Re: Valve stoppers

["IronMan Mike Curtis" <ironman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Saturday, September 20, 2003 10:39 PM [GMT-7=PDT],Scorcher
<s_c_o_r_c_h_e_r@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> Jimmy sez:
>
>>   Thanks, scorcher and Bob.  It does not choke up when I ease up,
>> but a lot of times it is excitment or adrenaline or perhaps too much
>> beer.
>
> Man, I can name THAT tune....
>
> Ironman Mike Curtis (for example) plays VERY expressively & tonefully
> on a fully valved 'tonic... -VERY sensitive to technique when  bending
> notes - He bends pushin' & pullin', and I can't tell when he's pushin'
> or pullin' - his tone's that consistent.

Thank you!

A slight correction.  I usually use a partially valved diatonic, valved on
1-6D and 7-10B.  You have to use less wind for these (they're AKA
"windsavers" :-).  Otherwise they choke.  One fix is to increase reed
offset.  But the easiest in the long run (IMHO) is to play valved
exclusively an dadjust your playing.

I have a couple that are fully valved, but so far I haven't figured out how
to make them as responsive as a partially valved (they're extremely
sluggish).  But the tone is very full, and consistent on both blow and draw
bends.