| What one's first horn form Dave is less important than the overall playing approach one has. A player who plays down the middle, has a strong embouchure, and has a tendency to hear a sound with lots of fundamental can play just about any of Dave's horns with little or no acclimation time.
If you're used to playing with a tight gut and squeeze when you exhale, if your concept of sound is very narrow and laser beamish, if you don't hear notes before you play them, if you stand/sit in a less-than-optimal way the acclimation time is longer if not downright impossible. Playing a Monette horn corrects nothing without a player's involvement. That's why many people will pick one of his horns up and play it and hate it instantly. Some folks pick it up and hear a potential. Others pick it up and love it instantly.
My road with those horns is unique because I've played through virtually every permutation he's gone through since 1984 when I got my first one. As they changed I had to change because the payoff of sound was what I wanted. I finally reached a point where I had to get help from Arnold Jacobs. He made me aware of tightnesses in my aproach that were masked by conventional equipment. I had, therefore, a choice; go back to conventional equipment or learn to use my body more efficiently. Obviously I learned to use my body better. Between that and learning some Alexander Technique stuff I felt like a kid again. I've also settled on a sound that I like very well. Some folks don't like it and that's fine as long as I'm happy and the music director is happy. No complaints from any of the ones I've played for, not yet, anyways. My advice is to start with a mouthpiece and see how that goes.
It's all about the horn in your hand and the horn in your head.
ML |