Yamaha size 11 mouthpieces work for me

kallen

Yamaha size 11 mouthpieces (cup diameters in the Bach 7C range) come in a wide variety of models for trumpet, cornet, and fluegelhorn, many with exactly the same rim contour (as far as I can tell), making it easy to switch instruments.

For trumpet: 11C4, 11B4, 11B4-GP (heavy body), 11A4. The last "4" indicates a semi-flat rim contour. I find it fairly easy to switch among these, depending on what cup depth is called for and depending on which one works with which horn. Haven't tried the Yamaha 11 (comparable to Schilke 11), but that mouthpiece has different cup diameter, rim contour, and throat specs.

For fluegelhorn: 11F4. I found the stock version to be a little stuffy, but drilling out the throat to #24 (from 3.80 mm to 3.861 mm) opens it up so that its resistance feels more like the trumpet mouthpieces. Same rim as the trumpet mouthpieces, making it an easy switch.

For cornet: 11E4S, 11C4L, 11C4S. (For cornet, the S indicates a short shank, and L indicates a long shank.) Rims on all these feel same as the trumpet rims. The 11C4S has a tighter backbore than the 11C4L. The 11E4S is deep and has a larger throat, giving a darker sound. Yamaha also makes an 11B4L and 11A4L, but those have different cup diameters and appear to be intended more for piccolo trumpet. I tried the 11B4L and decided the cup diameter felt too large.

I also experimented with sending an 11B4 trumpet mouthpiece to Warburton to have them cut off the top and thread it for Warburton backbores. So another option for cornet is 11B4 trumpet top + Warburton 7 cornet backbore, if I want a brighter sound on cornet.

What I like about these Yamaha mouthpieces:
- Consistency. Any two of the same model will be virtually identical.
- Price. They are very cost-effective.
- Design. Rim feels good to me. Cup and backbore work well together.
- Sound. These sound pretty good, maybe especially with Yamaha horns.
- Large number of options in size 11, most with same rim.

One of my main goals was to find mouthpiece/horn combinations that would make it easy to switch among four different horns. It took me a few years to figure this out, but my current setup really works for me. Hope this information is useful to someone out there.
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B_Starry · Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 7:55 pm Post subject:

I'm glad you found a good set of horn & mouthpiece combinations that work for you. This is something that may take awhile, as you know. And that is a VERY nice set of instruments you've paired them up with!

I've (somewhat) settled on Warburton 4s and Curry 5s for my horns (trumpet, cornet, flugel), though I am trying to convince myself the Giddings stainless steel is a better way to go on trumpet. The response and tone are more appealing to me than normal brass mouthpieces, but they just are not as comfortable (for me, anyway.)

Thanks for sharing.
- Brian
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kallen · Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 7:03 pm Post subject:

chaplaincolby · Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:42 am Post subject:

Thanks for this thread. I learned very useful info about Yamaha mouthpieces. I'm playing an 11E4 on my King 602 cornet that I obtained a few months ago. I decided to try the 11E4 because I used to play an 18C4 on my trumpet, years ago before life took me away from playing, and it just always felt the best. I'm glad to hear that the 11 series, trumpet and cornet, have the same rim. I'm wondering if the 18 series has the same rim as the 11. They feel the same to me. The 18C4 always sounded beautiful with my 1996 King Silver Flair trumpet when I did my part. The 11E4 sounds dark and full on the King cornet, again when I do my part.
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kallen · Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:14 pm Post subject:

delano · Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 12:54 am Post subject:

I think I made a similar choice as Kallen but then in the Yamaha 14 range.
BTW some years ago I played also a lot of Yamaha pieces in the 11 range.
Some comments: the 4 rim is nice but it is not necessary to be very severe on it. I use: a 14D4 on trumpet, sometimes a 14B4GP, a 14E on cornet, a 14F4 on flügelhorn. The rim of the 14E, though not a 4 one, is not at all problematic for me.
I don't like the Yamaha C-cups that much, certainly not for cornet, on trumpet I prefer the B and D cups.
The 11E4 (the E cornet cups are only in ss) could be tiring because of the very big throat (4.20). The 14E4 (and the great 16E4) throat is 3.98.
The 11F4 could be stuffy because it has a somehow weird (for a flugel mp) U formed cup and a tight throat, together causing maybe too much compression for the necessary back off flügel airstream. And maybe the Yamaha flügel mouthpieces are weird anyway. In fact when I received my 14F4 I could not play it at all! Thought about sending it back but tried it for a few days and it became my favorite Yamaha mp. After a few days it opened up beautifully with great tone and response. I use it for German rotary flügel (with an adapter), for pocket trumpet (with the same adapter) and for a vintage Dutch/Belgium cornet with an odd receiver.
BTW for my upcoming TARV trumpet, which is on order, I bought a Yamaha 14E4 trumpet mp equipped with a big throat and a big bb.