Posted by Billy M. on July 24, 2003 at 22:31:22:
Ok, so I got my MF3 today via UPS from one of our fellow tubenetters. And after 4 or 5 hours of practice, I'm sold on it. I've been playing on the Schilke 66 and Schilke Helleberg for a while and just felt that even after all the work I've done I just wasn't getting the darkness I've been wanting.
I had never used a heavyweight mouthpiece so this was to be an exceptional treat. I got the chance to buzz on one for about 15 mins and thought, I really need to invest in one of these. I purchased one and then played it on my own horn and found even better results the more I worked with it. A darker sound and much richer lower register. The higher dynamic ranges were able to be reached without needing to hold back so much. My loudest was louder because the sound wasn't breaking up. Transition between notes became much smoother and slurs just felt easier on this monstrosity.
After using the Schilke mouthpieces, the rim transition wasn't very difficult at all. Of course Schilke's rims aren't exactly like a Conn Helleberg 7B. Very comfortable rim and I didn't feel fatigue even after that seemingly long practice (after a few days off of playing).
The deep "soft" funnel as someone else said, is pretty big and yes, more air is needed to keep better sound production. There is also a lot less resistance than I'm used to. At least a few times in the beginning (shoulda done my breathing exercises) I got a little lightheaded, but that soon passed.
So, I'm going to continue working with it, although I AM completely sold on it. I look forward to even more fascinating results in the future.
I highly recommend those in the market for a mouthpiece to check it out. Mike Finn has made a believer out of me.
Billy M.