[Saxman11]

Fellow saxophonists,

I'm experiencing a dilemma regarding my Dukoff Fluted #5 HR Tenor mouthpiece, I like the way it plays, the sound and response is pretty close to what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, it feels a little closed, I think a more open tip is going to feel better for me. This is were the dilemma comes in.

The mpc is in great shape with an original facing and kind of feel like I need to be a steward of the original piece and therefore not make any adjustments to it...Should I sell it as is and try to find a better fit? But then there's no guarantees the next person is not going to alter it...

Weird question I know, but does anyone else have these type of quandaries with vintage gear?

Cheers

 

[ilikejam]

Giving advice is easy
Do not reface your nice playing original Dukoff!
Fluted chamber Dukoff's are great, there's nothing quite like them, my favourite rubber Dukoff has a slant like voice, but it's bright as an EB: a retro voice that is bright, they are unique, keep your original 5 and look for a bigger tipped piece you like, 2 cents given

 

[whaler]

My favorite vintage short shank Dukoff was a 4*. It’s one mouthpiece that I shouldn’t have sold.
I’ve always felt vintage stuff plays the best in small tip openings. Get a harder reed.

 

[scrollshank]

It depends on what it is and how original it is. If I have something that is high quality and still pretty much original, I always have misgivings about modifying it.

Regarding mouthpieces, given the choice between buying a high priced collectible mouthpiece and having it refaced and buying a high quality, modern, boutique mouthpiece, most of us are better off with the modern mouthpiece. Especially if you can wait around and find it used.

 

[Saxman11]

My favorite vintage short shank Dukoff was a 4*. It’s one mouthpiece that I shouldn’t have sold.
I’ve always felt vintage stuff plays the best in small tip openings. Get a harder reed.

Good point, why didn't I think of that.. I'll give it a try.

 

[pontius]

Yeah, I wouldn't mess with it. If you feel it's too closed, I would look for another piece. If you find a more open that works, keep both. Some days you might prefer one over the other and visa versa. I do like have a couple very similar blowing pieces in different tips. When a reed gets tired, sometimes switching to the more open piece really gets a lot more life out of it, in my experience.

 

[1saxman]

'But then there's no guarantees the next person is not going to alter it...'

When you sell something you no longer have control over it. In order to sell something you have to let it go and never be concerned over 'what happened to it' - its not like a pet that you would want to be sure went to a good home. An inanimate object has no feelings. I'd say keep it and find a modern mouthpiece to play. You never know what the future may bring and it could be nice some day to still have the Dukoff. However, if you decide to sell it, try not to harbor 'feelings' for whatever may happen to it. There is no point in hanging this kind of guilt on yourself.

 

[turf3]

Fellow saxophonists,

I'm experiencing a dilemma regarding my Dukoff Fluted #5 HR Tenor mouthpiece, I like the way it plays, the sound and response is pretty close to what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, it feels a little closed, I think a more open tip is going to feel better for me. This is were the dilemma comes in.

The mpc is in great shape with an original facing and kind of feel like I need to be a steward of the original piece and therefore not make any adjustments to it...Should I sell it as is and try to find a better fit? But then there's no guarantees the next person is not going to alter it...

Weird question I know, but does anyone else have these type of quandaries with vintage gear?

Cheers

Well, you're assuming you'll always want a larger tip. That may not turn out to be the case.

Also, my (admittedly limited) experience with older pieces with more closed tips is that you need to get accustomed to their designs and meet them on their terms, not try to turn them into something they weren't designed for.

Personally I would leave it alone, keep it, and buy a modern mouthpiece of similar design and more open facing.

 

[JayeLID]

As noted by others, it's a small roll of the dice.

If there's something you don't like about it...sometimes...my suggestion would be, before deciding to leave it or alter it....talk to a mouthpiece tech, tell them what quality you'd like to get out of it, let them make the suggestion on what they would do to it and how much it'd cost.

A side issue becomes, if once done it doesn't float your boat, and you decide to sell it, you are selling an altered vintage Dukoff now, which will not be as appetizing to most interested parties as one in original shape. But personally, that is sort of #3 or lower on the list of priorities.

If you like it but there's a potential to get more out of it for you - after trying a harder reed if that doesn't serve you well enough - then having a pro suggest an alteration which may well give you all you want (right now)...nothing wrong with that.

 

[Doug Lange]

If it plays beautifully but you aren‘t getting enough from it, don‘t roll the dice, buy a boutique mouthpiece. The advantage of a boutique mouthpiece is being able to work with a master mouthpiece designer and tech to help you get what you are looking for. Opening up a mouthpiece will change the playing characteristics of it. It won‘t be the same mouthpiece.

I played the same Link STM for more than 40 years. I wanted to get away from the core STM sound and consulted with 10MFan for what I wanted that was different than my STM. I appreciated that he listened and understood what I was looking for and was very thoughtful during the entire process. The mouthpiece he sent me was exactly what I was looking for, it’s my main mouthpiece now. I’ve heard similar experiences on the forum about other boutique mouthpiece artisans, although 10MFan tops the list and was great to work with.

My STM was given to me by my bother who died of cancer a few years ago, so I’m keeping it. If your Dukoff is not special to you, sell it and let someone else find their voice with it.

 

[lostcircuits]

Get a harder reed and learn how to maximize that MPC. I heard Stan Getz played popsicle sticks instead of reeds to make up for the small tip openings he played (not quite true but also look at his embouchure with the lower lip all pushed out).

 

[Saxman11]

Thanks for all the insightful comments. I'll fiddle with harder reeds and see how that goes. I've used Rico Royals # 3 forever, maybe a 3 1/2 will do the trick.

 

[Guto]

I wouldn't do it. I once had an original Tone Master 5 that had a nice dark vibe with the right hard reed. I had it opened by a reputable refacer to a 7. It lost all its character. Might as well have been a modern STM refaced to the same specs. Not bad, but it had nothing unique about it any longer, aside from its looks.

 

[Tenor Mattness]

Just find another one with a ding in the tip and reface that one.

 

[Grumps]

I had a tech some years back that was an Englishman. He had that sort of accent and way of speaking like he was a character out of the pawn shop in the movie Snatch. Great guy, football fan (English football, of course) and the most reasonably priced tech I ever knew. Anyhow, he would recount tales in his lovely way of speaking and I recall one most vividly. It was the tale of someone who sent out his favorite mouthpiece to be altered. When he got it back (cue the accent), he could only exclaim, "You RUINED my mouthpiece!"

 

[rzzzzz]

I don’t think there’s a one size fits all directive except maybe balancing caution against aspiration. With maybe some consideration for intrinsic value. After reading Theo Wanne’s article on large chamber vintage soprano pieces I acquired an old Buescher pickle for a reasonable price, and after giving it enough time to realize that it was never going to work for me as is, sent it to Joe G, as I originally intended, to be opened up and it plays wonderfully. On the other hand, when I had an offer from Ken B to hook me up with a refacer to clean up an original Meyer Bros 5 M M, I balked. It probably would be an improvement, but that Meyer is the best piece I’ll ever own, and plays perfectly. And hopefully will remain perfect for whichever players snag it after I’m long gone.

 

[AddictedToSax]

I have a RCP tenor piece I'd never let anyone touch. Ron Coelho made it just for me and he's no longer with us. If anyone modified it it wouldn't be an RPC anymore. It would be something else.

I'd say keep your mouthpiece since you like it and it does what it should. There's nothing stopping you from shopping around and owning more than one. Haha. Some guys around here make a hobby of it.

 

[Grumps]

Way back when, I'd have liked a more open vintage Meyer for alto and a more open vintage STM for tenor. Alas, the case candy in question topped out at 5 for both. Eventually found the right ones for me with the payday I received in trade/sale. To be safe though, since you dig the piece as is... I'd only move it once you find something more open that you prefer. Plenty of fish in the sea.

 

[Hassles]

definitely (see post #11) try harder / more resistent reeds - may possibly change your life!