British-style Brass Band mpc

[bean_counter]

Hi,

I just joined a brass band, am playing back row (2nd cornet). Using a Besson 1000 cornet I picked up for cheap. I'll buy something better soon, but it's not a bad horn for small $.

Background: comeback player, my usual trumpet mouthpiece is a Schilke 18 or 18B4. I tried smaller (Schilke 14A4) in a church band that played challenging (to me) commercial style material, but I my chops would "shut down" after a while. "Solved" the problem with the 18B4.

Based on that experience, I started on cornet on a big Denis Wick 2B. Decent sound, endurance just ok, really nice low/mid register where I generally live, but anything over the staff is iffy. Reading the archives I guess that's not too unusual on a 2B.

I've only been at it three weeks, but my thought is that I may have over-compensated and I am using too big a mouthpiece on cornet. Any suggestions on which direction should I go next? Move up a Wick number? Curry BBC? Or?
_________________
Kevin Mc
Strad 180s37 (07 'True Bach'), Schilke 18 or 18B4
anon OTS Bb Saxhorn, Berliner valves c. 1860
Eclipse cornet (Yellow, Bauerfeind) DW 4B Heritage
Cousnon clairon Bb
'60s Besson tenor horn DW 3

[zaferis]

Why not a Schilke cornet mouthpiece with the same rim? I personally like to have the same rim from setup to setup, makes going from instrument to instrument easier.

I like Curry rims - an exellent blend of function, comfort, and consistency. But they would probably feel noticabley different from a Schilke ( as well as Wick - which to me would be a drastic change). With my cornet setup, I probably use the Curry BBC the least, DC, TC then BBC or Vintage -VC.

Then, there are a ton of options from a number of makers. As best you can you should experiment - there's no telling what will work the best for you.
_________________
Freelance Performer/Educator
Adjunct Professor
Bach Trumpet Endorsing Artist
Retired Air Force Bandsman

[coraltrpt]

I have to play cornet - not by choice. Switching between horns during concerts is a pain. However, I started using a Stork 2C after going from a 4B and a 2B. Both were too deep for me. The Stork 2C feels a little less awkward and more trumpet-like. I was still able to blend well with our principal player, who is a born-and-raised salvation army cornet player.

[Arbanator]

A Wick 4 no letter might be the most common in Britain. Pickett has a line of British cornet mouthpieces designed to be easier to play but reaching for a similar sound. I moved from the Wick 4 to the Pickett 3 and have been happy.

[Richard III]

[bean_counter]

Thank you.

I will likely stick with the Wick 2B through the early December Christmas concert, see how that works out, then if needed I’ll look at the Schilke concert series 18E. I didn’t realize they made as a standard item a brass band style mpc with an 18 rim.

The local shop is going to carry Pickett starting next year, I might try them too.

Thanks again!
_________________
Kevin Mc
Strad 180s37 (07 'True Bach'), Schilke 18 or 18B4
anon OTS Bb Saxhorn, Berliner valves c. 1860
Eclipse cornet (Yellow, Bauerfeind) DW 4B Heritage
Cousnon clairon Bb
'60s Besson tenor horn DW 3

[Louise Finch]

Hi bean_counter

In my experience, Besson cornets and a Denis Wick mouthpiece are a very good match, and really compliment each other. Although fairly large in terms of cup diameter, I don't think that the cup diameter of the Denis Wick 2B is too extreme, and the depth of the B cup is reasonable.

You could try the Denis Wick 3B. Although the quoted cup diameter is 16.75mm, I find a Denis Wick 3B at least feel like it has a larger cup diameter than my large variant Bach 3C trumpet mouthpiece, which according to someone who put a copy of my rim on a Denis Wick 4B cornet mouthpiece and adjusted the diameter/shape of the top of the Denis Wick 4B cup to match, has a diameter larger than a typical Bach 1 1/2C.

The Denis Wick 3B is therefore not at all small, and could be worth a try. My understanding is however that the Denis Wick 2B has a nicer sound, and I keep meaning to get one for myself.

All the best

Lou
_________________
Trumpets:
Yamaha 8335 Xeno II
Bach Strad 180ML/37
B&H Oxford
Kanstul F Besson C
Yamaha D and D/Eb
- James R New Custom 3Cs
Flugel:
Bach Strad 183 - Bach 3CFL
Cornets:
Yamaha Neo + Xeno
Bach Strad 184ML
B&H Imperial
- Kanstul Custom 3Cs

[delano]

Three weeks, come on.

[BudBix]

In my experience the best alternatives to Wick are Warburton's BC cups/backbores and Pickett's British cornet mouthpieces. Both get a nice rich sound while adding enough resistance to improve articulations and endurance.

[Richard III]

[LSOfanboy]

[Arbanator]

Besson ships its Prestige cornet with an Alliance 2A mouthpiece. It's a good piece.

[TKSop]

[Andy Del]

There are common solutions to the seemingly never ending With mouthpiece issues everyone hears about all the time.

The first is to just keep on plugging away at it, hoping you will get it to work in the end.

The second, which most try and so many mouthpiece makers have accommodated is to move to a more user friendly brand. I would go down this path.

Frankly, if it isn't working after 3 weeks, then it isn't going to work. One should get an almost immediate feeling that a mouthpiece is going to work for you, not feel like you need to spend weeks or months working with it and accommodating your playing to get it to work!

You will need to do a bit of a search, but will end up with a far more happy setup. Go with a deep Schilke cup matching your current rim as a starter. Then the maker's deep cup cornet mouthpieces which match your rim. For me, it is the rim that needs to work, the cup etc. can all be adjusted to help you create the sound you want...

cheers

Andy
_________________
so many horns, so few good notes...

[bean_counter]

Thanks again to everybody for the replies. I have been remiss in updating where I ended up going.

With all the activity of the Christmas season, I just didn't get around to doing anything. Then at the first rehearsal for the Spring concert, I was invited to audition for the front row in two week's time. *Gulp* So, I went to the local music store and they had a Wick 4B Heritage in stock. I thought why not give it a try.

There's certainly a reason it's popular. It worked for me, and quite well. I would still like something a bit wider, but at this point I don't think I'll mess with success for a while. I played at the end of the front row for the last two concerts, and this fall I'll be on Repiano.

I'm probably in the minority, but I really, really like the flat rims and undercut of the Wick cornet mouthpieces.
_________________
Kevin Mc
Strad 180s37 (07 'True Bach'), Schilke 18 or 18B4
anon OTS Bb Saxhorn, Berliner valves c. 1860
Eclipse cornet (Yellow, Bauerfeind) DW 4B Heritage
Cousnon clairon Bb
'60s Besson tenor horn DW 3

[NERO]

For a BBB besson and wick is a perfect match. The 2 rim with a deep cup is very big. Difficult to play in my opinion. I prefer smaller rim. DW 4 and 4b when I need to play higher... Easy to switch with no embochoure changes.

[trumpet56]

I would try an Alliance 2AW (made by Wick). More comfortable rim than a Wick but still with that BB cornet sound.

[Seymor B Fudd]

[trumpet_cop]

[TKSop]