Posted: Wed May 16, 2018 3:37 pm Post subject: Al Cass 3x1 Mouthpiece Questions
Hello trumpet community,
I recently purchased a trumpet mouthpiece at a garage sale and I’m looking to get some info on it.
It says “AL CASS MILFORD MASS 3 x 1” on it, but it looks poorly engraved (probably not done by a machine?). The inside of the cup is silver but the rest is unplated.
Can anyone tell me anything about this mouthpiece? What size it is? When it was made? How much it is worth?
Joined: 16 Mar 2018 Posts: 75 Location: Fort Wayne IN
Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 4:30 am Post subject:
According to what i have been able to read from other forum posts on this site and other sites, this is supposedly a line of screamer mouthpieces and the 3X1 is the deepest of the bunch
Joined: 03 Dec 2001 Posts: 2681 Location: Queens and upstate, NY
Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 9:06 am Post subject:
Yeah man...fantastic small group jazz piece for smaller diameter cats.. It's around a .620 diameter..and I think feels a tad bigger because of the rim shape. Jazz cats like Booker Little and some others played 1-28 models a lot of the time..Pretty similar to the 3x1, but a bigger diameter. The 3X3 is also a wonderful jazz piece..especially in louder small group situations.. Here is a fairly adequate demonstration
User Brad Goode was a long time student of Red's as I understand and posts here..He would have more info I'm sure. Best, Lex _________________ Mpcs: Jim New-Manley Jazz1/Jazz2/Jazz4/Lead3. Legends MF1. Reeves 39EX/HV. Frost 39MVD. Flugel: Jim NewMF3. Jim New-Manley F1+F2. Pickett MF. Reeves HF.
Trumpets: THE LYNNZHORN!!/Stomvi Forte pocket
Flugel: Manchester Brass Pro Model
Www.LexSamu.com
Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 650 Location: Johnson City, Texas
Posted: Sun May 20, 2018 7:25 am Post subject:
On the road in 1968, I was playing outside of Boston and tried unsuccessfully to get over to Milford and see Al after I came across a 4X1 in a local store. Though we never got together in person, we had frequent phone visits and I bought a lot of mouthpieces from him. At the time, the 4-series was the widest diameter with the 3 narrower and the 2 even narrower. The 4X1 was pretty big compared to the others. The 1 designated deepest and the shallowest of each series was the 5.
I eventually settled on the 3X3 for legit work and the 3X5 for lead. I never played the 3X1 though I must have had one at some point.
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In my uneducated opinion, the Cass pieces were from a time when the Bach 10 1/2 size was fairly popular. All the Cass pieces are on the small side for today's preferences. Even the 4 series, which he advertised as a "symphony" piece or as a transitional piece, is probably only about a Bach 5 size (though the Cass rims have no relation to a Bach rim).
As a 3C-type player myself, I do have a 3x1 cornet piece. It is really too small and shallow for me to do anything with. I have a 4x2 that I can and have actually used. I have owned a 1-28 before -- still just too small.
They are/were certainly interesting mouthpieces and have become somewhat of a collector's item. There is a 3x1 on true auction currently on ebay. It might give you an idea of the value at the end.
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 2481 Location: The Big Valley
Posted: Sun May 20, 2018 9:42 am Post subject:
I've collected a few over the years, and among others, still have my 3 x 4, which is pretty shallow for me, but plays amazing if I act like I'm barely playing. Takes some getting used to, but Cass knew what he was doing.
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