Mouth Piece Monday

mouthpiece1I’m not really sure, but I think this is one of the first mouthpieces I ever owned.

When I first started to learn to play, I spent a year playing baritone. I was so little I couldn’t even reach 6th position when I was seven, so I started with a valved instrument to learn what the sounds were and how to make them.

This was an old, grody mouthpiece 45 years ago. It sure hasn’t gotten any better!

82

I don’t know anything about this mouthpiece; who made it, where it came from, how old it is. The only identifying mark is the number 82 engraved on one side of it.

The rim is flat and wide, but the cup has a pretty sharp edge. I can’t imagine that it was much fun to play for any length of time.

[Update: After some belated Google research it appears that there’san outside chancethat this is a really old Holton mouthpiece. They are the only company that shows up with a model 82, although most examples are much more modern than this one]