This is a piece I got from the famous Dr. G on SOTW. I have to say that this piece has mystical properties to it that I don’t understand. It is made by Fred Lamberson and it has the least baffle of any piece I have ever owned but has a brightness and power to it that’s crazy. I don’t know where it comes from. I look at the inside of the piece and it baffles me (get it). When I play it next to other mouthpieces I don’t like it. It has more resistance than the others but…..when I play it and get use to it it is unbelievable for me. I’ve played every type of gig with this and it holds it’s own. Great work Fred.
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About Steve
Hi—
I’ve been listening to most of your clips in trying to decide where to go with mouthpieces, and this mouthpiece may be my favorite. Just beautiful. Smooth, clear tone, with character and definition and some sweetness. May have to get one. I also liked the white Brilhart Tonaline you played a lovely Naima on, and in the slightly grainier, more colored line, some Links, Morgans, Berg Larsen 110/2, Pete Thomas PPT, Ponzol ML .110, the Tenney a bit, but this just may be my ideal. Thanks so much for these clips, they are so helpful in deciding which pieces to focus on.
Hey Steve, all these years and mouthpieces later I still feel you sound best on this piece…
Steve
Sometimes I think the angle and width of the tip rail makes a huge difference in the characteristics of a mpc and not so much the baffle. Kind of like when a flute airstream splits the far side of the tone hole. There is a certain angle to the airstream that makes a flute vibrate at its fullest. I think certain tip rails/angles also project and articulate better.
Dave
Steve,
Do you have a website or an email for Mr. Lamberson
Hi Kevin, If you do a google search for “Lamberson mouthpieces” his site comes up. You can contact him through his site I believe. Steve
What tip opening is this piece?
With less of a baffle do you tend to smaller or larger tip openings?
How does this one compare to the 1920 J7 you reviewed recently?
Phil, This is a J7 which is a .110 for a Lamberson. With less baffle I usually do like smaller tip openings of .100-.105 but this J7 is an anomaly. It has the least baffle of almost any mouthpiece I have played but it feels great at .110. I played a J8 and it felt way too bug for me. A J6 felt too small. For me the J7 is perfect! Compared to the 1920 this J7 is much brighter and louder.No question about it. Hope this helps. Steve
Yes this helps – thanks very much Steve. I play a 110 RPC rollover baffle and stuggle with low Bnat and Bflat, plus no altissimo whatsover. I’m trying to figure out the best way forward.
Phil, I understand the struggle with lob B and Bb as I have encountered that also. I tend to subtone those notes 90% of the time so that is my way around that for high baffle pieces that make those notes hard. As far as altissimo, I don’t really get the “no altissimo whatsoever” comment. I have heard it from hundreds of players about a mouthpiece but with all the mouthpieces I have played including the bad ones, I never remember any where the altissimo was impossible. Can you get altissimo on other mouthpieces? Steve
Thanks Steve,
I think you hit it on the head. I simply don’t know how to play atlissimo. Can’t get it on any mpc. Looks like you got another lesson customer on the way
pg
Phil, I really wish there was some secret magic to playing altissimo that I could pass on to get guaranteed results. The best I can do is pass on all of my experiences and insights on the subject and then the student has to experiment until they get results. It can be really frustrating. I have students that will get altissimo right in the first lesson as I am describing it. Others go 6+ months being frustrated and sometimes giving up. All I can say is don’t give up! If you keep working at it a breakthrough could be around the corner. If you give up totally then a breakthrough probably won’t happen. I myself struggled with altissimo for that 6+ months timeframe in high school and then one day “BAM”!! I did something by accident and a note popped out. The key was figuring out what I did and how to reproduce it. You do that, and you are on the right track……
Hi Steve,
Piggybacking on question raised by Phil Godfrin. I am trying to decide which tip opening would be ideal on Lamberson J mouthpiece. I regularly play .100 Tip Opening for Link Styled HR mouthpieces and often times find .105 difficult to blow on. Do you think that J7 would be manageable for someone blowing on .100? Or should I consider J6? Thanks, VaMi
VM, If you are comfortable on the .100 tip I would just stay with that. Especially as you have tried .105 and found them harder to blow. The J7 is .110. I would go with the J6. Steve