Anyone use/like Bach 5B?

gbdeamer · Heavyweight Member Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 2306

My 10 year-old is starting to play in school and he got a Bach 5B mouthpiece with his horn. I grew up playing a 7c and eventually landed on a 3C so i have no experience with this 5B.

Looks kind of middle of the road, not too shallow, not too deep, so I'm leaning towards having him play ont it as opposed to going out and buying something different (like a 7C or 3C).

Any experience/opinions with it?

AJCarter · Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:25 pm Post subject:

I like the 5B. It gets a nice sound. It can be brilliant and cutting or warm and intimate. Just make sure to encourage your son to practice regularly. The only thing that bugged me at first was the bite. the inner rim felt kind of sharp, but with practice and time I got used to it.

John Hagstrom of the Chicago Symphony plays on a piece that is SIMILAR (not exactly) a 5B, or so I'm told.
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BudBix · Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:55 pm Post subject:

In junior high we had a set of Bach long bell cornets with Bach 5B mouthpieces. Didn't slow anyone down. I actually find the rim on a 5B to be more comfortable than a 7C.

Irving · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Feb 2003 Posts: 1890

That 5B rim, IMHO, is not that user friendly. I would go for something in the 8, or 6 family, referring to Bachs.

mikeman7 · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 1:28 pm Post subject:

A dead beginner with a 5B, thank god!!!!!

IMO they all should start on a 5B. i have no idea who decided the 7C was the one to start with, but all but the smallest lipped kids should at least try to start on a 5B. they'll have a much better sound and be able to use them longer like into high school unless they turn into monster 6' 8th graders like a couple i had!

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TrentAustin · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 1:31 pm Post subject:

I love the 5B cup. I hate the 5B rim. I'm working on a 5B/1C rim, 5B/1B rim, 5B/3C rim, and a 5B/TA rim currently.
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trumpetera · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:23 pm Post subject:

I played a Bach 5B for years at work. Actually, I wonder why I switched!

Now, where is that old 5B of mine!?
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Scott42486 · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:50 pm Post subject:

Trent, if you can develop something in the 5 series with a rim that I don't hate I'll probably buy one. Seems the 5 series for most makers are rather lacking.
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DavesTrumpet · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:51 pm Post subject:

I tend to agree with Trent. I love the cup, and it's tone, but the rim, I never cared for way back when I played this mpc in high school. That was 30 years ago, though. Maybe I ought to try it again. I just remember with the embouchure I had then that the 5B often felt "sharp" like it was digging into my lips.

My teacher, John Haynie, preferred starting beginners on this mpc. I've had several students over the years start on this mpc as well, and their tone was always better on it.
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jadickson · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:52 pm Post subject:

Love the tone, hate hate hate the rim. At least the rim on the current-production version.

jadickson · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:53 pm Post subject:

DavesTrumpet · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:54 pm Post subject:

Interesting how many of us like the tone but hate the rim.

Trent, I'm curious to see what you come up with in a 3C.
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DavesTrumpet · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:56 pm Post subject:

RandyTX · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:10 pm Post subject:

I started playing on Cornet, and a 5b was the "everybody uses this" mouthpiece, at least in the school district I started in (late 70s). Judging by forsale ads for beginner cornets and the mouthpieces listed with them, it's still quite common for cornet.

It's a fairly deep cup, great tone, definitely not a "cheater" mouthpiece, which is great, as long as the student doesn't resort to trying to use the octave key on the leadpipe to get up high before his chops are developed enough to make it happen. A fair number of well known symphony players play on this piece, or something very similar to it, so there's nothing technically wrong with it, if a 5 rim diameter is a good fit for him.

If it doesn't feel painful to him on the chops, I see no reason to change until he knows more the instrument and decides he needs to find something else.

When I got a trumpet, I tried a lot of other mouthpieces, because everyone said "Ugh, a 5b. that's horrid." For me it worked great, just as it had on Cornet, and had a gorgeous sound for me, so I stuck with it. Invariably somebody was always trying to get me to switch to something else, like it had the plague or something. Somehow I was always sitting ahead of them in whatever ensemble we were in though.

I didn't try to convert anyone to it. I have never understood why other people would try to get me to change mine if I was comfortable with it.

I've never been motivated by a report of "Joe Famous Trumpetplayer uses a Xyz9000-a/v3/markII" anyway. All these threads about what mouthpieces some player uses are interesting only as a curiosity for me. Apparently a lot of people feel they need to pick up a mouthpiece that is a good fit for somebody else's chops, and expect similar results. That has never made a lick of sense to me.

I am currently playing on a Curry 5BC, which is essentially the same cup, with a C-ish rim. I got it mainly because my old 5b was literally worn out, and dinged up a bit on the end of the shank, and I had heard too many stories about variations with Bach pieces. For me, it plays very similarly, feels just as comfortable. If the old Bach 5b was still in good shape, I'd have not had any reason to change though.
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RandyTX · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:11 pm Post subject:

Those of you upthread that mention liking the 5B but hating the rim, I think the Curry 5BC should definitely be on your "must try list".
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Ed Kennedy · Heavyweight Member Joined: 15 Jan 2005 Posts: 3187

Gerard Schwartz did pretty well with it.

MrOlds · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:49 pm Post subject:

swingshift · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 5:12 pm Post subject:

wedge 5B solves the problem...its AWSOME!! rim is great...sound is great...range is great...tone is great...maybe its just me....nope..its the 5B!
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trpt2 · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 7:37 pm Post subject: 5B

I have found the 5B to be an excellent all-around mouthpiece. I know a few top orchestral players who use/have used them. Keep in mind, the rim is entirely an individual matter- what works for one may be a totally inappropriate fit for another. I used one early in my career, and it was a life saver in many situations for me. I have also seen many (well, maybe a few!) players use the 5B underpart with a 1 1/2 rim. (it works quite well!)

Food for thought.....

Bob

By the way, I haven't used this set-up in YEARS- So no rumors, please !!

irith · Heavyweight Member Joined: 14 Sep 2008 Posts: 879

I started on the 5B, and as a general rule I think it's a better piece. More comfortable than the 7C (though not really comfortable either) and gives a really good sound. Most players would be hard pressed to "outgrow" the 5B at any point in high school. Small enough rim to be reasonable, but open enough to not encourage laser tones.
If the 5B has a more comfortable rim, I might still be playing it. The rim on my Pickett Brass is great, though. I vote to try a Pickett 4 or 5 to anyone in the market for that size that wants a more comfortable rim. The Pickett rim is the most comfortable and playable I've ever used.
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