Gold vs silver

[Chatname]

https://www.laskey.com/pages/scott-lask ... -vs-silver

Interesting article by Laskey, I’m sure it’s been discussed before on this forum.
I’m curious: has anyone tried cycling between gold and silver, using the same mouthpiece model?
Gold for some situations, silver for other?
Winter time, dry lips? Low range playing, more shifting in the embouchure maybe?
Nothing Laskey would recommend, it seems.
I play slightly wet myself. Have always used silver.
But have toyed with the idea to get another one (same model) gold plated. Probably not a great idea. Experiences, anyone?

[hyperbolica]

I have DE rims in lexan, silver and gold, and then I have a Parker rim in stainless. I prefer the lexan because it always feels constant temperature and it's a little sticky, plus it stays cleaner. After lexan is silver because it's familiar, and gold is last, probably because it's too slippery. The stainless rim actually changes the sound/feel. It's definitely a brighter sound. Feel is similar to silver. My mouthpieces have a mixture of rims, and I put lexan on the ones I play most, except that I have a couple of horns that benefit from the brighter sound of stainless, so I'll switch the stainless from horn to horn. I don't dislike gold, but I probably won't buy another in that material because for the extra cost, I don't care for the feel as much.

[BGuttman]

Just to make it foggier, I have Denis Wick mouthpieces in gold and silver. I prefer the gold. Silver is more sticky and Lexan (I have a DE rim) is uncomfortably sticky.

I also have a Benterfa in wood and it's less sticky than the Lexan, but more sticky than silver.

Note: I can play my silver or gold plated Wick (4BL) mouthpieces in any situation. Doesn't matter.

[JLivi]

I'm curious to know what the difference of a "wet" and "dry" player are. I lick my lips before I play, but when there's too much moisture or wetness, I have to dry off my face and usually dry the mouthpiece cup to continue to play accurately.

For the past 2-3 years I've exclusively played on a gold plated AR Resonance. It started out at a silver plated mouthpiece, but I spent a 6-8 weeks with a Monette TS6 to compare, even though my AR is 25.1mm and the Monette is a size 6 (25.4mm). After my trial with the Monette it ended up being too big for me and I decided to switch back to my AR.

My first gig back playing the silver plated AR I had too much grip of the mouthpiece. It was really weird. My lips were getting stuck and I was trying to move though playing 16th note funk lines. It got to the point where I couldn't' play the mouthpiece anymore. So mid-set I ran back to my case, pulled the monette out, and finished the gig on it.

The next week I would use the silver plated AR while teaching and still ran into the same issues. My lips were getting caught on the mouthpiece. After discussing with Luke Malewicz, who I bought the AR from he recommended I get it gold plated. So I did. I sent the mouthpiece top to Dillon Music and they replated it for me in gold. Since then I've had zero issues playing the mouthpiece, and it can be slippery when there's too much moisture, but I'm able to wipe out the mouthpiece and I'm good to go.

The hardest part is when I have to play outside, but after reading the article/blog, I might pick up a silver plated mouthpiece for outdoors gigs where I'm a little sweaty and there's more moisture in the air. Hmmm

[Chatname]

Yes, by “wet” player I meant playing with moist lips or licking the mouthpiece.
I have never tried those exotic materials; plastic, steel or wood! I thought gold or silver was more or less the only choice unless one has some serious allergy…

[BGuttman]

There are a number of other choices of mouthpiece material.

There are plastics. Polycarbonate (Lexan) is a good material. Tends to be relatively "dead" compared to most metals. Great for outdoor gigs, especially in cold temperatures where a metal mouthpiece might freeze to the lips. There have also been Nylon mouthpieces, but I haven't heard any good words about them. Warburton has a plastic (or is it a rubber?) called Warburnite. Warburnite is more like Lexan than Nylon.

Wood is pretty rare. Benterfa (a Spanish maker) offered 6.5AL - sized and 4G - sized mouthpieces with bowls and rims in several different woods. My mouthpiece is rosewood. They are pretty delicate so not good for outdoor concerts. It also deadens the sound so I consider it a "chamber music" mouthpiece where you are trying not to overblow on a relatively small ensemble.

There are a few makers of stainless steel. Stainless is very hard to machine, which tends to make these expensive. Stainless steel is much harder than brass and gives a sound with a lot more "edge".

There are also some exotic metals: Zirconium and Titanium. Both are relatively light compared to brass or stainless steel but are also much harder.

So many mouthpieces, so little time

[Doug Elliott]

I play on Lexan 90% of the time. To me it's not "dead" at all.

[BGuttman]

I play on Lexan 90% of the time. To me it's not "dead" at all.

A Lexan rim on an otherwise metal mouthpiece won't sound dead. But a full build (like a Kelly) will.

[ArbanRubank]

I play a gold-plated rim because it looks classy. No other reason. Actually, I can play "lights out" on most anything. By "lights out", I mean that when my turn at a solo comes up in the concert hall, they literally turn the lights out on me.

[muschem]

I really like Lexan rims on Doug's system - very comfortable with less temp variation. I have the same rim size in gold, and it is also good. For whatever reason (this goes back 20 years to my college days), I got into the habit of playing small bore on Lexan for jazz/commercial stuff, and gold on large bore for everything else. Going between the two materials is easy enough with the same diameter, but I'd probably do better to stick with one material and reduce variables. Actually, that reminds me, I need to check in with Doug to see about a lesson and an order

[Doug Elliott]

I'm around...
Actually I do almost the same. Lexan is more comfortable and helps endurance, which is useful on the small horn. Silver maybe sounds a little better on the big horn.

[harrisonreed]

For me silver is best. I tried gold for the longest time, but silver seems to work better.

I used to think silver tore my face up (I'd get a rash or blemishes on the skin where the rim moves around), so I switched to gold. But after a few years it was the same thing. Turns out this was cuz I was doing dumb stuff like putting the mouthpiece down rim first on the table or not shaving before I played. Stuff like that scratches up the rim, and a scratched up rim will tear your face up no matter what metal it is. Now my mouthpiece is either being played, or is safe in its case. Haven't had an irritated lip since. People who think they need exotic metals or plastic should try to get a new mouthpiece with silver plate and just take better care of it -- the allergy might go away.

Doug's plastic rims are not as fun to play for me, until I have to play in freezing temperatures outdoors -- then they are much more fun to play. I'd recommend anyone using his system, especially college kids doing marching or DCI, get at least one plastic rim for outdoor gigs. I used mine on an ice stage in Sapporo when it was zero degrees and actually managed to play with relative comfort.

[sirisobhakya]

I have Yamaha Doug Yeo mouthpieces in both silver and gold. I prefer gold because it feels better; not quite “more slippery”, but better, in inexplicable way. When wet, it is indeed more slippery than the silver one, but I have noted that after a while when some oil from the skin accumulates on the rim, gold and silver feels almost the same.

I am “dry” player by the way. I wipe my lips and the rim as soon as it gets wet and slippery.

[Matt K]

Lexan all the way! Obviously it’s impossibly to do a blind test with one but I have had sections I play with listen to one vs the other. I played with one section everyday for three months and when they couldn’t tell the difference, I sold my last silver plated rim. Doing both commercial stuff and classical stuff with them.

[WGWTR180]

https://www.laskey.com/pages/scott-lask ... -vs-silver

Interesting article by Laskey, I’m sure it’s been discussed before on this forum.
I’m curious: has anyone tried cycling between gold and silver, using the same mouthpiece model?
Gold for some situations, silver for other?
Winter time, dry lips? Low range playing, more shifting in the embouchure maybe?
Nothing Laskey would recommend, it seems.
I play slightly wet myself. Have always used silver.
But have toyed with the idea to get another one (same model) gold plated. Probably not a great idea. Experiences, anyone?

It's really a personal choice. YOU need to see how gold versus silver feels on your chops. Then you can make the decision. And no I don't see the need to cycle but yet some obsessive/compulsive person will think they need to. Good luck.

[Chatname]

Yes, the cycling thing was just a thought experiment. But I like the idea of having a Lexan mouthpiece for cold outdoor situations.
What would equivalents be to let’s say 4G (large bore) and 5GS (small)?

[Doug Elliott]

And no I don't see the need to cycle but yet some obsessive/compulsive person will think they need to. Good luck.

Hey, OCD is fun, you should try it sometime.

[BGuttman]

Yes, the cycling thing was just a thought experiment. But I like the idea of having a Lexan mouthpiece for cold outdoor situations.
What would equivalents be to let’s say 4G (large bore) and 5GS (small)?

Kelly only shows a 12C and 6.5 AL in small bore; and 5G and 51D in large bore (note that 51 Schilke is about 5 Bach). If you don't have to play complicated stuff you may be able to make one of them work.

But if you really want the equivalents of the mouthpieces you mentioned, you will need Doug Elliott setups with Lexan rims. From personal experience I find that I need one size larger in Lexan than I use in metal (i.e. 103 Lexan rim vs 102 Silver rim).

[WGWTR180]

And no I don't see the need to cycle but yet some obsessive/compulsive person will think they need to. Good luck.

Hey, OCD is fun, you should try it sometime.

I've had my moments.

[fwbassbone]

I play gold almost exclusively. Silver is for hot outdoor gigs when the gold can get a little too slippery. Been doing this since the early 80's and it seems to work for me.