Hi all,
I have used a Denis Wick 4AL for at least 35 years as my "every day" mouthpiece. My first Wick 4AL (which I still have) came with my 1980 "Boosey & Hawkes" Sovereign (Round Stamp). Of late, I have been playing one or the other of two that I purchased within the last 6 years. The 37 year old 4AL is a very different mouthpiece than the modern version of the same. I was asked by another forum member what the differences are between the two and so I took some pictures.
Side by Side: Not a lot of difference in this view. As far as the labeling, the new one says DENIS WICK.LONDON while the older says DENIS WICK.LONDON (notice the period in a different location). The "4AL" is a smaller character size on the older mouthpiece.
Rim Size:
These are both 26mm rims and feel pretty close to the same size, but notice the rim depth difference. The new 4AL has a much deeper lip around the rim.
Cup Depth
I tried the old "quarter in the cup" test and find a significant difference. I believe that the two mouthpieces have the same cup shape relative to the throat of the mouthpiece, but the thicker lip on the new mouthpiece extends the effective cup depth. As you can see, the quarter sticks up more out of the cup on the old mouthpiece.
Feel
The shallower effective depth on the old mouthpiece and a slightly sharper edge to the rim of the mouthpiece makes it feel a little more brittle and somewhat less "pillowy" in sound. Articulation is a bit easier, though and slotting might be just a bit better. Also, while I rarely notice any fuzz when playing any Wick mouthpiece, the old mouthpiece definitely has no trace. The new mouthpiece feels softer and the sound is a bit more to my preference. I have to work just a bit harder with it, but it doesn't cut into the lips as much when I get tired and use too much pressure.
That's it,
Doug