PPT mouthpieces

Mouthpieces What Is this really? Supposed Brilhart "Powertone" Sop Mpc FS on Ebay France.

I just found this listed on Ebay.fr and it purports to be a HR Brilhart Powertone Sop mpc that was refaced by Doc Tenney. Being a Brilhart afficianado for a long time I was suspicious because I had never ever heard or read of that model before. Googling I found a reference to a Powertone mpc made for Boosey and Hawkes by Brilhart out of clear plastic on the Dr. Sax website. There is however nothing to corroborate that on Theo Wanne's Mpc Museum pages nor had Peterogping, a Brilhart maven on SOTW ever heard of it before.

Doc Tenney face Soprano Sax Mouthpiece 6 * Tip POWERTONE (brilhart) 1950 S | eBay

As someone said long ago, if it swims, looks like a fish, and smells like one, it ain't a mouthpiece. As a result I am seriously dubious of the claim by the seller of this being anything ever made by Brilhart. This is not just because of the above but also because it doesn't even resemble a Brilhart mpc in its design and I've owned them, looked at them, and played them for years. So I wonder what other people on this forum think, particularly those who know Brilharts.

Let me add that I don't doubt that Doc Tenney could have refaced it, but given the sad fact that he passed away 7 or so years ago there is no way to confirm that claim nor the provenance of the piece. I also should add that I know nothing about the seller of the mpc and have no connection with him whatsoever nor any reason to want to squash his sale if the mpc is legit, and that's the big unknown as I see it.

"Buying a pig from Pokeman is ill-advised."
 
Intriguing piece but I'm dubious also.

I really like Brilhart mouthpieces and thought that he didn't make any soprano pieces. There's a collector / dealer in Denmark called Otto Andresen who knows a lot about Brilhart history and models, including the ARB models he designed for Beechler. Otto told me that Brilhart did design the ARB soprano pieces and that they were very similar to the Beechler sopranos.

Otto might well know something about the Powertone soprano which possibly dates from before ARB.

Rhys
 
The seller seems knowledgeable: why don't you ask?
I don't want to get into doubting the info in his ad just out of curiosity since I in fact don't know. If it were out-and-out wrong and a known fact that's a different matter. Years ago I used to inform the rubes on eBay when their info was wrong and often got told to piss off (usually from the "I don't know nothing about playing' saxophones" type). However, these days since I don't do much on there any more I don't really care very much to inform the ignorant.
 
Years ago I used to inform the rubes on eBay when their info was wrong ... these days ... I don't really care very much to inform the ignorant.
Understood and agree wholeheartedly (got the T-shirt ...), but in this case the seller seems pretty clued up, and a genuine enquiry from one enthusiast to another might yield results.
 
I've realised that the eBay seller is someone who's been on SOTW for years, using the same username. I've shared messages with him in the past and he is knowledgeable and friendly.

Rhys
 
Coo coo, I am certainly friendly! We know Powertone were made by Brilhart/ in the same factory and it has the same 2 piece moulded construction as can be seen from a recent sale of an unmarked piece by Joe Giardullo. It was sold to me as a Doc Tenney reface and has the inspected refaced stamps on the table of other pieces he also faced (and examples are currently for sale on SOTW) though a soak in fairy liquid got rid of them. Thankfully I was able to show before and after bath time pictures. I won't get into a debate about what models and shapes Powertones came in because I suspect no one will know for sure. What I can say is a) its a Powertone and hence made in the Brilhart factory and b) it was refaced by Doc T. Nice player by the way, clear singing tone and nicely resonant and broad sounding. But it's too close to my vintage Rascher refaced to a 6* by me (having been bought in France on Leboncoin as a horribly hacked piece) for me to want both, and I am used to my Rascher. Now, anyone for fish or want to go for a swim with me??
 
(having been bought in France on Leboncoin as a horribly hacked piece)

I've had that too with a Brilhart Tonalin tenor and send it to @Phil who did a great job on it. It was way to badly hacked for me to have a go at it.

Talking about unusual Brihart, I spotted a baritone Tonalin once but it was at a ridiculous price, for me...
 
Coo coo, I am certainly friendly! We know Powertone were made by Brilhart/ in the same factory and it has the same 2 piece moulded construction as can be seen from a recent sale of an unmarked piece by Joe Giardullo. It was sold to me as a Doc Tenney reface and has the inspected refaced stamps on the table of other pieces he also faced (and examples are currently for sale on SOTW) though a soak in fairy liquid got rid of them. Thankfully I was able to show before and after bath time pictures. I won't get into a debate about what models and shapes Powertones came in because I suspect no one will know for sure. What I can say is a) its a Powertone and hence made in the Brilhart factory and b) it was refaced by Doc T. Nice player by the way, clear singing tone and nicely resonant and broad sounding. But it's too close to my vintage Rascher refaced to a 6* by me (having been bought in France on Leboncoin as a horribly hacked piece) for me to want both, and I am used to my Rascher. Now, anyone for fish or want to go for a swim with me??
Thanks for you post and clearing up the mystery for me. I don't doubt your info on this and am glad to be informed about a model previously unknown to me. One learns out new facts about vintage mpcs all the time and it's good to know. Cheers
 

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