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Mouthpieces First Metal MPC.

What

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Well I saw a sale on a reputable vender site and saw a metal mpc that just called to me. It's an Otto Link Vintage series metal. I went with the normal size five opening. I was a bit uncomfortable buying such a costly piece, but when I saw it I just had to have it. I've looked at other pieces similar and less expensive and just thought "no way, way too expensive for me this early in the game". so I figured go with my gut on this one.

This is going to be my first metal piece and the good news it it has cured me of my GAS for now at least. >:)Outside of restoring my C Mel which in on hold till I can get to the shop to have the repairer there take a look at it (mostly to give me advice), I can't see myself buying anything else besides the essentials for quite some time, maybe not until I've saved up for the Sax I keep looking at on Kessler's site.

Any special care tips for gold plated mpcs? I need this baby to last and want to take the best care of it I can.
 
Good luck. Links sound really good.

The gold plating on them is really thin and scratches easily. Be really careful you don't make it worse by sliding the lig too much.
 
the normal size five opening

Why is size 5 normal?

Kev's right about the gold plating - it's thin, wears really easily, and i doubt if it would even be classified as gold in this country. I play a modified Link (an abnormal 10) and it has virtually no gold left on it.
 
I have a Link metal 5* that I bought new in 1993 in New York. Virtually all the gold is off it. I have experimented with a few mouthpieces over the last 20 years - Dukoffs, Baris, Metallite - and always come back to the old 5* Link. It's easy to blow, and versatile enough that i can play in blues/rock groups and in jazz combos. The only change is that I now use a BG leather(?) lig rather than the standard one - although the standard served me well for a long time.

Good enough for many of the greats, good enough for my contemporary hero Ernie Watts - so although I keep changing for a while, I guess i'll always be drawn back to it!
 
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Okay so treat it gently, but don't be too upset if the gold does not hold up forever.

The 5* is what they call "normal" size five not sure what the specific measurement is, but I hope it's like the metallite size five I am used to now.

i clean my current mpcs in detergent and hot water. I let um soak for a bit then scrub out the inside with my brush. Sounds like this should be okay for this as well unless I'm better off with just hot water.
 
Would it be detrimental to these mouthpieces to run it through a plating tank to re-plate the gold? I have my own kit at home that would do this.

Mel
 
Have a look on here for tip openings.

http://www.bill-lewington.com/charts/tnrsax.htm

According to the chart, a Rico 5 has a slightly wider tip opening 0.095" compared to the the Link 5* 0.085" or the 5 0.080" so don't be surprised if you need a slightly harder reed.

I hope it works out for you, but if it doesn't, you won't have a problem selling it on and you'll know better what you are looking for. And so the hunt for the perfect mouthpiece begins.

This guy plays a link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjur3G0ZMWM&feature=g-all-u
 
Great link and video. That man has a really nice sound. Amazingly I guessed his sax too (I've been looking at way too many of them I think). I hope I can sound that nice someday.
 
I think we all would be pleased to sound like that.

I rehashed both links. Got them off here.
 
Okay so treat it gently, but don't be too upset if the gold does not hold up forever.

i clean my current mpcs in detergent and hot water. I let um soak for a bit then scrub out the inside with my brush. Sounds like this should be okay for this as well unless I'm better off with just hot water.

I wish I saw your post sooner. I just bought a gold-plated mouthpiece from ebay. I soaked it in some bleach to clean int:doh: It looks different now.
 
I wish I saw your post sooner. I just bought a gold-plated mouthpiece from ebay. I soaked it in some bleach to clean int:doh: It looks different now.

Perhaps its not so bad. maybe there is something you can do to restore it. It might just be a chemical layer that can be removed. Possible a chemical alteration that can be counteracted. Gold goes through heck and there always seems to be some way to make it shine again.
 
Gold's almost inert and wouldn't have reacted with the bleach - it must have been whatever was under the gold.

Don't use hot water on ebonite/hard rubber mouthpieces - they go a very tasteful greeney brown.
 
After an 11 hour workday today, getting yelled at by Black Friday shoppes who did not believe we were out of certain limited supply door buster deals, finding out that one of my best return cashiers is not allowed to work with me because of rumors we are dating (she is a single mom who lives near me with no car and I helped her get her thanksgiving day groceries home, really what else was I supposed to do?. I plan to fix this, but quick.), and trying to lug home the giant teddy bear for my niece that I picked up today(also I have no car). I come home to find a little box sitting on the steps up to my apartment.

My Link has arrived! Not only is it here but it's three days early! Clearly Santa likes sax players best. It's so damn beautiful, I can't wait to get a bit warmed up(physically not musically) and give her a go. What a great end to one of the most tiring days of the year for retail.
 
finding out that one of my best return cashiers is not allowed to work with me because of rumors we are dating (she is a single mom who lives near me with no car and I helped her get her thanksgiving day groceries home..

I hope you were able to assure them that you prefer married women with a love of cheesecake.
 
I hope you were able to assure them that you prefer married women with a love of cheesecake.

Cant do that any more. She's also one of my employees. There are laws... Literally :(.
 
Okay I have a slight problem. Even with a good bit of cork grease the mpc does not want to fit even half way down my neck cork. Now I know I can correct this, but this is a permanent fix that might make my other mpcs or others I try unusable (though my metallite is also a bear to get on). I am willing to do it because even half way up the cork I am loving the sound, but I know I have to get it a bit lower because I had to do some tricks with ny embouchure to get the notes sounding right.

I know this is something I can do with a fine fine fine, and a bit finer grade sanding paper. Is there a specific grit that's best for this kind of work? Also what's worked best for cleaning the fine dust that likes to stick a bit?
 

Yeah basically if I joke like I did before andsomeone else is bothered by it they might feel like they can't say anything because I am a boss. Sickos who are not joking or did not care how their jokes made people feel in these situations took advantage of this so now we have laws. They are needed, but it's a bit of a bummer sometimes, because even if we joked like this for years all it takes is one complaint for any one person who works with us to cost me my job.
 
...finding out that one of my best return cashiers is not allowed to work with me because of rumors we are dating (she is a single mom who lives near me with no car and I helped her get her thanksgiving day groceries home, really what else was I supposed to do?. I plan to fix this, but quick.)

Who was bragging about his eyes in another thread? >:)

And just how do you intend to fix it?

Enjoy the Link, but be careful!
 
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