Mystery mouthpiece
- biggiesmalls
- Posts: 764
- Joined: Jan 22, 2019
This somewhat crudely made stainless steel mouthpiece came in a near mint condition time capsule 1960 2B, alongside the original King 21.
It's a really strange piece. My calipers, eyes and touch tell me that it's essentially a copy of a Bach 1G rim (see side-by-side image) with a medium depth cup and small shank that sits very deep in the 2B receiver. The throat is really narrow, smaller than the King 21.
It could just be someone's garage project, but I'm curious to see if anyone recognizes the work.
It's a really strange piece. My calipers, eyes and touch tell me that it's essentially a copy of a Bach 1G rim (see side-by-side image) with a medium depth cup and small shank that sits very deep in the 2B receiver. The throat is really narrow, smaller than the King 21.
It could just be someone's garage project, but I'm curious to see if anyone recognizes the work.
- Dennis
- Posts: 404
- Joined: Mar 24, 2018
It bears some resemblance to a Beversdorf W-3 mouthpiece one of my teachers had, but I don't think Beversdorf worked in stainless steel.
- tbonesullivan
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Jul 02, 2019
Looks almost like something that was never finished, as there is almost no transition to the throat, just a hole in the bottom of the cup.
- SlideCrook
- Posts: 85
- Joined: May 11, 2020
...how does it play? I have a small shank VB 1G that really flattens the upper register but cranks pedals like a party trick. I wonder how the teeny throat affects the air consumption and efficiency.
- biggiesmalls
- Posts: 764
- Joined: Jan 22, 2019
[quote="SlideCrook"]...how does it play? I have a small shank VB 1G that really flattens the upper register but cranks pedals like a party trick. I wonder how the teeny throat affects the air consumption and efficiency.[/quote]
Well, it's playable, but it's not a mouthpiece I would ever choose to play!
There's some airy junk in the sound in every register, which I suspect comes from the lack of transition from cup to throat that tbonesullivan mentioned; it's similar to the sound I've gotten when I've accidentally paired the wrong DE cups and shanks together.
The intonation is not great, but acceptable until 7th partial, then very flat from there on up.
The pedals are playable but stuffy; that tiny throat just can't move enough air to play pedals any louder than mezzoforte.
Well, it's playable, but it's not a mouthpiece I would ever choose to play!
There's some airy junk in the sound in every register, which I suspect comes from the lack of transition from cup to throat that tbonesullivan mentioned; it's similar to the sound I've gotten when I've accidentally paired the wrong DE cups and shanks together.
The intonation is not great, but acceptable until 7th partial, then very flat from there on up.
The pedals are playable but stuffy; that tiny throat just can't move enough air to play pedals any louder than mezzoforte.