Posted by Jay Bertolet on September 13, 1999 at 08:07:02:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Physics of mouthpieces and buzzing posted by Bryan on September 13, 1999 at 02:10:23:
That is an interesting story you relate. Since the "placebo effect" is a well documented phenomenon, I'm not going to disagree with your assertion that if it feels like it works for the player, then it works. And by no means am I suggesting that heavyweight mouthpieces are some sort of "holy grail" that every tuba player must use religiously. But I can document that the heavyweight mouthpieces I use do make an audible difference in my sound. I've had colleagues listen to the differences and verify this. If I were to guess why you didn't hear a difference in your test, I'd say that the extra mass you used either wasn't sizable enough or it wasn't attached in the same manner as the mouthpieces I use. As I said in my previous post, not all heavyweight mouthpieces work as well. For example, I feel the MegaTone mouthpieces I've tried don't make an audible difference. The R & S mouthpieces are so large that most folks who see them laugh! I get more comments about this mouthpiece than I can relate. So maybe it requires that much extra mass to achieve audible results. I wonder if it is just a coincidence that the Warburton mouthpiece that is now being offered looks very similar to the R & S model (rather than the MegaTone) in how the extra mass is placed on the exterior of the mouthpiece.
I'm not one to jump at trendy equipment, as anyone who knows me will testify. In fact, except for a brief stint with a Giardinelli Deck model, the R & S mouthpieces I use are the first mouthpieces I've regularly used other than a standard Bach 18 since I was in college. I still use my Bach and am awaiting R & S to come out with a Bach 18 heavyweight version in hopes that it might be a really great mouthpiece. Guys?