Posted by Jay Bertolet on January 07, 2003 at 15:32:31:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Mouthpiece Question posted by Carl L on January 07, 2003 at 09:46:24:
I've heard many of the theories regarding what a rim will or will not give you in terms of finished product. Maybe I'm being obtuse but I just don't buy it. For me, the rim is about nothing more than comfort. I can't stand the standard Helleberg rim because of how flat and sharp it is. Nowadays, the Bach 24AW rim feels fairly uncomfortable as well, being so wide and rounded. My experience has been that as I've grown older, I've gravitated towards thinner and less rounded rims. The Laskey mouthpieces I'm currently using are slightly less rounded and a bit thinner than the Bach 18 that I used for so many years. I can actually play on a Helleberg now whereas years ago, I spent quite some time looking for anyone who made a Helleberg mouthpiece with a more rounded rim. I just couldn't bring myself to play at all on the flat-rimmed Helleberg.
I suppose you could make the case that my definition of comfort involves being able to do all the things I need to on a horn+mouthpiece combination rather than just the physical fit. Perhaps it is more than just the actual fit of the rim on my face. Still, I remain skeptical. For me, a good mouthpiece has all the playing characteristics I look for plus it fits my face okay. With modular mouthpiece technology, I could probably prove it is only the rim that defines comfort. I'll leave that for someone who has more time than I do. The bottom line is finding something that feels good at the rim. Just as long as you can get all three necessary elements (comfortable rim; cup that gives the sound you want; shank that yields good intonation with you and the horn).
My opinion for what it's worth...