G&W Mouthpieces: New vs Old

[hugechunkofmetal]

Can anybody tell me the differences between the new and old GW mouthpieces, apart from the obvious shape difference of the exterior?

Have they changed the shape of the rims at all?

Cheers,

HCM

[imperialbari]

1/ I bought a "new" one based on an "old" one that I played.

2/ Gratefully, on the website I discovered that they are now being shipped ("standard") with considerably less external material that previous versions.

3/ I ordered it. I received it. I played it.

4/ The "less-chunky" one that I received plays exactly like the "chunky" one that I played previous to placing the order.

Did you have your tooth fillings changed between the tests?

Alternatively:

Did you use the same set of dentures at both test? Or was it a workdays’ versus Sundays’ versions’ situation?

K

[imperialbari]

Even in the most scientific of comparisons, one can never completely control all of the possible variables.

Would the Brits say: “If you can’t knock them out, then try to knicker them out.”?

K

[hugechunkofmetal]

Anybody else have a serious contribution to make?

I'm curious whether the rims have changed or not.

[imperialbari]

The rim looks like falling towards the outer perimeter. Does it also fall towards the inner edge resulting in an overall roundness?

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

[Nick Pierce]

My understanding was that all of the extraneous metal on the outside of the old mouthpiece style would cause the tone to become harder, harsher, blattier, etc. This was confirmed to me when Mr. Tucci tried my old Diablo model (purchased new in 2006) tried that mouthpiece on my PT-3. I believe the new mouthpieces were an attempt to create a darker, warmer, less harsh sound, in addition to being (in the eyes of some) more aesthetically pleasing.

In regards to the sound change, did it work?

[cjk]

Here's a perhaps related thread:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=29274&p=255560&hili ... es#p255560" target="_blank

Interesting topic here

I can tell you why we switched from heavy to lighter mouthpieces

Increased endurance
Clearer sound
Easier to play in all dynamics


Early on we developed our mouthpieces (the Heavy weight) in Titanium. These mouthpieces were roughly 7.2 ounces, and titanium was available for about $7 a pound. So we thought we hit the big time and went for it. Giddings and Webster was created Yippie! Shortly after this time Titanium went up to over $72 dollars a pound ( YICKS!) so we could no longer afford to follow the idea of making a name for ourselves in titanium mouthpieces. We quickly started looking for alternatives, stainless steel was the next best thing, although admittedly heavy. The mouthpieces played great, and they do things a lot of other pieces on the market did not.

Then a Four year session of experimentation began, we added Euphonium, trombone, trumpet, and started developing French horn mouthpieces. I experimented with several different types of steel, 303,304, 304L, 15-5, 17-4, 440, tool steel, aluminum, etc. after our original Alan Baer signature model mouthpiece Alan Baer was experimenting with some mouthpieces we sent him as prototypes. These prototypes were designed with many different outside contours to allow us to see how weight changed projection, endurance, and ease of playability. Alan Machined a mouthpiece down from a heavier piece, and interestingly enough it slowly became MMVI mouthpiece that is now available. This mouthpiece is also close to 7 ounces.

Our original heavy weight stainless steel pieces were closer to 13 ounces, and the new ones are closer to 6 ounces. Why, Because we found the lighter pieces to be more user friendly, and better in the long run.

Fad… not so much, just us improving our product And hopefully giving you something better.

We still experiment and we are still learning.

Enjoy

Ivan

Sounds to me like all they changed was the exterior, not the rim.

[Tubadork]

The new rims are quite different. More rounded.
Bill

[imperialbari]

The new rims are quite different. More rounded.
Bill

Glad to be warned off from the G&W models. However I am still left without a find in my search for a large mouthpiece with a flat rim and a sharp inner edge.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

[imperialbari]

Thanks for the hint. However there has been a private contact opening interesting perspectives, which I will research first.

Klaus

[Paul Scott]

I just received the new "Caver Light" from G&W. The old heavy-weight version has worked very well for me with my large Martin BBb but I'm always interested in improvements. The rim definitely has a different, more rounded feel to which makes the cup feel larger, (to me, anyway). The low range seems warmer on the new version but I feel my heavier 'piece slots better in the mid to high range. I don't know if that's because of the extra mass or the flatter rim. It does seem as though the older version can be more blatty than the new, although to what degree would depend upon player/equipment to a certain extent.

Personally, I'd love to try a "Caver Light" with the old rim.

[Tubaryan12]

If the rim is rounder, I would be more than happy to trade my old style Matanuska for the new style

[imperialbari]

Yes, but another model should arrive soon, after the Sidey and that model were brought to my attention. More later on.

Klaus