MEK

[brtnats]

Anybody here remember the MEK (Mouthpiece Experimentation Kit)? I see classified ads all the time selling mouthpieces for pennies on the dollar, and I always think about the MEK. Does anybody out there have some spares they'd be willing to donate to start a new MEK? I've got a few I'd contribute.

Or that it just generally a bad idea?

Matt

(For those younger cats among us, this was a box of mouthpieces we used to mail around, full of random makes and sizes, that people could use to dial in a specific mouthpiece without having to do more than pay for the shipping. It was a heck of a lot more effective for the community than trying to sell your Bach 6.5AL for $15.)

[BGuttman]

The MEK was a great idea until it went to some kid who figured it was a way to make money by selling them. Since he was a kid, he just kept the mouthpieces and (I guess) sold them off one by one. We had no recourse to try to get them back.

The problem is that if you send the kit to somebody who is untrustworthy it can easily disappear.

[brtnats]

Bruce,

I totally agree, but I'm also wondering if market saturation hasn't changed the dynamic a bit. Just looking through the classifieds here, there are dozens of mouthpieces for sale with no real value beyond about $15. I know I've got several of those myself. I'm wondering if a MEK mark II could get started with some instructions on what to not include. I wouldn't put a Greg Black in there, but I'd totally put in an old Yamaha 48. It looks like everyone is trying to clean out their mouthpiece drawers. I'd like to try some different sizes without committing to buying 5 variants of each. I'm totally willing to part with about $50 worth of used mouthpieces to help make that happen, because at least then there's a change they'll A, do some good and B, get off my shelf!

Matt

[Redthunder]

Bruce,

I totally agree, but I'm also wondering if market saturation hasn't changed the dynamic a bit. Just looking through the classifieds here, there are dozens of mouthpieces for sale with no real value beyond about $15. I know I've got several of those myself. I'm wondering if a MEK mark II could get started with some instructions on what to not include. I wouldn't put a Greg Black in there, but I'd totally put in an old Yamaha 48. It looks like everyone is trying to clean out their mouthpiece drawers. I'd like to try some different sizes without committing to buying 5 variants of each. I'm totally willing to part with about $50 worth of used mouthpieces to help make that happen, because at least then there's a change they'll A, do some good and B, get off my shelf!

Matt

I think this is a cool idea, and I'd absolutely be down to contribute as well.

Perhaps some sort of system of verification could be used in order to at least attempt to deter any kind of theft. Or maybe only sending to people who are known to us , or have spent a certain number of months as users, etc.

[Matt K]

Mouthpieces are heavy and can be costly to ship more than a few of them at the same time. Maybe it would make sense to accumulate the pieces in a central, or semi central (e.g. we have someone in the US on the West Coast, East Coast, TX, etc.) that hold onto pieces. Then if you want to try something that's in one of the 'kits' so to speak, you pay for the shipping as well as for the nominal cost of the piece(s) and then those get returned if/when you return the piece. (Or perhaps when you ship it to someone else who wants to try it). It could get complicated doing it that way but would probably prevent stuff from getting stolen.

[LarryPrestonRoberson]

Mouthpieces are heavy and can be costly to ship more than a few of them at the same time. Maybe it would make sense to accumulate the pieces in a central, or semi central (e.g. we have someone in the US on the West Coast, East Coast, TX, etc.) that hold onto pieces. Then if you want to try something that's in one of the 'kits' so to speak, you pay for the shipping as well as for the nominal cost of the piece(s) and then those get returned if/when you return the piece. (Or perhaps when you ship it to someone else who wants to try it). It could get complicated doing it that way but would probably prevent stuff from getting stolen.

All good points/ideas. I especially like the deposit system; It's fairly easy to refund money these days.