As an artist that performs in a wide variety of styles and settings, having the right equipment for the job at hand has always been extremely important to me. With Ivan Giddings' incredible designs I have finally found a line of mouthpieces that match my needs- whether I am playing tenor or bass trombone, as a soloist, in an orchestra, chamber group, commercial group or in the studio, these mouthpieces are up for providing the flexibility that my career demands, with no compromise at all. Also, stainless steel is the real deal! It feels better on my face and responds faster than any other mouthpiece I have tried. Bravo Ivan on your amazing work!In these few weeks I really have been able to put the TZ-103 through a lot of trials and different styles. I am happy with it, and look forward to using it for a long time. Thanks for everything Ivan, and looking forward to working with you!