A lot of excellent discussion has started about large chamber mouthpieces so I decided to see if I could add some clarification to the topic.
Many mouthpiece manufacturers use the term large chamber, yet it designates something different to each manufacturer. We use the term True Large Chamber in referring to the AMMA s large chamber because the chamber TRULY is significantly larger than the bore and window. A True Large Chamber requires approximately a 30% increase in volume from the volume of the bore throughout the entire chamber. A chamber such as this requires a significant concavity to the inner side walls in order to taper the side walls to the tip evenly. The difference in sound with this combination is significant. A True Large Chamber will look as big as an Otto Link Master Link or Tone Master.
The larger a chamber is the harder it is to manufacture. This is because it is difficult to get tooling inside the mouthpiece. To get around this issue the Otto Link mouthpieces have always been made in two cast halves soldered together. This allows the large chamber and inner side walls to be made separately. It is this configuration that has also made the Otto Link mouthpieces standard equipment for a plethora of tenor saxophone players throughout history.
In the AMMA we have taken a large chamber, added projection, deepened the bottom end response and perfected the facing curve. Best of all we have done this through machining such that the interior is virtually indistinguishable from a complex cast mouthpiece. We feel very proud of this achievement.
