**

[Rick]

**************UPDATE#2****************

Larry rearranged the mouthpiece specs into three catagories to make their comparison easier. Here's the NEW links...

Artists A-Z

http://users.adelphia.net/~rhdroc/artists.html

Inner Diameters - Largest to Smallest

http://users.adelphia.net/~rhdroc/dia.html

Cup depths - Shallow to Deep

http://users.adelphia.net/~rhdroc/depth.html

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Earlier today Larry sent me some more photos to post. I've added them to the beginning of the list. If you have any questions regarding who's pictured, post your question(s) and I'm sure Larry will identify them for you.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here's some photos Larry took recently of the pros checking out Calicchio mouthpieces -- I think you'll be able to identify most of these guys...

























[/img]

Enjoy ---<Rick

[crazyhorns]

Rick ... thanks for posting the pics and info. I should probably know this, but who's the tall guy without the hat?
~Steve Hyde~

.... great pics, Larry.

[joetriscari]

Great Pics...Nice pics of Chuck Findley..
Joe Triscari

[Gianni]

Rick,

Thanks so much for posting these pic's. That's amazing, plus the spec sheet for the new Calicchio line. That's a big help. I plan to have a PDF link on the Calicchio site this week of all the mpc's spec's.

I just sent you some of Walt Johnson and a great pic of Bill Churchville, Roger Ingram, Jay Daversa and Chuck. Maybe you can share those also.

I wiah I would have had a mini-cassette recorder there. Man, what a bootleg that would have been.

Steve Reid also came by and all I can say is, he has to be the most articulate guy in the upper register playing today. He can play melodies between the double C and triple C range and tounge a 1/2 dozen triple c's at the end. Big triple c's, no squeaking here. I can see now how he landed the "Cat Anderson " chair in the Ellingoton Band. He's a modern day Bud Brisbois.

[Rick]

Be sure to recheck my original photo post. I've added some new pics that Larry sent me today.

---<Rick

[slip0106]

Great photos Rick ....

[TrentAustin]

What do these pieces run for and can you tell me if they are being made with CNC technology or are hand tooled?

Gisbert's my favorite jazz player and maybe if I buy his piece I can play like him (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH)

He's the scariest player around.

Best,

Trent

[Rick]

I updated the links for the mouthpiece specs. They're still listed on the posting with the photos.

Be sure to check them out.

---<Rick

[crazyhorns]

sorry.. see below.

[crazyhorns]

I had the opportunity to try a few Calicchio mouthpieces.
I ended up using the Lee Thornburg model for an entire gig and I didn't miss my regular piece at all. Subsequent practice sessions and a 2 hour lesson with Joe Mosello proved to me that the piece is a winner. Thank you for a great design LeeThornburg! I'm normally a .620 diameter player, but the Thornburg at .630 had a zero learning curve. I had more sound/core over the entire range, and altissimo was there -no problem. (B's C's and a few Ds). The exciting thing about the Calicchio mouthpiece line is.. every one of these pieces is being used by working pros whose livelihood depends on their equipment. I couldn't be more impressed at the quality of the pieces too... the weight, plating, fit, etc. all were perfect.
Thanks again to Lee Thornburg for his design.. to Calicchio , and Larry Gianni for making this all happen.
~Steve Hyde~

[DCB1]

Steve,
Where did you get it from? How much?

Thanks
_________________
DCB <><
John 14:6
Member since 2001
Curry
Bach
Selmer Radial
Kanstul
Holton
Amati
Conn

[crazyhorns]

I got to check out some pieces through a friend who was at NAMM. Pricing is to be announced soon.
~Steve Hyde~

[Gianni]

Hello ... if been quite a hectic time after the NAMM show and of course, not everything has come together as fast as need be as far as getting the information out in to everyone who wants it.

On the Calicchio site, John Duda as put up the 3 PDF's of the mouthpiece spec's listing:

1) Artists by Alphabetical order
2) Rim Inner Diameter - Largest to Narrow
3) Cup Depth - Shallow to Deep

This should help with knowing the product a little better.

Here's the link:

http://calicchio.com/ecom/index.cfm

Also, I guess my top secret security clearance has finally arrived from the FBI and CIA to the Tulsa office and Calicchio has seen fit to give me my own official e-mail address: Gianni@Calicchio.com

Plus, instead of a smaller attachment of pages to the Calicchio.com website, because of the overwhelming response we've seen from not only the States, but Internationally , a new CalicchioMouthpieces.com website will soon be up and running. It will not only include all the spec's of the mouthpiece line, but info on all the endorser's , Cd's available, Method Books, Itinerary, sound clips and as many personal photo's as they see fit to send to me.

Oh, by the way, If any of you out there have any photo's taken of any of the Endorser's / Artist ... no matter how old ... please attach them to an e-mail and send them to me. That would be great. I'll give you a photo credit on the site for your help.

( Please, no more photo's of Joe Mosello and Dennis Noday leaving certain " Amsterdam Establishments" during the MF tour of Europe ' 76
with those big smiles on their faces, I've got plenty )

Also, if you send me an e-mail , attach a phone number and I may just call you back so that I can give you the info you want as fast as possible.

OK, got to go

Larry

[DCB1]

How about someone naming all the people in the pics. I know some of them.... but not all.
Great thread.... keep the news coming.
_________________
DCB <><
John 14:6
Member since 2001
Curry
Bach
Selmer Radial
Kanstul
Holton
Amati
Conn

[Mikeytrpt]

**

[B6L]

Any word on what the price is for the mouthpieces, also what kind of a wait are we looking at.

Nate
_________________
Freedom lies not in conforming to the world's expectations or even realizing what we take to be our deepest wishes; it lies in following the call in our lives.

[Gianni]

Hello …

Before I answer some of the questions I been getting asked in over 200 private e-mails, I really feel I have to say thanks to the man behind the scene’s who really made all this possible.

His name is Jim New.

This project was undertaken in mid – 2004 with a couple local LA studio players and not really knowing what to expect. AS I gave them there final proto-types and when I could hear and see what was being done for these players and the expressions of surprise and joy on there faces all I decided to take it to first call players in the rest of the nation. I had known or met during my playing career.
With Jim’s talents, all the players could finally try the little changes they have thinking about trying for years but with the traditional mpc making methods would have been too costly, time consuming or expensive. But with technology and gifted technicians and machinists, like Jim New, who can apply space age machines and there applications to the age old process of mpc making, magic can happen.

Without the talent, patience and virtuosity that Jim brought to the project, it would have never come about. The technology was essential in the many alterations both big and small made to each and every model. Not one of these mpc’s was a “straight “copy of something that the player was using before. In fact , most are components of various custom mpc’s that the artist had tried thru the years , some dating back to the 60’s , that one part was perfect , but the rest seemed off.

One personal model was actually based on 7 different aspects of 7 different custom mpc’s the player had been using during his 30 year career and then even after it was all blended into one mouthpiece, it was again alter slightly for the final version.

The talent that Jim brings to the table is un-matched as far a modern custom mouthpiece making techniques that are used today. When you use this technique for mpc designing, you are as much a computer programmer, artist, technician, craftsman and machinist all rolled into one.

Let it also be said, this takes nothing away from the mouthpiece maker great such as Bob Reeves, my all time favorite mpc maker and designer who revolutionized the industry with his patented “sleeve system “which brought the whole trumpet community to the realization of how important the proper gap is and his valve alignments that again revolutionized the “after market “adjustments that are so necessary to getting the best out of your trumpet. Bob has worked with the most famous players of all time and what he has done and accomplished will never be duplicated. Every major player here the West Coast built there careers on a Reeves mpc. Everyone I ever talked to globally has had a Reeves mpc in there arsenal at one point in there pro days.

All my trumpets have Reeves alignment on them and I recommend them to everyone whether you choice to play one of the Calicchio pieces or not. Another mpc innovator was Bob Giardinelli who, in the 60’s gave the NY scene it first choice that wasn’t a Bach or Bach clone and patented the 3 piece design (along with Joe Shapely) and was himself an innovator in mpc functionality and actually was the first brand to introduce the Artist series in the 70’s with artist models like Bernie Glow, MF and Satchmo. Bill Ratzenberger , whose innovative inverted cup design and comfortable rims helped many commercial player realized there full potential and meet the demands of modern day lead playing and Dr. Ren. Schilke ,( along with Scott Laskey ) whose innovative designs for both commercial and legit players , with efficient b-bore designs , air flow cup designs plus advancing and making major improvements in commercial mpc’s with there use of V cups, backbore selections and comfortable rims, etc. can’t be forgotten. Most all of the new Cal. Mpc line that were finally “ OK’d “ by the artists started with W's basic , innovative components of these 4 men’s plus their custom work for the artist and thru the years having rims, both Id's and Od's re contoured, cups, rim shoulders, throat, b-bores, lengths tweaked , cut , altered, re-shaped and customized by so many different mpc makers and now brought together in the New Cal. Mpc line.

One more thing, I should mention Carl Hammond of Schilke and Greg Black formerly of Giardinelli ‘s whose talents I’ve used thru the years and consider them both to be the best hands and minds of the of the newer generation of mpc makers. You also can’t go wrong using a Hammond / Schilke or Greg Black mpc along with any Reeves on the market.

But, this project could not have happened without Jim New, who I’ve seen do custom mpc making in the more traditional ways, using a lathe and cutting rims, cups and b bores by hand, but has really revolutionized what can be done using NASA type techniques in the applications as it applies to mouthpieces. Also, you might not know this, but he is the creator and talent behind the Kanstul Mpc Comparator that all of us seem to use and enjoy immensely. The hardest part of the mpc to get exactly right, the back bore, was smoothly accomplished by Jim’s abilities and then re-configured to any dimension to add what the artist was looking for.

I can’t thank Jim enough for seeing this project to its completion and dealing with me and the 35 artists, thru me and all our collective whims, idea’s , speculations and including the “ lets try “, " how about " and " why not? " discussions as the finishing touches on the line are achieved and it is brought to market.

Thanks, Jim ….. Jim is definitely “ the talent behind the talent “

[Yamahaguy]

I can really appreciate the kind words and respect you have for these gentlemen. It's nice to see so many makers and players working towards a goal of bettering a product.
But after reading it, I found myself thinking of just one question...what makes this particular mouthpiece superior to another? More specifically- a Greg Black or Reeves?

[cjdjazztpt]

[Gianni]

Yammie Guy,

I've never , ever posted anywhere or spoke the words " These mouthpieces are superior " to any other brand. How , in all honesty " make that claim.

I was basically trying to give the respect and credit to the talents of certain innovative and trend setting mpc makers such as the Mr. Bob Reeves for what they've accomplished without the space age tools of digital scanning equipment, computer driven CNC lathes and single point cutting techniques.

To me, there will never be another Bob Reeves. Certain aspects of the mpc business we all take for granted was a innovation by Bob and his contemporaries. The players that walked thru his Hollywood Shop doors is mind bobbling. Bob worked on mpc's for players , who's talents the world will never see again. Whole careers were made using Bob equipment and techniques. Doc Severinson will not play a trumpet that has not been aligned by Bob. Just the NY Bach trumpets that Doc has had Bob align is well over 100. When Doc came to town in 1981, his first stop was to Bob's shop for a BR piece , dropping the Jet Tone that beared his name. That day, he had 2 made.

I was saying, that it was the technology that Jim New is so talented at that made the project possible. You can lay 10 different scans of 10 different mpc's over each other and have the computer jump from one scan to another only cutting certain aspects of each mpc going from scan 1 to scan 10 and at the end, you have a single mpc with 10 different elements.

Think of it like this. ( Sorry , ladies for this analogy ) Take the 10 most beautiful girls / women you've know or like to know. Scan all there features and personality traits and subtle nuances, stack the tracings and information one on top of the other, then tell the computer to put together the 10 components ( or more ) that would make the perfect girl for you using certain aspects of all 10 in combination. Now , once you have this conglomeration of the 10 features, start improving on 8 of the 10 to get to perfection so this wonderful lady is in perfect balance with what you want.

Apply that to the drawer, shoe box or suitcase of mouthpieces everyone has , add what you would like to have done if told you were able to now and I think you can get the method and madness to how this line was conceived.

OK, if the " perfect girl " analogy doesn't seem to work for you, try the same process with cars you've had or would like to have.

OH - Sliverplating your perfect girl is not advisable.

I have the utmost respect for Bob Reeves, Carl Hammond and Greg Black, and this line is in no way a replacement for their talents, just one more option for the player.