Curry Cornet MP question

[bradnott]

I have a 1927 Conn Victor (80a) and have read on these forums that a great mouthpiece option for that kind of horn is a Curry Precision cornet mouthpiece with a Conn short shank.

Do any of the Curry cornet mouthpieces come with a Conn short shank, or are all of the short shank mouthpieces custom jobs?

I ask because it would be great to buy one of these mouthpieces, but I want to be sure that I'm buying what others have recommended and not something for a more modern leadpipe receiver.

Oh, and I intend to use the horn for traditional jazz so I'm not looking for a huge cup. Probably something in the middle to capture the cornet tone but add some brightness and projection that aren't hallmarks of the deeper cups.

Thanks!

[cheiden]

From the Curry website...
"Special Cornet Shanks

"C" Conn short cornet blank now available! Pre-1958 (serial numbers less than 700,00) Conn cornet afficianados can now order their favorite Curry cornet cup in the correct size for these popular cornets. At 2.5" long with the correct 60 thousandths/inch taper (and correct shank diameter) these vintage cornets speak easier with better intonation! Thanks to Rick Henrickson of NYC and Alan Hancock (UK) for their insightful help and research. For more, check out this informative link http://www.xs4all.nl/~cderksen/ConnArticle34.html."
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"I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart

[Turkle]

If you look at the Curry website, the information you seek is there.

http://www.currympc.com/index.php?id=49
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Yamaha 8310Z trumpet
Yamaha 8310Z flugel
Curry 3.

[TrumpetMD]

I have a vintage Curry cornet mouthpiece, the "3VC.". I believe they provide the VC (vintage) style in every size. On my "3VC.", the shank is shorter, and it's a deep V cup. In addition, the rim is narrow and flat, and is nothing like their "3C." rim. Also FWIW, the short shank, deep V cup, and narrow/flat rim is similar to the Yamaha short shank cornet mouthpieces.

Mike
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Bach Stradivarius 43* Trumpet (1974), Bach 6C Mouthpiece.
Bach Stradivarius 184 Cornet (1988), Yamaha 13E4 Mouthpiece
Olds L-12 Flugelhorn (1969), Yamaha 13F4 Mouthpiece.
Plus a few other Bach, Getzen, Olds, Carol, HN White, and Besson horns.

[bradnott]

Thanks for the pointers. So the early Conn short shank does appear to be a custom order option.

I'm close to one of the dealers they list on the Curry site, so I will probably go and test some mouthpieces out in person sometime soon. That should help me get a good feel for the various rim shape/size and cup combinations in the Curry line.

[Richard III]

For your intended use, I would recommend the Curry P mouthpiece. It is not that shallow and adds a sparkle to the sound that really works for the old jazz stuff.

Also, I've never noticed any issues using the standard Curry cornet mouthpieces on any of my old Conns. I've never bothered with ordering a special Conn shank.
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Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

[TrumpetMD]

[agroovin48]

I ordered a Conn short shank 7VC from Curry about 4 years ago and use it with my 1933 80A. The cornet sounds almost identical when played with the original Conn Wonder mouthpiece. It produces a brighter sound than larger mouthpieces such as a 3 or a 5, but still has the cornet mellowness to it. It is also a very comfortable mouthpiece to play. It may not be what one would want for a British Brass Band, but it produces the kind of sparkle that I like.
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agroovin48

Alan Cahill

1933 Conn Victor 80A Cornet
King Legend 2070
Adams A1V2

[kehaulani]

Conn New Wonder with a Curry 5VC here.
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"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

[bradnott]

I appreciate the support everyone! I love my old Conn and look forward to experimenting with some mouthpieces to find one that helps me take advantage of the character of a nearly 100 year-old horn.

I'm already amazed at how responsive (sensitive?) it is to variations in mouthpiece design after trying some different options. It's clear that there are better options for this horn, and some real horrible choices too...

[Richard III]

And then there is the vintage mouthpiece approach. I have mouthpieces that were made at the same time as the instruments they were made for. I'll never go back to modern mouthpieces. My favorite trumpet is a Cleveland Toreador from 1937. The Cleveland T mouthpiece works perfectly. I have a 1937 King Silvertone cornet that also works well with a Cleveland C mouthpiece. See what I'm saying? The same mouthpiece really, really works so well with the H. N. White "The Clevelander" cornet.

Oh yes, the Cleveland mouthpieces are T and C for trumpet and cornet. Things were simpler then.
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Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

[Denny Schreffler]

[delano]

Denny here above is spot on. A Conn short shank is longer (it's 2.5") than a regular short shank like the normal VC (the VC is about 4 mm shorter).
And the Conn short cornet shank has a little bit faster taper.
BTW the Curry VC is not for everyone, it's more of a fun mp for ancient sounds.
Most Curry mp's are on the bright side. For playing a 80A is that not necessarily a problem, the trad players played often trumpet cups on it. I own a Curry BBC with special Conn shank (there is a C engraved on the shank) and that is quite an allround cornet mouthpiece. Not very deep with a true cornet sound but not too much. I'm not sure you can play the Tigerrag on it well, it could lack projection.
In my experience the old Conn cornets play rather well with a normal short shank cornet mouthpiece, more in particular: the Denis Wick mp's. And they wobble only a tiny little bit in the old Conn receiver. Long shank is more problematic (resistance, intonation).

[bradnott]

[Dale Proctor]

Conn Improved precision, Conn Precision "short shank", and Wick cornet mouthpieces for a length comparison.


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"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham

[chapahi]

I got a Conn short shank Curry 10.5 that's based on a Mouint Vernon 10.5. Great mouthpiece. Sadly I don't have the Conn 12A anymore...
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Sima, Kanstul 1525 Flugel and Kanstul pocket trumpet. Olds Super