[jlima]

I have an excellent mouthpiece that I really love, but I need it to play slightly brighter, I need it to have a sort of shine on top of the sound that it's not giving me right now. I've experimented with many, many different reed brands and strengths and some help somewhat in this respect, but none is giving me optimal results. Changing the embouchure also helps a little (rolling more lower lip out), as well as taking in more mouthpiece, but I'm still not totally satisfied.
I am thinking of having an expert modify it, but I'm not sure about this. So my questions are:
1. What kind of modifications are involved in making a mouthpiece play just slightly brighter?
2. Would this be detrimental to the other tone characteristics of the mouthpiece?
3. Have you had one of your mouthpieces modified for this purpose, or have you modified any? By whom and what were the results?

Thank you for all your help, comments and suggestions.

 

[kingsax]

The obvious thing would be to add a baffle of some discription to your piece, that would make it brighter, if you want to have a go yourself why not experiment by using plasticene then replicate this using dental epoxy....easier said than done i guess...

 

[Captain Beeflat]

Exactly what I was about to suggest....with the proviso that it's not very difficult to carry out.
I usually make an over large baffle from glass fibre resin & then whittle down gradually until I find my preferred size & shape.
Be sure to oil the inside of the mouthpiece so that the baffle does not stick....then you will have the choice; baffle or no baffle, whatever the music requires.

 

[Pete Thomas]

This is what I did with a lovely Slant Sig bari mouthpiece, and how the PPT baritone was born. I used blue tack and what I did was just exaggerate very slightly the existing baffle shape.

After doing that it might well be better to have the tip, opened very slightly as well, but I don't recommend this as a DIY job unless you feel very brave indeed. I'm lucky in that I can get Ed Pillinger to make several clones of mouthpieces for me to experiment on. (He's the expert, I just mess around)

 

[jlima]

After doing that it might well be better to have the tip, opened very slightly as well, but I don't recommend this as a DIY job unless you feel very brave indeed.

No Pete, I don't feel that brave at all. The only person I would consider doing this is Freddie Gregory himself. Otherwise, I prefer to leave the mpc as it is. I've already emailed Freddie and I'm waiting for a reply.

 

[rsclosson]

If you don't feel up to doing anything to the piece, try what I do. I slap a Fibracell on the piece and play.

 

[saxmanjack]

Just try sticking a piece of a thicker tooth patch (experiment with size and placement) on the existing baffle.

 

[jlima]

If you don't feel up to doing anything to the piece, try what I do. I slap a Fibracell on the piece and play.

I'm sure that would ruin the sound even more than anything wrong that I could eventually do to the piece.

 

[Captain Beeflat]

I'm sure that would ruin the sound even more than anything wrong that I could eventually do to the piece.

You may well be surprised...evidently, from your comment, you have never tried a Fibracell.

 

[jlima]

True. But I have tried several Legeres.
And have you ever tried a Freddie Gregory mouthpiece?

 

[Pete Thomas]

True. But I have tried several Legeres.

Legeres bear no similarity to Fibracells. In fact the new Signature Legeres bear no similarity (in sound) the the older ones.
When you said you'd experimented with reeds, I sort of assumed you'd tried more or less everything, as reed or embouchure is something I might look into before messing with a good but not bright enough mouthpiece.

Have you tried Lavoz?

BTW, if you still need the mouthpiece modified I would really recommend Ed Pillinger.

 

[jlima]

Legeres bear no similarity to Fibracells. In fact the new Signature Legeres bear no similarity (in sound) the the older ones.
When you said you'd experimented with reeds, I sort of assumed you'd tried more or less everything, as reed or embouchure is something I might look into before messing with a good but not bright enough mouthpiece.

Have you tried Lavoz?

BTW, if you still need the mouthpiece modified I would really recommend Ed Pillinger.

Pete, thanks for the advice. I did try Lla Voz, RJS, Alexander (NY, Superial, DC), Hemke, François Louis, Rigotti Gold, Vandoren ZZ, and vandoren Java green. I think I'm not forgetting anything here. I just assumed that synthetic reeds wouldn't work, but maybe I'm wrong. I'm open-minded, so I'll give them a try. In my mind using plastic reeds on a Mark II is like putting water on a Ferrari and then expecting it to run. The plastic ones that I've tried (not with this particular mouthpiece) just didn't allow for the nuance that a great mouthpiece is capable of delivering.

 

[kingsax]

You may well be surprised...evidently, from your comment, you have never tried a Fibracell.

I was thinking the same thing, i use fibracell, the new numbered ones are quite different from the older ones and will produce a very bright and edgy sound.
The Legere's i have tried, (the signatures) are nothing like fibracell.

 

[Pete Thomas]

The plastic ones that I've tried (not with this particular mouthpiece) just didn't allow for the nuance that a great mouthpiece is capable of delivering.

I thought exactly that until I discovered Legere Signature, I don't like any other synthetic. Although at this point I have to disclose again that I am a Legere endorser so everybody should take that into account.

I vowed never to do any more endorsements, so the fact I broke that rule to endorse these should should count for something. However, I don't think they will be right for you, they don't really sound any brighter than many most cane reeds IMO, although for me they seem to allow me to shape my sound more than some other reeds, but maybe I'm imagining that.

 

[jlima]

In terms of strength, what would be the Fibracell equivalent to, say, a Java green # 2 1/2?

 

[Captain Beeflat]

True. But I have tried several Legeres.
And have you ever tried a Freddie Gregory mouthpiece?

I have had no reason to try one, I am perfectly happy with my sound....but surely this is all about your problem, & I was only trying to help.

 

[jlima]

I have had no reason to try one, I am perfectly happy with my sound....but surely this is all about your problem, & I was only trying to help.

Sure, and I appreciate your help. My question did not have a second meaning or intention, I was just trying to find out if you had tried a F Gregory with synthetic reeds. From my experience, different reeds work VERY differently depending on the mouthpiece.

 

[Canadiain]

Sticky tac / Blue tak is great for experimenting with baffles, its not permanent, but its permanent enough I have had a bluetac baffle in my clarinet piece for 6 months or more now, it survives swabing and everything!

 

[kingsax]

I thought exactly that until I discovered Legere Signature,

Pete, i've just had these two Signature reeds, a 2 and a 2.25, tried different mouthpiece/ligature combinations and cant for the life of me stop getting squeaks and chirps all over the place, with both reeds, what am i doing wrong?

 

[stormott77]

Try this, it works.