Quick history on Wick/Alliance mouthpiece development
Your data on the Alliance E2/E3 is somewhat mixed up. I am quite certain the following is true, having met and spoken with the principals while this was happening.
- Prior to 2005 when Besson went into receivership and stopped production, the baseline from Wick was either the 3AL/4AL (or Heritage equivalent) and the SM3/SM4. Production of Wick mouthpieces stopped for awhile due to the Besson receivership.
- The Alliance E2/E3 "Prestige" model was designed for Steven Mead in 2006 after the original Besson bankruptcy. The E3 "Prestige" mouthpiece came stock with the early German-made Besson Sovereign and Prestige. Steven and Roger Webster (owner of Alliance) jointly promoted Alliance mouthpieces for a year or two.
- Production of Denis Wick mouthpieces restarted a bit after this (2008?). Steven came back to the Denis Wick brand with the introduction of the SM3U/SM4U "Ultra" which was a near copy of the Alliance Prestige mouthpiece. The SM3X/SM4X "Ultra X" came after that in order to improve some shortcomings in the Ultra.
- The Alliance DC2/DC3 "David Childs" signature mouthpiece was developed by Alliance for David shortly after the SM "Ultra" series hit the market. David was playing a York Eminence from later 2006 until York went under in 2009/2010. Most of that time he was playing the same Wick 4AL he started his career on. I was in Wales each summer with David from 2008 - 2011. During one of those summers he was playing on a prototype of the DC3.
Regards sizing of Alliance mouthpieces vs. Wick - An Alliance "2" is quivalent top a Wick "3". An Alliance "3" is equivalent to a Wick "4". Therefore, Dave Childs plays the Alliance DC3. An Alliance DC2 or E2 would be most equivalent to a Wick 3AL, SM3, SM3U, SM3X.
Adams E3 0.60 Sterling bell - Prototype top sprung valves
Concord Band
Winchendon Winds
Townsend Military Band