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Mouthpieces Theo Wanne Gaia soprano

Jazz Bo

Senior Member
Messages
37
Locality
Denmark
After having read how fantastic it should be, I have bought a Gaia HR #7 (Theo Wanne) for my soprano.
It plays very easily but I have two problems with it
1) I can’t make it play in tune on my Selmer SA 80 mk.II.
It is too flat and the mp can’t go further in.
2) It is hard to play a stable tone. My embrochure cant keep the pitch steady. It goes up and down like if I was a beginner (I have been playing ~every day for 30 years).
It’s no problem with the Bari.

Are those pitch problems common for Wanne Gaia?
Any suggestions on how to fix it?
 
I once owned the Gaia soprano, it was an 8,had no intonation problems with it, played it for about 12 months, but now i prefer the sound of my Bari 64 which has been my main piece for the last 3 yrs or so,the Gaia was sold on.
 
Hehe - I thought the Gaia would be an upgrade. Maybe I should just replace the Bari 62 with a 64 :)
 
Hehe - I thought the Gaia would be an upgrade. Maybe I should just replace the Bari 62 with a 64 :)
I think the older Bari's are really good soprano mouthpieces, very underrated but thats just my opinion.
 
After having read how fantastic it should be,

You will read how fantastic every mouthpiece is!

best to buy before you try or at least make sure there is a returns policy.
 
I had insurmountable problems with the Wanne soprano mouthpiece, and I'm a soprano specialist!
I have played 6, 7 and 8 tips. I found the facing far too long for my style of playing. I was entirely unable to find a hard enough reed to make the 6 work for me at all! The 7 just about worked with a #4 Java, the 8 was too open for comfort for me.
I get that they are meant to be played with a huge amount of the beak in the mouth and a lot of air, but they just didn't suit me at all. I even had the 7 refaced by Sopranoplanet but it still didn't happen for me, just far too free blowing, and I believe you need some resistance on soprano.
My advice is move yours along and buy something from Ed Pillinger (you'll probably get 2 or 3 Pillingers for what you paid for the Wanne!). His HS 150 facing (about a #6) is marvellous in the NY, the PJ and the S models, and works very well with Java 2.5s, 3s and 3.5s, although you may find the PJ also does not fit on your Selmer soprano, the conjunction of bore size and neck length is not compatible: I have a Series 3 soprano that the PJ does not work on, but it's fine on my Sequoia which has a shorter neck.
 
I heard a famous runner had released some shoes. They were getting rave reviews. I wanted to be a famous runner so I bought his shoes. Same size as him. I was very pleased when they came. Unfortunately they didn't fit and I can't even walk in them.

We all have a drawer full of misfits.

Once you can play it really is essential to try a piece before you invest. Other people's opinions can guide you where to look but only playing will reveal Cinderella.
 
Collin the bear wrote: “essential to try a piece before you invest”

True - but I have no shops nearby (Denmark) with the horns and mouthpieces I think I like. Sometimes (like now) I just have to buy a MP to try it :-/
 
Mail order from a mouthpiece maker, with the chance to try before buy and make changes if needed, could be the way to go (which might be what @Phil , above, offers)

You lose on postage but you gain a piece that's right for you. And what can be better than discussing your needs with someone who knows how to help? I've had top-notch service from Ed Pillinger. I haven't yet tried Phil so I'm not a sneaky endorser
 
If a piece you're interested comes up on eBay, it can be a try/sell on without losing too much prospect. But some of the pieces on eBay are there because they don't play well.

The other trap, is buy to try, doesn't work, but you put it in the mouthpiece drawer in case it does in future. I have a pile of alto and Bari mouthpieces because of this. For tenor and sop, the PPTs worked so well I stopped looking.
 
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