Different mpc metals and their affect on spund/play

[Thrawn22]

I'm really digging my Symington 1.5. So much so i want to get a second as a backup mouthpiece. I know he uses different metals/alloys for those who may have allergies or want something different. Does the change in metals affect the sound? I imagine it affects the feel. Thoughts?


Thanks

[WGWTR180]

yes it does. I have one. pm me.

[FOSSIL]

Oh yes, as Bill said, there's a difference.

Chris

[hyperbolica]

I use DE mouthpieces, and for the most part I don't notice a difference between lexan and brass rims. But I do notice a difference when I put (a different maker's) stainless rim on.

It's hard to make a real comparison when you swap out the entire mouthpiece, but just switching the rim makes it clear which component affected the change. The stainless (harder, more dense, stiffer) makes for a brighter sound. Not sure how that relates to your mouthpiece, but yes, the material does matter.

[ithinknot]

Changing material/density is the only way you can change mass while maintaining the same relative mass distribution (i.e. blank shape)... so it's a bit like the usual standard vs heavyweight characteristics, but also not...

It's hard to make a real comparison when you swap out the entire mouthpiece, but just switching the rim makes it clear which component affected the change. The stainless (harder, more dense, stiffer) makes for a brighter sound.

When it's just the rim, I wonder if it sounds much different to the listener, or whether the difference is mostly an intracranial perception thing caused by the different feedback/vibration coupling characteristics of the material

[WGWTR180]

I use DE mouthpieces, and for the most part I don't notice a difference between lexan and brass rims. But I do notice a difference when I put (a different maker's) stainless rim on.

It's hard to make a real comparison when you swap out the entire mouthpiece, but just switching the rim makes it clear which component affected the change. The stainless (harder, more dense, stiffer) makes for a brighter sound. Not sure how that relates to your mouthpiece, but yes, the material does matter.

I believe that has more to do with weight than anything.

[LIBrassCo]

The metal a mouthpiece is made of absolutely adjusts your sound, but it does much more than that. The response and tactile feel on your chops also vary significantly. I've played the same exact mouthpiece in brass, bronze, wood, and titanium. All 4 are 2 piece, allowing me to switch out the shank material as well, of which I have tried brass, bronze, titanium. Nickel silver, and carbon fiber.

In a nutshell, using brass as a baseline, bronze responds faster, is brighter, but the sound is also richer (overtones really shine through). Hard articulations come out easily, and legato playing is similar to brass, perhaps requiring some additional finesse.

Titanium responds faster than bronze, has an incredible slippery feel on the chops (when brought to a super fine polish), but the sound is kind of dead compared to the other materials. I find additional work is needed for hard accents, and legato playing is smooth as silk.

I find that due to the properties of both these metals. They both benefit from being paired in some way (bronze shank with titanium top, or the opposite as works as well).

I won't run through every material I've played, but thought these examples would illustrate what impact materials make well enough.

[WGWTR180]

Zirconium.

[btone]

When I asked Bill about the difference with his zirconium he said that to him it seemed to have a warmer sound. He also said that it has more overtones and that it might be accurate to say that it can amplify one's tendency toward bright or dark. He also said it responds more easily at soft volumes.

[Elow]

He also said it responds more easily at soft volumes.

That’s the biggest difference that i felt when i was deciding on which to keep. I’m sure there were more audible differences that i would’ve noticed if i recorded myself

[dershem]

The metal a mouthpiece is made of absolutely adjusts your sound, but it does much more than that. The response and tactile feel on your chops also vary significantly. I've played the same exact mouthpiece in brass, bronze, wood, and titanium. All 4 are 2 piece, allowing me to switch out the shank material as well, of which I have tried brass, bronze, titanium. Nickel silver, and carbon fiber.

In a nutshell, using brass as a baseline, bronze responds faster, is brighter, but the sound is also richer (overtones really shine through). Hard articulations come out easily, and legato playing is similar to brass, perhaps requiring some additional finesse.

Titanium responds faster than bronze, has an incredible slippery feel on the chops (when brought to a super fine polish), but the sound is kind of dead compared to the other materials. I find additional work is needed for hard accents, and legato playing is smooth as silk.

I find that due to the properties of both these metals. They both benefit from being paired in some way (bronze shank with titanium top, or the opposite as works as well).

I won't run through every material I've played, but thought these examples would illustrate what impact materials make well enough.

A nice table, or a complete entry/diary/posting might be very interesting and informative.

I, for one, am somewhat disappointed that the experiments with Aluminum didn't work out better. Having an aluminum mouthpiece was very handy when I lived in a cold climate.

[WGWTR180]

When I asked Bill about the difference with his zirconium he said that to him it seemed to have a warmer sound. He also said that it has more overtones and that it might be accurate to say that it can amplify one's tendency toward bright or dark. He also said it responds more easily at soft volumes.

Completely agree!