Brecker's mouthpiece timeline

[johnny]

A while back I seem to remember stumbling upon a web page devoted to Michael Brecker and specifically his varied mouthpiece setups over the years. Unfortunately, I just can't seem to find it now. I know he used a metal Link for many years until he developed a neck injury, presumably due to blowing so hard on a fairly resistant piece. I was just thinking how interesting it would be to compare Brecker recordings of different eras, knowing what mouthpiece he was playing on in each case.

Anyone have any info on the subject??

[Gregg W. Jackson]

I remember a page on Michael Brecker's old web site. Unfortunately, it's missing from his new site.

[Paul S]

i'm no brecker expert, but my understanding was that he used Dukoff's, then changed to a Guardala of similar design (small chamber, step baffle - the studio in the current laser trimmed range is modelled on this). The older Guardal Mike Brecker I and II models I assume got their names from being designed for him. He may have used a link before the dukoffs - lets face, who hasn't played a link at some stage :wink:

I believe that he used rubber link on his Ballad album, Nearness of you (i think thats what its called?) - thereby dispelling once and for all that HR Links have to be dark. If I remember right, this info came from Jody Espina when Brecker was trying Jody's ESP piece (which he liked)

sorry i don't have better info for you :(

later,
Paul

[Ritchie]

Yes, the info was on the old www.michaelbrecker.com website. I remember a metal Link was listed before the Dukoffs.

[Tsax]

You cannot make a clear timeline for the different mouthpieces Brecker used. I remember the page were his mpcs were listed, and also his comments in an interview (that I do not have anymore).

In the seventies he used both metal Links and Dukoffs(and maybe also Berg Larssen, but I am not sure) - relatively small tip openings- , and in the late seventies/early eighties also the Guardala (Studio at first, Brecker model later on).
When you'd ask him which mpc he used on a specific record from that time period, chances are very slim that he will remember.
On the album "Nearness of You" he does use a HR Link (7*).

[Joe]

I don't claim to be the ultimate expert on Brecker's pieces, but I can tell you what I know from seeing Brecker live a few times, his old album covers, and what I have heard through friends. Of course, some of this was grapevine stuff even back then, so I can't testify to its veracity.

In the 70's Brecker was playing a metal Link NY Tonemaster 7. After his first neck problem, Guardala added a wedge so Brecker could back off. The neck problem recurred, though, so Brecker ended up switching to a Dukoff 9D with La Vaz medium reeds which he clipped (this set up I can verify because I saw him using it several times in the early 80's). There was a time in the latd 70's when he was switching back and forth between the Dukoffs and his Guardala-ized Links. I never heard why he quit Dukoffs, but it was obvious he was never completely happy with them. IMO, the only time in his career when he struggled with the altissimo was when he was playing Dukoffs. Tonewise, though, I liked his sound the best during his Dukoff period.

Of course, he switched to Guardala mouthpieces when they first came out in the 80's. His first was a heavily customized studio model (since it was the only one Dave made at first). Later came the Brecker models. There are rumors that have him playing all kinds of things lately, but I haven't really kept up with him in the last 10 years since my tastes and his sound and music have gone in opposite directions. Still, he's an amazing player and a very nice guy.

[budice007]

In DownBeat the thoat problem is termed "herniated larynx." The official jargon for ouch.

[michaelbaird]

I think I liked his dukoff sound better. The first solo I remember hearing him play ever, was on the Starburst tune from Morning Dance Spyrogyra. Beckenstein plays the intro of the tune and Brecker wears it out at the end. The tonality of the tune starts out in Ebmin and goes to Emin. It was probably the same time he played "I'm Sorry" the Mike Mainieri tune from Blue Montreux. What was he playing on then 1979-80?