ChuBerry47 said:
Hello has anybody used the new rascher caravan mouthpeices yet. I recently bought one for $110 brand new,except I was very curious if the new ones weren't supposed to have the buescher like rim around the opening. Other then that it is an extremely good mouthpiece. I have it on my conn new wonder alto at the moment. What are your guys' thoughts on this mouthpiece?
I have played Rascher, Buescher and Caravan mouthpieces extensively for the past several years. I used the Caravan medium chamber and a Caravan tenor on a recital about a year ago.
The Caravans are good mouthpieces. There are two versions of the alto -the "L" chamber (marked near the table) and the medium chamber, which I do not believe is marked.
Unless you are playing with others using the Caravan L, Rascher (or Buescher), Conn Eagle, etc. you will probably find the medium chamber more serviceable in more situations, as it has a more "mainstream" sound and can blend acceptably with the more prevalent French style mouthpieces. The medium chamber is a good compromise if you want or need to straddle both the French and Rascher worlds.
For me the Rascher (alto) is a superior piece to the Caravan large chamber ("L"), because it is easier to play and the sound just generally feels more malleable than the large chamber Caravan.
For tenor, the Caravan is far superior to the Rascher in terms of power and richness, particularly in the upper part of the horn.
So, anyway, just because you didn't get what you thought, don't think you got a "lemon"!
Alan
