seen by eye (by some people).

Super Sessions are generally pretty good players. Rely on a play test.

words of great and selfless wisdom

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

Looks like it was dragged across a not-so-fine sandpaper to open the tip and not finished.

 

[Dr G]

What views do everyone hold on this subject?

Don't play test a mouthpiece with your eyes.

Yes, it's nice when a mouthpiece looks like a piece of jewelry - some brands that come to mind are Freddie Gregory, Matt Marantz, Ted Klum - but what matters is how they play. I recall some people harshing on the appearance of chambers in Fred Lamberson mouthpieces, but his mouthpieces are among the best of many dozens of mouthpieces I have played.

Buy a mouthpiece because it plays well - then admire it for its performance.

 

[Enthusiast65]

Thank you to everyone for the words of wisdom. The feeling that articulation/ response is not what it might be may of course be my imagining because of what I can *see*.

The tone is rich and satisfying it has to be said.

I will stay with it and give it proper playing time.

Thank you!

 

[bruce bailey]

The balance of the thickness of the rails before finishing could affect the looks. The rubber may be fatter outside to inside in places. I agree...how it plays is job one.

 

[Dr G]

Thank you to everyone for the words of wisdom. The feeling that articulation/ response is not what it might be may of course be my imagining because of what I can *see*.

The tone is rich and satisfying it has to be said.

I will stay with it and give it proper playing time.

Thank you!

I don't even recall what my SS J looked like, but I recall that it played very well on my Yanagisawa SC-992. It was my favorite piece on that horn.

Enjoy!