Hi folks,

I have a question about the effects of different tip rail thicknesses. Just as an experiment I took down the thickness of a couple of tip rails to about .5mm--about 1/50 of an inch. These are metal pieces, I wouldn't have dared with hard rubber, but anyway they play fine and seal well so I am happy with the result. It's hard to tell just how differently they play, although it seems to have reduced the resistance a bit if I'm not mistaken.

On the other hand I have a Runyon piece with a very thick tip rail and it plays well too. I am wondering if any of you who have worked on a lot of pieces have noticed any consistent characteristics attributable to tip rail thickness. All other things being equal how does a thick rail compare to a thin rail?

Thanks,

Toby

Thin tip rails allow more of the reed to participate in generating 
sound.  With a thick tip rail, you could position the reed farther 
away from the tip to get a similar effect, but it is not quite the 
same.  It articulates faster when the reed tip is at the tip of the 
mouthpiece.

I think the thin rail also adds some edge to the tone as you push the 
volume.  It works well on a lead alto Meyer.  Faster articulation, a 
little bigger sound, a little more edge.

One negative is that the thin rail will not fit some reed brands 
depending on which shape you choose when making it.  If you use a 
reed with a poor fit, I would just sand the edge of the reed lightly 
until it fits the shape of the mouthpiece.

I generally shoot for .027-.032".  Not ultra-thin (.018").  I eyeball 
the thickness using calipers.  This is tough to get repeatable 
results so it is just a guide.