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I am looking for the *original* blokepiece that is a one-piece design in stainless. It has no beer mug or any other graphic on the side. It simply says

Selmansberger SOLO
Houser Mouthpiece Works

There are no other markings on this mouthpiece. I think only 75 to 100 were made. Neither Joe nor Dave could recall the specs offhand. (I have communicated with both in the past about this example and it seems the original specs are missing or lost or might have been overwritten as changes were applied.

I have a three-piece SOLO model and it is not quite the same. I either have the wrong parts or the original version truly was overwritten in the design process.

Whatever, I need a second one. Does anybody here have one they would be willing to trade? I am cash-poor right now, so I would trade two mouthpieces for one of these. I prefer it on two horns and detest having to transfer mouthpieces between horns. I prefer to have what I use on a horn stay forever with that horn and not be moved to another gig bag or case. I use mine with my Holton 345 but have recently become enamored with it on my Kurath F tuba, so time to locate one of these guys from (I think) 2009.

I am not looking for anything at all except for a brother from the same milling batch, please. Thanks for not posting about some other version; I have one already.

These original one-piece mouthpieces looked completely different from the later two- and three-piece ones.


"SOLO"


The rim and the backbore are a little different in my three-piece, and the joint line between the cup and rim is pretty pronounced, so it plays very differently from this old one-piece design. There is not a problem with my newer one, it just doesn't play exactly the same as this old one. Since Dave is pretty dang consistent, if I can locate a brother to this one it ought to be pretty much identical in the way it plays for me.

If someone would be willing to sell you (at a good-for-you used price) a #1 profile 33.2 rim, a Solo cup, and a Solo #1 back-bore (or measure the exit bore, and I'll tell you whether #1 or #2 back-bore for certain) that would probably be "it".

(If the small end of the shank is VERY thin...like "nearly comes to a point", it's probably a #2 back-bore.)

...I cannot remember which of those two Solo back-bores was the first one...and no...not necessarily the one later named "1".

I don't want a multi-piece version. I do not like the protruding joint between the rim and cup edges that mine has. I can feel that and it affects how I play. I *greatly* prefer that original, no-beer-mug one-piece-er you sold me out of the first batch. For me, that is my magic mouthpiece. I bought the three-part one a number of years ago and it does not feel right to me. The rim is not the same as the first batch. I remember you saying that the second run would have a (I think) slightly more rounded rim profile. Whatever — they are not the same. And that weird inner edge really bugs me. I am not sure if the bowl was supposed to open up after the rim, or if the rim curves inwards, and then the cup stays straight, but my combo of parts is not the same mouthpiece as my first-batch Solo. There is a pronounced inner shrinking and then opening up after the rim.

My experience with these two is that the new one is an excellent mouthpiece, but the older one is *the* mouthpiece. I use it on two of my horns for work: the big Kurath F and the Holton 345. I use a three-part Symphony on my 186s and 410. I like your mouthpieces pretty good, I guess.

Do you have any of that first batch left, hiding in a box or a drawer somewhere?

I check with The Smithsonian, maybe he dropped one off there...