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No-name mouthpiece surprise...



 
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Untame
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Joined: 26 Apr 2023
Posts: 42

PostPosted: Thu May 25, 2023 6:15 pm    Post subject: No-name mouthpiece surprise... Reply with quote

I bought a box of ten old tarnished mouthpieces for $50. One Bach trombone, a couple vintage french horn, a few trumpet, and a few cornet. I was really after just one of them -- a Conn EZ Tone. My plan was to refurbish and sell the other nine to get back my initial cost (and some?) and keep the EZ Tone for free. (We'll see how that goes...)

Anyway, four of the mouthpieces had no identifying markings. One of them was an early cornet mouthpiece that had all of the silver wore off except for a little inside the cup. For giggles I cleaned it up to give it a try (I know... shouldn't put my lips on leaded brass...). HUGE surprise! It plays amazingly well both in the upper register and down low! I have over a dozen mouthpieces now in my search for the "right" one, including some nice modern ones, but this might just beat all. Going to be sending it out for replating soon so I can get some lip-time on it.

(EDIT: I was wrong on shank taper. It is British "Morris" short taper of about .042/1in.)

Can anyone identify this mouthpiece?

Specifications:
Length - 2.75in
Cup Diameter - 16.8mm
Cup Depth - 12mm
Rim Width - 4.7mm
Throat - #16

I'm not surprised that I like it. I tend to prefer wide cups (17-17.5) that are shallower, and I also like a more open throat (usually in the 20-24 range... never played anything more open than 18 before).






_________________
I don't practice, and I never perform. I just play.
- 1979 King 602 Cornet
- 1927 Conn 80A Cornet
- 1960 Holton Super Collegiate Cornet


Last edited by Untame on Sat May 27, 2023 1:52 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Halflip
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Joined: 09 Jan 2003
Posts: 1862
Location: WI

PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2023 7:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The blank around the cup area looks an awful lot like (1) the blank on my CG Personal pieces, and (2) the blank on some old (30's era) York mouthpieces I got with horns I won on eBay.

Unfortunately, in both cases the external rim shape and the 'necks' are of a somewhat different design.
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"He that plays the King shall be welcome . . . " (Hamlet Act II, Scene 2, Line 1416)

"He had no concept of the instrument. He was blowing into it." -- Virgil Starkwell's cello teacher in "Take the Money and Run"
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huntman10
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Joined: 30 Aug 2017
Posts: 672
Location: Texas South Plains

PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2023 7:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It might be a Rhodium plated piece, as well. I have seen a few generic type pieces like that which were Rhodium plated.

May be very difficult to replate it, since you have to strip off a very hard surface metal.
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huntman10
Collector/Player of Fine (and not so fine) Brass Instruments including
Various Strads, Yammies, Al Hirt Courtois, Schilkes,
Selmer 25, Getzen Eternas, Kanstuls (920 Pic, CG)
Martin Custom Large Bore, Lots Olds!, Conns, etc.
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Untame
Regular Member


Joined: 26 Apr 2023
Posts: 42

PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2023 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Halflip wrote:
The blank around the cup area looks an awful lot like (1) the blank on my CG Personal pieces, and (2) the blank on some old (30's era) York mouthpieces I got with horns I won on eBay.

Unfortunately, in both cases the external rim shape and the 'necks' are of a somewhat different design.


I see the resemblance in the collar to the York mouthpieces.
_________________
I don't practice, and I never perform. I just play.
- 1979 King 602 Cornet
- 1927 Conn 80A Cornet
- 1960 Holton Super Collegiate Cornet
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Untame
Regular Member


Joined: 26 Apr 2023
Posts: 42

PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2023 10:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

huntman10 wrote:
It might be a Rhodium plated piece, as well. I have seen a few generic type pieces like that which were Rhodium plated.

May be very difficult to replate it, since you have to strip off a very hard surface metal.


The surface is completely gone. When I got it it was tarnished brass, so I cleaned it with Brasso and polished it on a buffing wheel. The only plating left is a thin remnant in the cup (and presumably, the backbore).
_________________
I don't practice, and I never perform. I just play.
- 1979 King 602 Cornet
- 1927 Conn 80A Cornet
- 1960 Holton Super Collegiate Cornet
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Untame
Regular Member


Joined: 26 Apr 2023
Posts: 42

PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2023 2:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check this out! The blank is a dead match, except this looks like a 2.5in overall length, and mine is a 2.75in length.

1) If mine was made by H.N. White, why wouldn't it be stamped?
2) Are later cornet mouthpieces longer than earlier ones?

I'm wondering if I have a later knock-off that was poorly plated, and that is why the silver is all gone.


_________________
I don't practice, and I never perform. I just play.
- 1979 King 602 Cornet
- 1927 Conn 80A Cornet
- 1960 Holton Super Collegiate Cornet
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Untame
Regular Member


Joined: 26 Apr 2023
Posts: 42

PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2023 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also, I actually measured the shank taper, and it is British "Morris" (short) taper of about .042/1in.
_________________
I don't practice, and I never perform. I just play.
- 1979 King 602 Cornet
- 1927 Conn 80A Cornet
- 1960 Holton Super Collegiate Cornet
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View user's profile Send private message
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