Some repair techs fancy themselves as being able to do mouthpiece work, and they may charge a bit less - and while I have had a couple do fairly adequate work (for what I was asking for).... I have never found one of those folk who come near the cleanliness and precision of a real mouthpiece expert....It's a real discipline, like anything else done well.
I know a thing or 3 about curves, but it inevitably ends up with the breakup of a relationship!Back in the day in the UK there was Bill Wrathall, an amazing reface sadly gone now. When I visited him last he was moonlighting as a lens movie camera maker/repairer at Ealing Studios. I imagine to do that you know a thing or three about curves.
I know a thing or 3 about curves, but it inevitably ends up with the breakup of a relationship!
That's what you get for wanting to move to a wider tip opening....I know a thing or 3 about curves, but it inevitably ends up with the breakup of a relationship!
One can buy the Theo Wanne 'kit'. Even professional refacers have suggested to me this is a way of 'getting started'. But, as you say....there's gonna be a steep learning curve there so one may likely waste a good half-dozen or so 'pieces, and then the ones thereafter would never have the precision of finish to match anything a pro who has done it for years and years can produce.Refacing is not a DIY type of work. It requires REAL expertise. You may be lucky once or twice but do NOT kid yourself. It's not a guessing game.
sorry guys relative newbie what exactly is refacing and is it expensive..
a great mouthpiece is not as common as one would like. Many "imperfect" mouthpieces can function quite well while the player is oblivious to their potential. A refacer can eliminate these imperfections, restore the potential of the mouthpiece and enhance its playability. The more work requested / required the greater the costs. Not that long ago I stumbled upon an old obscure tenor sax mouthpiece. It played reasonably but the tone was alluring. The table was good but not perfect - eg: not perfectly flat. I took a punt and sent this out to a refacer. My request was - flatten the table and tidy it up a little. His response was wanting to know what I played, how I played etc etc. I told him I wasn't a power-player and just wanted it tidied up. He flattened the table and opened it up "just a little" and this mouthpiece was transformed into some thing I thought I liked into something I loved.
My reface was carried out by Gabriel Vatavu in Brisbane, Australia - www.gabrielvatavurepairs.com
I posted it (with a return postage label) and he sent it back. He called me before he began work to discuss my needs.
Glenn