View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
SMrtn Veteran Member
Joined: 29 Oct 2014 Posts: 367 Location: Spain
|
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 4:52 pm Post subject: harrelson 5mm |
|
|
just wondering if any of you have any experience using the 5mm modular system from harrelson.
was chatting with duane eubanks, and he thinks it's well worth the price. so of course i began researching. looks like an interesting system, a one mpc to rule them all thing.
i'd be very interested to get any feedback
thanks |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Dayton Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Mar 2013 Posts: 2042 Location: USA
|
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2022 12:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
I purchased a Harrelson trumpet years ago, and received a 5mm kit with that horn. Each part in the mouthpiece kit was well made, and the pieces fit together well.
I was playing Monette mouthpieces at the time, and the kit I received -- their closest approximation of my Monette mouthpiece -- wasn't a good substitute for that particular mouthpiece. I suspect Harrelson's 5MM offerings have expanded considerably since then, and he probably has better matches now. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
SMrtn Veteran Member
Joined: 29 Oct 2014 Posts: 367 Location: Spain
|
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2022 6:16 pm Post subject: |
|
|
hmm, okay. thanks dayton
gee, i'm a little hesitant now. the way it was described to me by someone using the 5mm regularly was if not gushing, certainly very positive.
maybe you're right, maybe harrelson has lifted its game on these pieces. i guess i'm just gonna have to take a chance, if i were to pull the trigger on one, 'cause there's not a lot of positive re your own experience.
thanks again. appreciate it. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Shawnino Veteran Member
Joined: 27 Jun 2020 Posts: 255
|
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2022 4:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
If you want in at a somewhat reduced rate, back one of the 'Spectratone' mouthpieces when they next come up on Kickstarter. The yellow (alleged all-rounder) and the blue (rather warmer) have been up so far for $175-$200. Red (lead?) will be up this fall and if they have overstock of yellow/blue they'll be back.
These mouthpieces are sold as their own solution but he stresses that they are fully 5MM compatible. And he shows in videos how he starts with a blue and swaps out pieces to make it sound more like a Whatever You Want. So aside from the rim you have a limited number of starting points at $200 but then you add on the throats, backbores, cups as you go.
I bought a Blue this last round with a couple add ons--hasn't arrived yet. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Dayton Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Mar 2013 Posts: 2042 Location: USA
|
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2022 4:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
Quote: | gee, i'm a little hesitant now. the way it was described to me by someone using the 5mm regularly was if not gushing, certainly very positive.
maybe you're right, maybe harrelson has lifted its game on these pieces. i guess i'm just gonna have to take a chance, if i were to pull the trigger on one, 'cause there's not a lot of positive re your own experience. |
I don't intend to come across as being negative about the 5MM mouthpiece system. It is well made, truly innovative and offers you the ability to make all sorts of adjustments to your mouthpiece set up. That could be quite useful.
The fundamental issue is how much it will cost you to get a set up that works for you. If you buy a kit that is a good fit right away it is money well spent. If you have to buy a lot of additional parts to get the "right" set up it might not be as good an investment. On the other hand, some players buy lots of mouthpieces to try to find the (elusive) perfect set up, so the money might get spent either way.
Good luck!
[My solution was to visit Pickett/Blackburn for a mouthpiece fitting: The single most useful gear-related choice I've ever made.] |
|
Back to top |
|
|
SMrtn Veteran Member
Joined: 29 Oct 2014 Posts: 367 Location: Spain
|
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
thanks again dayton. things to think about there.
the modular mpc concept is a good one, i like it. but as you say, it depends on how much it's going to cost me to get the right setup, balanced with other makers and their pieces. i was initially taken by how interesting harrelson's concept is, and, i must admit, the way it looks.
i pulled the trigger on a bach 3e while thinking about all this. so, that's it in a nutshell. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
SMrtn Veteran Member
Joined: 29 Oct 2014 Posts: 367 Location: Spain
|
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Shawnino wrote: | If you want in at a somewhat reduced rate, back one of the 'Spectratone' mouthpieces when they next come up on Kickstarter. The yellow (alleged all-rounder) and the blue (rather warmer) have been up so far for $175-$200. Red (lead?) will be up this fall and if they have overstock of yellow/blue they'll be back.
These mouthpieces are sold as their own solution but he stresses that they are fully 5MM compatible. And he shows in videos how he starts with a blue and swaps out pieces to make it sound more like a Whatever You Want. So aside from the rim you have a limited number of starting points at $200 but then you add on the throats, backbores, cups as you go.
I bought a Blue this last round with a couple add ons--hasn't arrived yet. |
this is something i'll be looking into. thanks shawnino. i like the description of the 'blue' myself. can't have too many mpc's i suppose. lol. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Shawnino Veteran Member
Joined: 27 Jun 2020 Posts: 255
|
Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2022 11:27 am Post subject: |
|
|
So just following up, my Spectratone mouthpieces arrived this morning.
They are very well made.
Beyond that, well, I think the ones I ordered suit me and I'm more convinced than ever that that's the key--these things are so customisable/variable that you need to get the setup pretty close to right. You need to have a pretty good idea of what you want, or I would imagine it would be frustrating.
They might be of interest to people in this forum. For the random high-schooler or casual adult, there'll likely be way more misses than hits. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
dmh737 Heavyweight Member
Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 771 Location: Central Florida
|
Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2022 5:05 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I jumped in on the Spectratone Yellow Kickstarter. I couldn’t be happier. This one is like having a really good lead piece without sacrificing any other aspect of playing. In my LA Benge 3 MLP, it’s the perfect combination for me.
But the options are a bit overwhelming. You need to have a pretty clear idea of what you are after. Jason and Jen can help you from there. _________________ Trumpet - LA Benge 3X+
Mouthpiece - Callet VF DT 10 top
Ken Titmus KTRT6 Backbore
flat.io |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Jon Arnold Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 2025
|
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2022 4:15 am Post subject: |
|
|
[quote="Dayton"]I purchased a Harrelson trumpet years ago, and received a 5mm kit with that horn. Each part in the mouthpiece kit was well made, and the pieces fit together well.
I was playing Monette mouthpieces at the time, and the kit I received -- their closest approximation of my Monette mouthpiece -- wasn't a good substitute for that particular mouthpiece. I suspect Harrelson's 5MM offerings have expanded considerably since then, and he probably has better matches now.[/quote]
How long did it take for you to receive the trumpet and the mouthpiece? I knew a guy that waited 4 years before he received his horn. That's crazy. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Dayton Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Mar 2013 Posts: 2042 Location: USA
|
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:28 am Post subject: |
|
|
Quote: | How long did it take for you to receive the trumpet and the mouthpiece? I knew a guy that waited 4 years before he received his horn. That's crazy. |
There was a long wait for the trumpet: Far longer than projected or expected, and status-related communication was poor. That said, the trumpet I finally received was an excellent instrument; just didn't suit me well so I sold it. I finally received the 5MM mouthpiece a year or so after I sold the horn. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|