Posted by Jay Bertolet on January 21, 2003 at 10:40:45:
In Reply to: Mike Finn m.p.'s, & m.p.'s in general posted by Barry Guerrero on January 20, 2003 at 17:36:50:
Is this a rhetorical question or are you just trying to spur debate?
You've witnessed the answer to your question firsthand. I remind you about the Willson Eb tuba you just traded. I have a horn just like yours, it works great for me. I can hardly wait for the upcoming performances we have of Bruckner 4 when I'll use that Willson. You tried one and it didn't work for you. You traded to someone else who likes the horn very much. In return you received a different horn that works great for you.
I don't think this issue is limited to just mouthpieces, though it is more difficult to see trends in items that are much more expensive (like horns) because the changes take longer as folks amass the cash necessary to implement changes. Still, the trends are there. Mouthpieces are no exception. I believe the selection process is extremely personal. Not only that, the rules constantly change. Last time I checked, nobody was teaching classes on how to select mouthpieces. Further, we're not static as players. We continually develop in our playing techniques. If that's not enough, we constantly change our standards regarding what we want to sound like. We hear some new artist or new piece of music and it changes our evaluations of what constitutes "good".
Overall, I think the best news here is that we do have so many choices available. There are also some really dedicated businessmen out there (like Mike Finn) who're taking the time and effort to empirically determine the scope of their products. My own collaboration with Mike on the MF2 design was very well thought out and complete. Scott Laskey did the same with his development of the 30H design. If folks are out there switching mouthpieces without much reason, just in an attempt to catch the flavor of the month, they certainly have lots of quality choices. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing as long as folks maintain their own personal integrity and standards. Change can be a good thing and, as far as I'm concerned, empirical study is still the only process that yields consistent, long term results.
My opinion for what it's worth...