I am looking at the same Model A. It's not symetrical. I never noticed it. It should not make any difference as long as the table and facing are ok. It must be the mold and they are probably all that way, even Paul Desmond's. The tip opening and chamber stamp on mine are on the side toward the back. I think mine says 4A16. It's very faint.Replay said:I have an M.C. Gregory Model A mpc on trial. It seems to play very well, has great intonation and I'm inclined to keep it. I noticed, however, that it's asymmetric when viewed from above or below (i.e., perpendicular to the table). It has a slight bulge on one side of the beak, about halfway between the tip and the back of the beak, while the other side is straighter. The facing and tip rail seem unaffected. Is this unusual for this mpc, and is it anything to be concerned about? Is it an indication that it has been worked on inappropriately or is this a possible manufacturing defect? The serial number (low 01XX) and tip opening stamp on the table are sharp, but the logo and Model A stamp on the body are very faint, suggesting some wear. Also missing is any stamp indicating the chamber size. The bite area shows very little wear, with minor tooth scratches.
If the thesis above -- that the assymetry is in the mold -- then there's no reason that it would appear in a tenor piece, right? Unless the asymmetry is functional somehow, but that seems unlikely.hakukani said:I have a MC Gregory Model A 4A 18 for tenor. I never noticed any assymetry.
It's not unusual to have worn places, after all the mouthpiece is pre-1940. Does yours have 'Rico products' on it?
They broke the mold, then they made you.Reedsplinter said:If the thesis above -- that the assymetry is in the mold -- then there's no reason that it would appear in a tenor piece, right? Unless the asymmetry is functional somehow, but that seems unlikely.
When they made you, they broke the mold.
Thanks all for the feedback (Hakukani, Dr. G, Martin, Reedsplinter). The piece doesn't appear to have "Rico Products' on it, but as I said above, the logo in the middle of the body and "Model A" designation just behind the beak are very faint (especially the Model A). I'm wondering if the piece might have been buffed to remove oxidation, since some discoloration is still present on the rubber surface. I don't think normal wear could account for the amount of asymmetry in the beak, and any reworking would have been pretty rough to do that to a mpc, I think. Since it plays well, I'd be surprised if someone had so abused it, but maybe so.hakukani said:It's not unusual to have worn places, after all the mouthpiece is pre-1940. Does yours have 'Rico products' on it?
There is a number "6" stamped very clearly on the table, at the heel. It's interesting that it would also use a 4A to designate tip opening and facing length.hakukani said:The 'distributed' is where it said Rico. I don't have mine here at work, but I'll take a look at it. The idea of it being buffed is probably a good one. The 'mold' shouldn't be off, as there are plenty of MC Gregorys around, and I know that Desmond played one for most of his career.
The piece has VERY thick rails compared to modern pieces. The 4A designates the tip opening and facing length, the other number the size of the chamber, 18 and the smaller 16 being the most common.
$15-$35, eh? This one's for 10x $35. I should've started playing when I was younger . Actually I did, but I put it down for too many years, and what I was playing on was a Dukoff D7 that had a corkscrewed facing, really! Maybe that contributed to my discouragement. Is it me, or are all mouthpieces wacked (no need to answer that).hakukani said:The guy in the store said it was just an old mouthpiece, and since he had just repaired the selmer signet tenor that I had bought at a local flea market, he threw it in for somewhere between 15 and 35 bucks.
That makes a lot of sense to me, and I think it's very likely what happened in this case. Thanks, Dr. G.Dr G said:I've played many pieces that have some asymmetry - some worked, others didn't. Sometimes a piece's table might be machined slightly off-perpendicular and then faced relative to the table. I doubt that the asymmetry was introduced during rework.
If it plays well, that's all that matters.
