• FAQ  • Search  • Memberlist  • Usergroups   • Register   • Profile  • Log in to check your private messages  • Log in 

Curry Knock Offs ? Do they exist ?



 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    trumpetherald.com Forum Index -> Mouthpieces
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Abraxas
Veteran Member


Joined: 31 Jan 2018
Posts: 345
Location: London, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Oct 02, 2021 5:25 pm    Post subject: Curry Knock Offs ? Do they exist ? Reply with quote

I just bought a Curry 1.25Z off Ebay. Aside from getting an apparently used mpc that was advertised as new, there were some defects on it that made me wonder if it's even the real deal. Successive rings on the shank that looked to be manufacturing defects and quite rough inside the bore. The lettering was "1.25Z. ". The top half of the stamped Z is missing. Not sure what putting a dot after the Z is supposed to do for information or ID and my other Curry's don't have that. I have other really nice Cornet pieces and it looks like the lettering was laser engraved. This looks to be poorly stamped. Wondering if anyone else has encountered possible Curry knock offs from dubious sources ?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Mark Curry
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 15 Feb 2007
Posts: 1095

PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2021 4:33 am    Post subject: probably not a knockoff... Reply with quote

Abraxas- thanks for the heads up!

hmmm...could be a late Friday piece, for sure! Usually I don't send them off if they're too badly mismarked, though. I've since corrected the marking issue with my machine.

It could have been sent out on trial multiple times, and sometimes people just don't know how easily scratched and dented they can become. I could tell you a few stories, hooboy!

The (.) dot after the Z indicates the 50S tight backbore with the 28 throat.

Send me an image, I'll be glad to take a look!

mc
_________________
A mouthpiece never missed a note by itself!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Abraxas
Veteran Member


Joined: 31 Jan 2018
Posts: 345
Location: London, Canada

PostPosted: Tue Oct 05, 2021 2:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanking Mark Curry for his outstanding customer service on this. It's on it's way to the factory for a post mortem. So far we have determined that someone took an entire drill index to hack a new bore in it. Very strange. Looking forward to Mark's verdict in a few weeks. I'm in Canada. He, as you probably know, has now relocated to Pensacola.

Lessons learned: buy new from the source, or one of the reputable resellers like MPC Express.

I'll update this post if it does turn out to be a knock off.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
RandyTX
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 25 Mar 2010
Posts: 5299
Location: Central Texas

PostPosted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 11:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I used to order from Mark directly and he did a lot of great stuff for me with custom tweaks for some weird older instruments that are hard to fit with off the shelf stuff. Then he got really busy and I found out you could his stuff directly from Osmun Music up in Boston on a pretty short turn-around, even if you need customization stuff. I've done that ever since and had good results.
_________________
"Music is like candy, you throw the (w)rappers away."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dale Proctor
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 9343
Location: Heart of Dixie

PostPosted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mark recently made a mouthpiece for me that wasn’t in the catalog. About a 2.5 week turnaround, which was fantastic. Great mouthpieces, and a great guy, too.
_________________
"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Brassnose
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 07 Mar 2016
Posts: 2022
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 5:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

+1. It seems that I play a different brand on every instrument but Mark Curry and Tony from AR Resonance have been extremely fast and efficient in responding and delivering. Highly recommended and the pieces look pretty, too I should get my Currys with a gold plated rim, looks even prettier.
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, Curry
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Abraxas
Veteran Member


Joined: 31 Jan 2018
Posts: 345
Location: London, Canada

PostPosted: Fri Oct 22, 2021 9:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mark did get back to me. This was NOT a knock off.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
clamjuice
New Member


Joined: 11 Aug 2021
Posts: 3
Location: Queensland, Australia

PostPosted: Sat Oct 30, 2021 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a Curry 3M. that had some markings on the rim. It was bought new some time ago from Osmun Music and then put away, but since then I have become a Quality Control Manager and Machinist by trade. I found the 3M. after so many moves and I now understand that during production the tooling was slightly off in blending from the center of the rim leaving a ring and a step of approx. .002". The polishing from both prep and plating made the mouthpiece still useable, but the defect haunted me for a few years. So I blended out the rim defect on a lathe and then stripped the silver and plated like new again. Knowing all about mishaps in both machining and quality control, I no longer get too upset or blame the manufacturer, especially Mr. Curry. He has designed and manufactured one incredibly comfortable mouthpiece that plays like no other. It will handle classical with ease and when pushed it will sizzle the top end. Thank you Mark Curry for your excellent craftsmanship and expertise!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Abraxas
Veteran Member


Joined: 31 Jan 2018
Posts: 345
Location: London, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Oct 30, 2021 2:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

clamjuice wrote:
I have a Curry 3M. that had some markings on the rim. It was bought new some time ago from Osmun Music and then put away, but since then I have become a Quality Control Manager and Machinist by trade.


Coincidentally my first trade was as a machinist also. I'm curious to know how you clamped this in a lathe as I have some work to do on other mpcs. I'm just about to make a jig with a Morse #1 taper. I need to figure out what I'm going to do for a cavity to accommodate cup and rim and still have a flat and flush end that won't let it pop out of the taper...... if you know what I mean. I'm thinking a sliding wedge on a set screw to push it into the taper. I'm trying to cut the stem down, 0.020 at a time to do some gap experiments.

I didn't hear from Mark about the stepped bore as that was a bigger worry than the stamping. It looked like someone had gone in and used a series of step drills, which might make sense as a roughing out process, but I think would be finished in a CNC with a boring bar. Anyhow, nice guy is sending me another after he determined that it was not a knock off that someone is making on the other side of the world, which was his immediate concern.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ebolton
Veteran Member


Joined: 03 Feb 2021
Posts: 123
Location: New Hampshire, USA

PostPosted: Sat Oct 30, 2021 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Abraxas wrote:

Coincidentally my first trade was as a machinist also. I'm curious to know how you clamped this in a lathe as I have some work to do on other mpcs. I'm just about to make a jig with a Morse #1 taper. I need to figure out what I'm going to do for a cavity to accommodate cup and rim and still have a flat and flush end that won't let it pop out of the taper...... if you know what I mean. I'm thinking a sliding wedge on a set screw to push it into the taper. I'm trying to cut the stem down, 0.020 at a time to do some gap experiments.

....


Depending on the spindle bore of your lathe and chuck, you might be able to bore the inboard end of the fixture big enough to accept the cup, and put the morse taper on the outboard end as you suggest. If you start with a piece big enough for the inboard bore but small enough to go through the spindle and chuck, you could slice the outboard end like a collet and hold the mouthpiece nice and close and tightly in the chuck, and easily trim it off.
_________________
-Ed
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
clamjuice
New Member


Joined: 11 Aug 2021
Posts: 3
Location: Queensland, Australia

PostPosted: Sat Oct 30, 2021 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I held the diameter underneath the rim in a 5C collet. No need to worry about runout this way. If you only have a chuck on your lathe there are 5C collet holders to be held inside your chuck and many sized collets as well as an emergency collet. The other option is to machine a Split Collet. Use a piece of round brass larger than the diameter under the rim and bore out to size. Cut in half on a band saw and hold the mouthpiece together with the collet in your chuck. Hope this helps and good luck on your custom mods.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Abraxas
Veteran Member


Joined: 31 Jan 2018
Posts: 345
Location: London, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Oct 30, 2021 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="clamjuice"]I held the diameter underneath the rim in a 5C collet. No need to worry about runout this way. If you only have a chuck on your lathe there are 5C collet holders to be held inside your chuck and many sized collets as well as an emergency collet. The other option is to machine a Split Collet. Use a piece of round brass larger than the diameter under the rim and bore out to size. Cut in half on a band saw and hold the mouthpiece together with the collet in your chuck. Hope this helps and good luck on your custom mods.[/quote

I just made a jig coincidentally. I don't even think I need that set screw but I'll pick up a nylon one tomorrow. Seems i did too good a job on the taper. if anyone wants to debate whether this is indeed a Morse #1 taper, I'm your man.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jghd3rlgt5wmg9o/MPCJigFront.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v2rghesre56nrs9/MPCJigShank.jpg?dl=0
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ebolton
Veteran Member


Joined: 03 Feb 2021
Posts: 123
Location: New Hampshire, USA

PostPosted: Sat Oct 30, 2021 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Abraxas wrote:
...
I just made a jig coincidentally. I don't even think I need that set screw but I'll pick up a nylon one tomorrow. Seems i did too good a job on the taper. if anyone wants to debate whether this is indeed a Morse #1 taper, I'm your man.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jghd3rlgt5wmg9o/MPCJigFront.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v2rghesre56nrs9/MPCJigShank.jpg?dl=0


Looks good. I'm not going to debate you on the taper, because I haven't yet measured any of my mpc. I do know they are not all perfectly identical. I have 3 horns, and I find most of the mpc I have work in any of them, but there are some combinations that aren't so good. I have a Yamaha mouthpiece I like to use sometimes that will get totally stuck in my primary trumpet if I just look at it too hard.
_________________
-Ed
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Abraxas
Veteran Member


Joined: 31 Jan 2018
Posts: 345
Location: London, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Oct 30, 2021 7:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ebolton wrote:
Abraxas wrote:
...
I just made a jig coincidentally. I don't even think I need that set screw but I'll pick up a nylon one tomorrow. Seems i did too good a job on the taper. if anyone wants to debate whether this is indeed a Morse #1 taper, I'm your man.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jghd3rlgt5wmg9o/MPCJigFront.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v2rghesre56nrs9/MPCJigShank.jpg?dl=0


Looks good. I'm not going to debate you on the taper, because I haven't yet measured any of my mpc. I do know they are not all perfectly identical. I have 3 horns, and I find most of the mpc I have work in any of them, but there are some combinations that aren't so good. I have a Yamaha mouthpiece I like to use sometimes that will get totally stuck in my primary trumpet if I just look at it too hard.


Apparently the original tapers on older horns was a Brown and Sharpe but was so close to a Morse # 1 that nobody noticed when they switched, so I'm told. Anyhow, ya my bachs fit really tight on the Morse # 1 and with a tap on some wood, don't need any screw. That is for shank end work anyway. The rim/bowl end of course is pushing it in even harder, when machined.

You can get a Morse #1 reamer from China via Ebay, a set actually of roughing and finishing for about $10 USD. Of course its of very limited quality but good for rare work. Do grind the flute points off on the big end as if you happen to go deeper than them, they turn the reamer into a tap and suck it right in.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Abraxas
Veteran Member


Joined: 31 Jan 2018
Posts: 345
Location: London, Canada

PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2021 12:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Got my Curry 30M today. I'm surprised there weren't lightening bolts coming off it, like the movies. Sweet Jesus, I don't know why, it looks so unpretentious, but I effortlessly dance all over the sonosphere with that and the tone is second to none..
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    trumpetherald.com Forum Index -> Mouthpieces All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group