Itching to Start Again!

There's a period of time from the end of July to the first of September where I feel lost.  During this time I have nothing to work toward.  The theater company is on hiatus and band is on break.  So what do I do?  I live on the Wheel of Doom.

I don't know why we become obsessed with our mouthpiece choices.  I suppose it might be because it's less expensive than being obsessed with horn choices.  We want to play better and we're looking at every possible outlet to change that, and the mouthpiece is a good place to start.  But let's not sell the mouthpiece short.  It can make a SIGNIFICANT difference in how we play.

So, let's look back at the Laskey 75G.  (BTW, I also tried the 75J, but I like the sound better on the G model.)  It gives me the best tone, but due to its thin rim my endurance is pretty bad.  Also, my upper register could use a boost.

I tried the Schilke 31B and 32 for a while.  Both are solid mouthpieces, and I like the rim.  But the sound and range is better on the Laskey.

I got a hold of a Moosewood Cartouche B model.  I must say that it plays EXTREMELY smooth.  I could definitely get used to it.  The upper notes didn't have the push I wanted, but everything else felt pretty good.  The biggest annoyance is the shank.  For some reason the receiver on the Paxman is a little bigger than it should be (but not big enough to be a European shank), so it doesn't grip the mouthpiece.  A piece of paper can fix that, but it's still an annoyance.

I also got a hold of a Laskey 725G.  A bit more of a pea-shooter than the 75G, but not by much.  So far it's got a LOT of potential.  Whereas the 75G gives me a touch more richness in the middle range, the 725 doesn't compromise it all that much, and it gives me that boost in the upper register I need.  I may stick with this one for a while.  The test will be to use it for an entire rehearsal and see how I feel by the end.  Luckily that will be in about a week!