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Al Hirt's Mouthpiece


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Winghorn
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 7:28 pm    Post subject: Al Hirt's Mouthpiece Reply with quote

Hello all-

I seem to recall that years ago, I had a Jet-Tone Al Hirt trumpet mouthpiece that had no markings indicating the cup depth or rim contour. I had assumed this was Al's personal model mouthpiece and that you just got a copy of what he played when you bought one.

I currently have a Jet-Tone Severinsen mouthpiece that likewise has no markings other than the DS notation.

I just purchased a beautifully preserved Leblanc Al Hirt trumpet and think it would be fun to get a copy of the exact mouthpiece Al played.

Does anyone know what cup depth and rim shape in the current Al Hirt Jet Tone models that correspond most closely to what Al played?

Are there original, non-marked Al Hirt Jet-Tones still out there (used, of course)? I haven't really seen any.

Thank you.

Steve
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stumac
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a Jet Tone Al Hirt I purchased from a store in New Zealand several years ago, I will look it out when I get home tomorrow.

You may have it if any good to you, its not for me.

Regards, Stuart.
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Winghorn
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 10:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks much, Stuart!

I have a plethora of Bach 1 1/2C and 3C mouthpieces of all vintages, as well dozens of other sizes. I also have many examples of mouthpieces from other makers.

Just let me know what you need, my friend and I'll swap you.

Steve
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Ronnman
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 4:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Winghorn - I have 3 Jet-Tone Al Hirt Mouthpieces. In the pic below, from left to right: Al Hirt, no markings, aluminum gold anodized, Al Hirt Model B, Al Hirt Model A. The Model B is deeper and has a larger throat than the A and is similar to the no marking aluminum mouthpiece. I remember someone on TH, possibly Tony Scodwell, stated Al Hirt played a Jet-Tone Model T3.
Ron


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Martin Committee #2 1954
Leblanc “Al Hirt” Model 1966
Olds Custom Crafted Ultra Sonic 1974
Edwards Gen II 2014
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RETrumpet
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I also have an aluminum Al Hirt. Mine is labeled Al Hirt Model C. I will try and get a picture up tomorrow for you.
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Winghorn
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 9:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, people!
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RETrumpet
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here you go!




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C: Bach 229-MK slide/pipe, Bach 226 with YTR-9445(2) pipe
D/Eb: Bach 239 with YTR-9636 pipe
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Winghorn
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 1:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you, RETrumpet!

Steve
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markp
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 2:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Al Hirt was such a virtuoso, with double and triple tounging and breathtaking technique. He was classically trained at the famous Cincinnati Conservatory.

I've always wondered what equipment he was using there, immersed in lessons, recitals, chamber groups and orchestra. All the mouthpieces I've seen from his professional career in pop and jazz have been very commercial-looking mouthpieces with shallow cups and wide rims.

Surely he must have used more conventional mouthpieces when he was a student. I'd love to hear from someone familiar with this stage of his playing and development.
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loweredsixth
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 4:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

markp wrote:
Al Hirt was such a virtuoso, with double and triple tounging and breathtaking technique. He was classically trained at the famous Cincinnati Conservatory.

I've always wondered what equipment he was using there, immersed in lessons, recitals, chamber groups and orchestra. All the mouthpieces I've seen from his professional career in pop and jazz have been very commercial-looking mouthpieces with shallow cups and wide rims.

Surely he must have used more conventional mouthpieces when he was a student. I'd love to hear from someone familiar with this stage of his playing and development.


Al Hirt was the first trumpeter I ever heard. I had just picked trumpet to play in 5th grade, and my mom took me to the local library to find a record. I saw the cover of an album with a guy (Al Hirt) holding a trumpet, so I grabbed that. I listened to that album a lot.

I'm always amazed at how he got such a massive sound out of a very small mouthpiece!
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Winghorn
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 3:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="loweredsixth"]
markp wrote:


I'm always amazed at how he got such a massive sound out of a very small mouthpiece!


Part of the reason was his large-bore, Leblanc Al Hirt model trumpet, a near-perfect example of which I now own.
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loweredsixth
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 6:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I’ve always loved how Al Hirt played the head on this.


Link

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Denny Schreffler
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:43 am    Post subject: Re: Al Hirt's Mouthpiece Reply with quote

Winghorn wrote:
Hello all-

I seem to recall that years ago, I had a Jet-Tone Al Hirt trumpet mouthpiece that had no markings indicating the cup depth or rim contour. I had assumed this was Al's personal model mouthpiece and that you just got a copy of what he played when you bought one.

I currently have a Jet-Tone Severinsen mouthpiece that likewise has no markings other than the DS notation.

I just purchased a beautifully preserved Leblanc Al Hirt trumpet and think it would be fun to get a copy of the exact mouthpiece Al played.

Does anyone know what cup depth and rim shape in the current Al Hirt Jet Tone models that correspond most closely to what Al played?

Are there original, non-marked Al Hirt Jet-Tones still out there (used, of course)? I haven't really seen any.

Thank you.

Steve


I can’t speak directly to what Al would have played at any particular time in his career, but I’ll add what little I know about Jet-Tone Al Hirt models from Bill Ratzenberger in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

The Jet-Tones that came after Ratzenberger were nothing like the originals. I tried to get a spare Al Hirt-A in the ‘90s and – over a few years – was met with three different iterations with that marking – one even claiming to be as “the original” – that were ridiculously unlike the original.

So, any discussions of Al Hirt Jet-Tones are very slippery.

A, B, C, and D were rim contours – flat → → to round

The Al Hirt was one of the “Standard” models
►Al Hirt – shallow
►Studio – medium
►Symphony – deep
… all sepc’ed at 41/64”

(The other “Standard” pieces were T-1, T-2, T-3, T-4, also 41/64”)

Medium ID, and very shallow, the Al Hirt-A came with a “loose 23” throat. I don’t know anything about the BB

I played a silver-plated, brass Al Hirt-A JetTone, which I ordered from the shop in Connecticut in 1970 (along with a Studio-A, a Symphony-A, and a Fluegelhorn-A), for 35+ years. I never came to terms with the aluminum versions.

Steve Patrick makes an homage to the old Al Hirt-A, but I don't know if the throat is correct.

-Denny

Oh ► the DS on the original Jet-Tones is for Dave Stahl, not for Doc.
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Winghorn
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 3:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Denny!

But in another thread entitled Jet Tone Mouthpiece, it was pretty conclusively established that the "DS" on the original Jet-Tones was for Doc Severinsen, not Dave Stahl.

The Dave Stahl models were said to have been marked "D. Stahl" or "SS". This information was apparently garnered from some earlier Jet Tone catalogs.
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Ronnman
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 4:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DS is the Doc Severinsen Jet-Tone model. See some acquire sheets of info on Jet-Tone mouthpieces. I believe the first one is the modern recreations and the second is the original Jet-Tones.
Ron



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Martin Committee #2 1954
Leblanc “Al Hirt” Model 1966
Olds Custom Crafted Ultra Sonic 1974
Edwards Gen II 2014
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Winghorn
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Ron!

Yeah, I remember having a Jet-Tone catalog years ago that was just like your second example.
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JeffM729
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2021 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I believe that the letters A, B, C, and D on the Al Hirt model Jet-Tones referred to the rim. The flat A rim was the standard for that model.
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Winghorn
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 9:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Jeff-

You are right. But was the rim on the mouthpiece Al himself actually played one of the lettered ones (A?), or was Al's personal rim different from any of the rim models listed?

That is why I asked about an Al Hirt Jet-Tone mouthpiece that had no marking for the rim shape- no A, B, C or D, but was just inscribed "Al Hirt". I would assume this mouthpiece had the exact rim Al played.

I have a DS (Severinsen) Jet-Tone mouthpiece from the Ratzenberger era that has no marking for the rim shape, just a "DS" inscription. I also have a Getzen Severinsen model mouthpiece that likewise has no rim designation. Again, I assume both these mouthpiece have the rim actually used by Doc.

Does anyone have a Al Hirt Jet-tone without a rim designation?

Steve
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bear30101
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 9:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In the early '70s Bill Ratzenberger gave me several mouthpieces like the left-most one in the picture of three above. He told me that Al would only play that unmarked model of the several that bore his name.
During a gig in 1978, Vince Shank produced an identical one from his pocket saying that Al had given it to him in New Orleans a few years earlier. It is anodized aluminum, has a ruler-flat rim and a fairly large bore. (Either 22 or 24, it's been a long time since I measured.)
He recommended I try it, and then loaned it to me while we continued our tour until I could have one of mine sent to meet us.
(Vincent is a wonderful musician. A remarkable and generous human being.)
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Winghorn
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I was able acquire a mint, as new, original Jet-Tone Al Hirt mouthpiece from the Ratzenberger era!

It is made of aluminum and has a gold anodized finish. It is just stamped "Al Hirt Model" with no other markings.

It is shallow and has a wide, flat rim, which makes estimating the cup diameter difficult. The throat is quite large.

I am actually a little surprised that I can fairly comfortably play the thing, considering its rim shape and cup diameter! I have always had trouble with the later Al Hirt models, as they just felt too small and constricting.

So...

It is by far the easiest playing trumpet mouthpiece I have ever owned. Even the upper register seems effortless, and double and triple tonguing is a breeze. And the tone is actually quite good considering how shallow the cup is.

But after playing it a few minutes, my chops start to revolt and it becomes clumsy. I guess my "muscle memory" from playing a Bach 1 1/2C mouthpiece for so many years is incompatible with the Jet-Tone's design elements and playing characteristics.

I am sure I could adapt to the Jet-Tone over time, but right now I am afraid to try. Maybe in a few years after my strength and breath support have declined, I can pull it out and hopefully keep on playing!
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