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Mouthpiece pullers are not just tools
for the band director's office. Students and professionals alike
will often add a mouthpiece puller to their stash of equipment to
provide a sense of safety when practicing at home or when away on a
gig. Since a stuck mouthpiece can be a big problem and
prevent you
from closing your instrument's case, it is essential that you have a
way to remove the mouthpiece safely while outside of the band room.
Since you should never (repeat NEVER!) use a pair of pliers to remove
a mouthpiece a mouthpiece puller is often the only reliable way to
make sure you can get your stuck mouthpiece out of its receiver.
There are two basic styles of modern
mouthpiece pullers. Older style mouthpiece pullers still exist,
including styles that literally bolt down to the table to be used.
However most of these older styles used split washers of various
sizes to remove the stuck mouthpiece. In the author's opinion you
should avoid any mouthpiece puller that uses washers or attachments.
You will always lose the piece you need at the worst possible moment
and the new, modern mouthpiece pullers are much more easy and
reliable to use.
Some examples of modern, one piece,
mouthpiece pullers are:
The Bobcat Mouthpiece Puller by Bobcat
One of the favorites of band directors
everywhere, the Bobcat is small, sturdy, and does the job quickly and
cleanly. The only drawback with the Bobcat is the time it takes to
adjust the mouthpiece puller for different instruments. Switching
from a tuba to a trumpet requires both screws to be taken from one
end of their length to the other end. With the two independent
screws this means alternating back and forth to open or close the
mechanism. However, if the Bobcat mouthpiece puller is to be used
only on one instrument it is definitely a great puller at the most
reasonable price.
The G88 Mouthpiece Puller by Ferree
Ferree is a major manufacturer of
repair equipment for band instruments and their G88 mouthpiece puller
is often considered the gold standard for bands everywhere. The G88
mouthpiece puller is a one piece unit that has only a single screw to
turn to apply pressure with. This makes the adjustment process much
faster and much easier to do one handed. It is however, much more
expensive and slightly more bulky than the Bobcat and is more
commonly found in band classrooms than in personal brass instrument
cases.
The DEG Magnum Mouthpiece Puller
A look-alike of the Ferree G88
Mouthpiece Puller. Very similar in style and design but with the
same higher price tag.
Tags: mouthpiece puller stuck mouthpiece Bobcat Ferree G88 Valentino Jr. Magnum
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