Posted by Chuck Jackson on January 03, 2000 at 16:14:17:
In Reply to: Mouthpieces posted by Joe S. on January 02, 2000 at 23:45:59:
Joe, thanks for the question. I currently play on a Conn Helleberg, and have tried alot of different MP's. My problem may be unique. About 6 years ago my jaw began to grow!!! It actually grew 1/32", which in the grand scheme of things may not seem like much, but it completely changed my embouchure and gave me a bad "wobble" on notes from BBb to F. Up until that point I used only cushion rims as I have a broad, somewhat thin, embouchure. Since some radical oral surgery I have lost the wobble and shored up my teeth, the Conn seems to be doing the trick. I use it on my F as well as my big BBb. I have always played a somewhat deep MP, when I was playing CC it opened up the low register, now on the BBb(I am one of the weirdo's who switched after 18 years on CC) it gives alot of "oomph" to the sound and makes it easy, for me anyway, to play in the high register. To be honest, after about a week on any MP I played up to my surgery, I sounded the same, maybe a little brighter, but not much difference. Since then, there is a BIG difference in sound. I was religous 24AW user for years, but with all the readjustments, it proved to be too round a rim. Sorry if this turned into a cathartic diatriabe, hope my somewaht convoluted insights helped. Happy New Year. BTW, I had the opportunity to play one of the Marcinkewicz mp's we talked about, but it did not work with me at all. I felt like I was falling off of it.