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Help me name my unicorn

2K views 16 replies 11 participants last post by  soybean 
#1 ·
So I have an early 70s metal Berg (110/1 M) on my tenor that I have played for about 35 years. I love my tone on it when recording or in relatively balanced R&R and R&B (mostly when I'm the only horn player). I have a hard time with this piece in funk bands where it's me and (usually) a couple of brass instruments or in any place where I need to push it (tends to spread the sound rather than focus).

So here's my question. I've tried a bunch of step baffles and the usual "loud" guys - a couple of Wanne step-baffles, Dukoffs, and listened to a ton more, but generally find them too buzzy, especially in the mid-range, where I really like some guts and fatness to still prevail, even when pushed.

Basically, what is the best option vs a roll-over Berg that has similair qualities but doesn't lose focus when pushed but also doesn't completely lose the mids/lows (given that any mouthpiece when pushed either spreads or gets brighter)?

In your opinion, SOTW crew, what are the best options:

"Try X modern mpc"

"Try X vintage mpc"

"Send in your Berg for a refacing to XXX"

"Something I'm not considering"

I'm old, and the last option makes me nervous as this mpc has been my constant companion for nearly four decades.
 
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#4 ·
Barkley 'Killer 9' Hybrid. About $250. I tried one and it ended up replacing my prized original Guardala 'King Curtis'. I still play it sometimes but its amazing going back to the 'Killer 9'. I have never experienced vibrations in the horn like with this piece. I'm playing Rico Royal 2 1/2 on it since its a true .120 compared to my KC at .116, but this little monster was a huge surprise to me. I've been playing Guardalas since 1989 and this little beast put them in the drawer.
 
#5 ·
Yup - been there done that. I play in a funk band with a 5 piece horn section and you can't compete with the trumpets or amplified instruments. My advice honestly is to get a decent dynamic mic and tell them you need a channel on the board just like the vocalist in order to be heard.

If you are going to go the mouthpiece route my favorites were the Guardala LT MBII, PPT, and Jody Jazz DV Chi after trying a ton of high baffle pieces. However, I eventually gave up in favor of being miked. If I were going to go through this again I'd skip straight to the best there is now IMO, the Phil-Tone Isotope. Phil set out to design a piece specifically for this type of playing and for me it's the biggest and loudest mouthpiece I've ever played. There are a bunch of reviews and some clips of SOTW members playing it if you do a search they'll be easy to find.
 
#6 ·
+1

Talk to Phil. Your comment about wanting "some guts and fatness to still prevail, even when pushed" sounds like my hunt - and is also something that Phil has built into some of his pieces.

Here's the Isotope that Keith mentioned: https://phil-tone.com/tenor/isotope



G'luck with your quest!
 
#7 ·
That looks a lot like a Dukoff D7, but with a wider window. And a lot better workmanship.

Little hardly visible changes in the chamber certainly can have a bigger effect than you might think; and then sometimes two pieces that look quite different can end up playing almost exactly the same. So even though you've tried a number of MPs of a particular general design concept, it doesn't necessarily mean that you won't find a MP of that design type that will work for you, by being just a bit different. Of course that's within limits, no one would suggest a no-baffle large chamber Rascher-school mouthpiece for your application.

Definitely I would not alter your main piece that you are happy with in most settings, in the hope of making it more versatile - far too risky.

You've got two recommendations for a piece I've never heard of - sounds like you ought to try that one. Seriously. Not being snarky.

One other possibility, if you have a sense that your Berg is close but not quite what you want, would be to get another one with the same internal design, and have a mouthpiece specialist work on it (no danger of screwing up your long time buddy).
 
#8 ·
I've been curious about the Iso, but honestly, I've not been all that comfortable with the feel of Theo's metal pieces so I've shied away. 10mfan's Robusto and Boss have also been of real interest. Robusto because he's talked about it as something a Berg player would be comfortable with, though I've been more partial to the overall sound profile of The Boss. Keep the recs coming!
 
#10 ·
I was going to Suggest one of Eric Falcon's pieces but it does look like you're keeping an eye out already for them (10Mfan)

I've been playing one of his pieces he made for Warburton that is very similar to the Robusto but with a longer baffle. I got it from a Member here for $150. And every day I play it I pinch myself. He does really good work.

It's one of the maybe 4 or 5 pieces I've bought without playing. I got it simply based on his reputation and it did not disappoint.
 
#15 ·
So I tried a fair number of the mpc's mentioned here, and I've given it a few months to declare a winner, even though I knew it the minute I played it that I'd found what I'd been hearing in my head for ages but couldn't express.

Eric had a couple of new Warburton LAs available this past summer, and I picked one up (I felt really fortunate to be able to get essentially new Warburton LA finished by Eric since I know he's not worked for them in quite some time). I am so in love with it, I can't put it down. Eric mentioned to me that the MacSax FJ III was a further step on the evolution on the sound he was working on with Warburton, though I liked the LA better as (for me) it's brightness and focus allowed me to express more character. If I had to guess, Mark and Eric's new "The Classic" model from 10mfan sounds (to my ear) like a further step on that journey (and sounds great - maybe somewhere between the FJIII and the LA in terms of timbre and balancing the LA's focus vs. the FJIII richness).

All that said, though, I am sticking with the LA. What a great piece.
 
#12 ·
Get a Link in a 6 or 6*. Why go sideways when looking for a new mouthpiece?
With the exception of the 10M Fan mouthpieces they all have that slim pea shooter design that's uncomfortable.
I guarantee you that with the right reed (Rigotti) and blowing hard, I can get almost as bright as anything with a rounder sound. Once you blow in a mic everything is kazoo bright anyway.
Work smarter, not harder.
 
#16 ·
Yeah, there are a ton of variables there. Room, the type of mic, whether you're backline vs. frontline placement. The soundman's ear's (if there even IS a soundman). The stage mix and proximity to the monitor. Honestly, there are rooms and bands where kazoo is the best you're gonna get (and sometimes even your best available option unless you plan on walking off the gig entirely).
 
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