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kehaulani
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Posts: 8998
Location: Hawai`i - Texas
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 Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:06 am Post subject: |
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I may be dense, but what's wrong with, instead of shots-in-the-dark mpc safari-ing, what's wrong with getting a good starting place, saving time and money, with contacting Curry?
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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
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Abraxas
Veteran Member
Joined: 31 Jan 2018
Posts: 345
Location: London, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:17 am Post subject: |
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Good read but not just that article, rather all the comments below it.
Be nice when the masks come off some day. We can get back to studying peoples mouths.
As much of a hack I am, I can't help but notice that lip and mouth size are wildly variable from one person to another and as shape gives rise to function - the Golden Rule of biology - I don't see how one can have a settled opinion on any mouthpiece in this variability of anatomy and physiology.
As if this variance isn't enough to throw the rules out the window, we are aging and that adds more dynamics to our observations.
Try them all or at least as many as you can. The problem with these gear pursuits is they can wind up being distractions if allowed to get out of hand. Go hang with some guitar players, to really see some insanely all hat and no horse "players". |
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TiredChops
Veteran Member
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 242
Location: USA
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| Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:17 am Post subject: |
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| kehaulani wrote: | | I may be dense, but what's wrong with, instead of shots-in-the-dark mpc safari-ing, what's wrong with getting a good starting place, saving time and money, with contacting Curry? |
I guess I don't know what I would ask him. I have a broad range of his mouthpieces and I'm looking for opinions on switching away from Curry.
The very first sentence of my post mentions looking at mouthpieces made by "other manufacturers".
So am I supposed to call Mark and say "Hi, what is your opinion of me switching away from your mouthpiece to someone else's ?"
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kehaulani
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Posts: 8998
Location: Hawai`i - Texas
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| Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:27 am Post subject: |
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You could tell them exactly what you find lacking in your present mouthpiece, what your goal is, and using their response to pass along to other mpc manufacturers and start your search with a narrower target.
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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
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Irving
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 11 Feb 2003
Posts: 1885
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| Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 11:53 am Post subject: |
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Mouthpiece safaris=waste of time and money. You have to ask yourself why you want to go on a mouthpiece safari? Be honest, are you unhappy with your playing? A mouthpiece safari won't change that. We are human and look for the easiest solution to any problem. If a new mouthpiece were a solution, then I would say, sure go ahead and buy as many mouthpieces as you can afford, preferably from the sellers that visit this sight. The more you spend, the better the mouthpiece will be and you will improve immediately. Sadly, this won't happen. Maybe you will have to go through a safari to find this out, since somebody else telling you on an internet forum isn't very convincing. Anyway, best of luck! I'd sooner spend money on lessons, but I'm not you. If you do go on a safari, make sure you keep your original mouthpiece. You might end up using it again.  |
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cheiden
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 28 Sep 2004
Posts: 8911
Location: Orange County, CA
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| Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 3:51 pm Post subject: Re: Considering starting a mouthpiece safari, looking for ad |
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| TiredChops wrote: | | ...I can't help but wonder if a different mouthpiece would also be of benefit. |
The eternal question.
I think you'd do well to refine the areas of "benefit" that you think are most wanted/needed at this point in time. That could make for more targeted recommendations.
I rather liked the Curry pieces I tried. The sound and blow were very attractive compared to the Bachs. But the Curry 3. rim feels too big for me, more like a Bach 1.5C which hurts my range and endurance in a way that I didn't feel would ever improve. I was informed that the Curry 5 rim shape is modeled after the Bach 5 which I don't like so I didn't pursue them further.
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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 |
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Andy Cooper
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 15 Nov 2001
Posts: 1825
Location: Terre Haute, IN USA
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| Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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| TiredChops wrote: | | Andy Cooper wrote: | Consider something a little less disruptive - a backbore safari.
Mouthpiece express has the Curry 3M threaded top (only) in stock. You can then confine your safari to just commercial backbores. Warburton has some interesting ones, Pickett, Ken Titmus has some. You might find some on TH Marketplace. |
So excuse the Newbie question, but if I buy that Curry top, do all the backbores you mention fit ? In other words, is the thread size on tops and backbores standardized across all manufacturers ? |
Currently manufactured two piece top/backbore mouthpieces from American companies have pretty much standardized to a Warburton thread. So - Kanstul, Titmus, Warburton, Pickett, Frost, Patrick, Legend, Meeuwsen , Jim New -and any that you purchase cut and threaded from Mouthpiece Express - yes. If you have an old mouthpiece that you would like to convert either the top or the backbore to a two piece system you can send it to a maker such as Frost, Titmus, or Meeuwsen for conversion. In conversion, a one piece mouthpiece can give you either a top or a backbore but not both from the same mouthpiece.
Old Tottle/DiOrio , Giardinelli and Kelly Stainless steel trumpet mouthpieces - no - they are different.
(Note - it's better ,when you are new to two piece mouthpieces ,to be sure that the throat size of the top and the throat size of the backbore are the same. Mis-matches will still work but it's just one less variable to mess with. The stock throat for most makers is a #27. ) |
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TiredChops
Veteran Member
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 242
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 5:28 am Post subject: |
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| Andy Cooper wrote: | | TiredChops wrote: | | Andy Cooper wrote: | Consider something a little less disruptive - a backbore safari.
Mouthpiece express has the Curry 3M threaded top (only) in stock. You can then confine your safari to just commercial backbores. Warburton has some interesting ones, Pickett, Ken Titmus has some. You might find some on TH Marketplace. |
So excuse the Newbie question, but if I buy that Curry top, do all the backbores you mention fit ? In other words, is the thread size on tops and backbores standardized across all manufacturers ? |
Currently manufactured two piece top/backbore mouthpieces from American companies have pretty much standardized to a Warburton thread. So - Kanstul, Titmus, Warburton, Pickett, Frost, Patrick, Legend, Meeuwsen , Jim New -and any that you purchase cut and threaded from Mouthpiece Express - yes. If you have an old mouthpiece that you would like to convert either the top or the backbore to a two piece system you can send it to a maker such as Frost, Titmus, or Meeuwsen for conversion. In conversion, a one piece mouthpiece can give you either a top or a backbore but not both from the same mouthpiece.
Old Tottle/DiOrio , Giardinelli and Kelly Stainless steel trumpet mouthpieces - no - they are different.
(Note - it's better ,when you are new to two piece mouthpieces ,to be sure that the throat size of the top and the throat size of the backbore are the same. Mis-matches will still work but it's just one less variable to mess with. The stock throat for most makers is a #27. ) |
Thanks, this is good info !! |
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Manuel de los Campos
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 29 Jul 2004
Posts: 653
Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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| Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 8:39 am Post subject: |
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| Irving wrote: | | Mouthpiece safaris=waste of time and money. You have to ask yourself why you want to go on a mouthpiece safari? Be honest, are you unhappy with your playing? A mouthpiece safari won't change that. |
I do not agree; my mouthpiece safari helpt me a lot:
1) Denis Wick 3c: Good range, sufficient sound but not in fashion those days (80's) than everybody (?) said bigger = better
2) Bach 1 1/2c: Big sound but range went down as did the stamina, maybe better with a smaller piece?
3) Bach 3c: Good sound but no better stamina. Okee, let's try a smaller Bach.
4) Bach 5c: Very uncomforatable, piece of junk to me, somebody let me try:
5) Yamaha 11B4: Nice! Finally range came back but the piece was to me a little too small. Nice rim though! Let's try one size bigger
6)Yamaha 12B4 (as I remember): Totally different (uncomfortable) feel, I exchanged this one for a:
7) Warburton single piece 4s: Wow, what a comfortable rim, this is what I like. What I disliked was that the piece is too big and too shallow but Warburton is consequent in the shape of the rim so I ordered a piece one size smaller and less shallow:
8 ) Warburton 5m, with this one I stick: Great sound, far better range and stamina. This one I play since 10 years, I use it for pop music as well as in a symphonic orchestra
What I try to say is that if you do safari you should not panic but do a goal oriented search. The great thing about Warburton to me is that they are consequent in 'feel' and that you can switch to other backbores (trumpet - cornet) with the same top part and that you can experiment nicely with different backbores.
Try one, if you are comfortable with the shape of the rim, with the 'feel' it can change your trumpet playing as it did mine[/list]
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Technology alone is a poor substitute for experience. (Richard Sachs) |
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cheiden
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 28 Sep 2004
Posts: 8911
Location: Orange County, CA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 9:15 am Post subject: |
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| Manuel de los Campos wrote: |
I do not agree; my mouthpiece safari helpt me a lot:
1) Denis Wick 3c: Good range, sufficient sound but not in fashion those days (80's) than everybody (?) said bigger = better
2) Bach 1 1/2c: Big sound but range went down as did the stamina, maybe better with a smaller piece?
3) Bach 3c: Good sound but no better stamina. Okee, let's try a smaller Bach.
4) Bach 5c: Very uncomforatable, piece of junk to me, somebody let me try:
5) Yamaha 11B4: Nice! Finally range came back but the piece was to me a little too small. Nice rim though! Let's try one size bigger
6)Yamaha 12B4 (as I remember): Totally different (uncomfortable) feel, I exchanged this one for a:
7) Warburton single piece 4s: Wow, what a comfortable rim, this is what I like. What I disliked was that the piece is too big and too shallow but Warburton is consequent in the shape of the rim so I ordered a piece one size smaller and less shallow:
8 ) Warburton 5m, with this one I stick: Great sound, far better range and stamina. This one I play since 10 years, I use it for pop music as well as in a symphonic orchestra |
I really appreciate your detailed safarai. Some of your observations match my own. It makes me curious to try the Warburton 5M.
_________________
"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 |
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Richard III
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 22 May 2007
Posts: 2648
Location: Anacortes, WA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 9:48 am Post subject: |
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Okay, the story one more time. I have a box of mouthpieces for every instrument. Horns change. You change. Every once in a while I go though the box and see if anything works better. Now admittedly, I switch from trumpet sized to baritone/euphonium/trombone sizes. And in the past also french horns too. Once you get used to doing that, different sizes and configurations for any horn don't upset the apple cart at all. For that matter, switching sizes on any horn can make playing easier. Different muscles get strengthened and all seem to benefit.
Mouthpieces are cheap if you don't buy the boutique ones. It is fun to experiment. And I think you learn a little something with each one you try.
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Conn 22B Trumpet
York Eminence Model 4028 Cornet
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