Model GD Cup

Model GD CupA cup for when the notes are too GD high a cup for the Brandenburg and Haydn concertos on modern horn. This started with an ask "Can you made a descant mp? Like something similar to a Moosewood BD but better?" from Detroit Acting Principal Patrick Walle. The answer was "yes" apparently. The tone is kept in check from the natural bowl shape produced by the tapers while it's bright it remains well controlled with a pleasant sound. And of course, the

A cup for when the notes are too GD high - a cup for the Brandenburg and Haydn concertos on modern horn.

This started with an ask "Can you made a descant mp? Like something similar to a Moosewood BD but better?" from Detroit Acting Principal Patrick Walle. 

The answer was "yes" apparently.  The tone is kept in check from the natural bowl shape produced by the tapers - while it's bright it remains well controlled with a pleasant sound.  And of course, the high register is stable and efficient, even up to F above high C. (It’s probably stable even higher, we’ve just found my own playing limits 😅)

 It’s relatively easy to make a mouthpiece play high well though - make a really shallow, choke down the throat and you’ll be pecking out high notes.  Paradoxically, when designing this most of the testing and iterations went into making sure it also played low well. This is the first production model to use an asymmetric* curve through the bore.  This adds another parameter to the design to let me tune out the response below the staff.  The result offers easy slots when you’re counting ledgers lines above the staff and won’t let you down when the ledger lines and the clef flip to the basement.

#17 throat, extra shallow.

* in the design system the bore radius is one parameter that describes the differential radius of curvature at the narrowest point. On symmetric models it means the radius into and out of the bore is the same giving rise to the shapes of our standard cups and backbores. In this case, to optimize for the low register which was getting choked by the super shallow cup I switched to curve out of the bore faster on the backbore side. This let me preserve cup shape and open the backbore without adding cup volume or unwanted side effects.  Normally it’s not worth it as there are easier tuning parameters but with how shallow the cup is here there weren’t as many choices.