Mouthpieces Dukoff Mouthpieces.

C

compound

Member
452
Manchester.
Hi all,
Has anyone in the cafe ever used a Dukoff D7 or D6 on Tenor,? i know Steve Howard uses one, i think a D8 when he performs. I nearly got one a year ago but got pipped at the post on ebay. I know the metal's really soft and they look tatty but what a sound (if you like that type of tone).So if anyones ever used one i'd be grateful for any info you could provide.
Thank's Rob.
 
Got one in metal (aftermarket gold plated) and another in clear plastic. Very good sound if you're looking for something bright. I prefer something a bit more flexible, even when I'm after edge, but they are good pieces.

The Dukoff ligatures are pretty rubbish and the finish on the metal pieces is pretty variable to say the least.

Rhys
 
I used to play D7, D8 and later X7 and X8. I switched between 7 and 8 depending on how much I was playing. I love these moutpieces. Very powerful. The X chamber is better for the lower part of the sax. My current moutpiece is a Rovner. I bought it because I thought it was time for something new.

I used a BG FL ligature on my tenor mouthpieces.

I use the Dukoff D chamber on all other saxes that I use regulary. My bari Dukoff is a D9 that open up to c 0.140 and the baffle is slighty taken down. I thought the D chamber on bari was a little bit stuffy.

Thomas
 
Used to use a D8 on my tenor- looked terrible but great for a bright R&B tone- plus, I've always reckoned there's something unique about the tone of these 'pieces- they're more than just a bright, loud mouthpiece- there's an interesting 'hollowness' there too (in a good way)..... and yes, stock Dukoff ligs are borderline unusable....... never, ever drop one- they bend- end of Dukoff!
 
I've never used anything but a D8 on my tenor and alto, so can't really say what a 6 or a 7 would be like, but I agree with Jules in that I find there a unique 'hollowness' to the sound...though I would say that 'cavernous' is perhaps a good description too.

I like them not so much for their brightness (which just happened to suit my needs at the time) but for their free-blowing response. Trying to find a piece that's slightly warmer but just as free-blowing is proving to be quite hard work.
I'm not sure I'd buy one unless I'd had the chance to play it first though - the build quality is extremely variable.

I've just taken a Dremel to the bore of my D8 - in an effort to back off some of the brightness. I've removed most of the ridges and ripples from the rear of the bore...but so far it hasn't made any difference at all.

Regards,
 
I've tried several PPTs - and while I loved the sound I got out of them, they didn't seem to suit me very well. I was a bit gutted, truth be told...I was really rather hoping to be able say "Oh, I play a PPT, dontcha know..." rather than a <insert brand of mouthpiece here that everybody else is using>.

Regards,
 
VirusKiller said:
Jules / Steve. Out of interest, have any of you tried a PPT? I like my free-blowing 8*, but I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Click to expand...

I had a PPT, good piece- I got Morgan Fry to tweak it for a bit of extra scream potential.... very good 'piece indeed (for me at least). Force of habit still took me back to using my good old Berg larsen though!
 
I think the quality is ok on Dukoffs. I'm still playing an alto D chamber from the late 70's. I have 15 Dukoff Silverite metal moutpieces and they are ok. But take good care about your Dukoff. Rinse (if possible) with water after each time you've been playing.

A Dukoff is priceworth as well. The latest I bought in USA cost me about $ 125.00. My Rovner cost me $ 375.00. So I got three Dukoffs for the same price as one Rovner. The Dukoff is still in production which is not the case with Rovner mpc. Maybe they will come back on the market. They are re-designing thier moutpieces.

The S chamber is also great for rockmusic. Last Saturday I played with a guy that was on a Dukoff S8 mpc - SML Goldmedal tenor. Very funky!!

Thomas
 
I had a Dukoff D7 at one point. Hated it, found the sound too thin and piercing, and prone to squeaks. But maybe that was just me?
 
Hi compound,
I used to play a Dukoff on tenor back in my old days because I wanted to sound like Mike Brecker. It's a good choice if you're up against amplified folks and need the volume. However, I ceased to like it after two years or so (I had a complete change of mind. I now play a Link Tone Edge, which I still use today). I also had a feeling that the sound of the Dukoff was changing for the worse as the metal got older. It became kind of muffled when I tried it again after a long period of absence. But that might just have been an impression. Can't go back and check though because I threw it away (I found it too bad to sell it).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
There's no reason a Dukoff will change with age - the Silverite it's made of isn't the toughest material in the world, but it's plenty strong enough to last.
Mine's got a groove just below the bite plate where my teeth have worn the metal away...but it's taken 20 years to get that far and there's still plenty of meat left on it.

Regards,
 
Short answer - you can't.

The metal is a sort of pewter, so it tarnishes if you even look at it.
I guess a metal polish would do the job, but it's hard work...and pretty much a pointless exercise - and you have to careful not to touch the rails. The metal is relatively soft, and persistent polishing down the years could round them off.

If you need to clean one up for a posh gig or for sale, quadruple 0 gauge wire wool does a very good job - but it's even more important to keep it away from the rails.

Regards,
 
compound said:
Hi Steve,
Just thought i'd check with you for the best way to keep them looking half decent. (If that's possible.)
Cheers Rob.
Click to expand...

One I bought from a dealer in the US had been gold plated, presumably on top of the silverite. It's really just a cosmetic finish and the plating looks thin, but it does stop it from tarnishing.

And of course it has a big effect on the tone, give a burnished edge to the silveritey core tone.

Or not.

Rhys
 
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