[Ken]

I recently got an M5 alto mpc through the marketplace here. Lamberson stopped making these not too long ago. Does anyone know what tip opening this is?

Also I have a baritone DD7 which has a diamond stamped on the table. I read on another thread that this is one of his older models which used a slimmer blank. How long ago were these made?

I was also wondering whether there is much difference in how this piece plays compared to his current blanks.

Thanks.

 

[Michael Ward]

Ken the 5M was Fred's Meyer type piece and was 70 tip opening. My DD has the pyramid and I've had it for three years. I had a couple of others since that I sold but I don't recall wether Fred was still using that decoration.

 

[Ken]

Thanks Michael.

It also seems to me that his mpc's tend to be slightly more open than advertised. So if it is a 70 opening it is actually a 73 or something like that. All his mpc's feel more open than what I used before, or if I move down by 05 or so it feels similar to my previous mpc.

 

[Michael Ward]

Ken yes I think being hand faced there's some variation.I ordered two 7DD bari pieces at once with the idea of picking the best and selling the other. They were very similar but one seemed to be a little closer than the other or maybe the reed I was using worked with one better than the other. Anyway I sold one and wish I'd kept it now. Incidentally plasticover reeds work fantastic on these DD's. Fred told me he had used the same hard bari plastic reed for years on his baritone with V16 on all the others. I can't get on with V16's at all.