Since 1979, the tip opening has been about a 7. Before that it was more like a 5. Mike has a history of serious throat problems relating to hs larynx. He was born with two holes in his larynx (one on each side). Normally this disorder would go un-noticed, but since Mike is a horn player, it became very noticeable. The disorder causes his throat to bulge much like a hernia when under pressure. Mike had surgery to correct the problem back in his early 20's, but it never really got better. Therefore, he's been forced to experiment with various setups to find the right resistance and feel. This is why he uses soft reeds, strength 2 or 2 1/2.