Posted by Klaus on September 10, 2002 at 12:13:30:
In Reply to: Re: Mouthpiece replating posted by Chuck(G) on September 10, 2002 at 11:29:12:
(Sadly this is another posting far too long for the junior high's on this board).
Yamaha's signature line does.
Yamaha's own replica series skips the gold overlay to keep the price down.
I am a confirmed fan of Denis Wicks mouthpices, which I use from Eb soprano flugelhorn down to my G bass trombone and baritone. But the best Denis Wick mouthpiece ever made is the Douglas Yeo signature issued by Yamaha. DW has trapped himself in his numbering system, which would have to use negative numbers for models of the relevant size. Yamaha exploited that market niche left open.
I use the Yeo signature for my YEP641, my King 7B and B&H Sovereign bassbones, my B&H Imperial G bass fanfare trumpet, and oddly enough it is the best mpc for my old East German rotary valve bone.
Sadly enough Yamaha has a bad logistic system in my neck of the wood, so I have been backordered forever for the Bobo signature/replica TT mpc, which I do not expect to use on the euph, but which has proportions, that promise to be killers for the bassbones.
My Yeo has the gold overlay, and its feel on the lips is just fat, smooth, and delicious. However I ascribe that more to the generous silver base, than to the gold itself. Hence my ordering of the silver only Bobo TT replica, that is way cheaper than the "original" signature.
As for the DW gold plated models I am on my 3rd 4Al and my 2nd 4AY trough 25 years, both due for replacings. All of my other DW replacements now are in silver. I am not too happy with replacing "core" mpcs, at it is not too easy to replicate my own backbore modifications made with very simple hand tools.
In general I would say, that if ones beard is just remotely as hard and edgy as mine (and I shave my upper lip 2 or 3 times a day), then forget everything about gold plating.
Klaus