| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
mike ansberry
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
Posts: 1624
Location: Clarksville, Tn
|
 Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2024 12:48 pm Post subject: Longer throat on mp helps intonation? |
 |
|
I read here that a longer throat in your mouthpiece will make the high range and low range closer to being in tune with each other. Is this true?
_________________
Music is a fire in your belly, fighting to get out. You'd better put a horn in the way before someone gets hurt. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Tpt_Guy
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 16 Jul 2004
Posts: 1151
Location: Sacramento, Ca
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2024 4:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
If it's balanced with the cup, backbore, and overall length of the mouthpiece, then yes it can help intonation.
However, don't expect miracles by taking a drill to a mouthpiece. Such a factor must be designed into a mouthpiece to get the best results. This is why makers such as GR and Monette advise against drilling their mouthpieces.
_________________
-Tom Hall-
"A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence."
-Bruce Lee |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dale Proctor
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 9515
Location: Heart of Dixie
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2024 6:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Generally, a longer CYLINDRICAL portion in the throat will flatten the upper register and sharpen the lower register. A shorter one will do the opposite. I had a Schilke 13A4a mouthpiece that was stuffy and played sharp for me once I got a few notes above the staff. I ran a one size larger drill bit through it, and in addition making it less stuffy, the notes above the staff were much better in tune.
_________________
"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Andy Del
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Posts: 2729
Location: sunny Sydney, Australia
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2025 1:32 pm Post subject: Re: Longer throat on mp helps intonation? |
|
|
| mike ansberry wrote: | | I read here that a longer throat in your mouthpiece will make the high range and low range closer to being in tune with each other. Is this true? |
It is only 1 factor in the equation and is usually referred to in discussions about throat diameter (drill sizes, like a standard Bach is #27). A longer throat may be a sign of an enlarged throat and may or may not be a good thing… That depends on the rest of the mouthpiece, the way it fits into a trumpet, and the person on the business end of the mouthpiece.
_________________
so many horns, so few good notes... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
davidkoch
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 27 Dec 2007
Posts: 1374
Location: Everywhere (and nowhere)
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2025 2:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Tpt_Guy wrote: | If it's balanced with the cup, backbore, and overall length of the mouthpiece, then yes it can help intonation.
However, don't expect miracles by taking a drill to a mouthpiece. Such a factor must be designed into a mouthpiece to get the best results. This is why makers such as GR and Monette advise against drilling their mouthpieces. |
It might also be to sell you more stuff. Not a comment to either sets of designs but they're both incredibly savvy businessmen. I mean, Dave has managed to sell people trumpet that cost more than I've paid for most of my cars.
Plus, Monette throats are already huge. I don't think anyone needs to drill one of those out lol.
_________________
CookieMute.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Billy B
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 12 Feb 2004
Posts: 6195
Location: Des Moines
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2025 2:44 pm Post subject: Re: Longer throat on mp helps intonation? |
|
|
| mike ansberry wrote: | | I read here that a longer throat in your mouthpiece will make the high range and low range closer to being in tune with each other. Is this true? |
No
_________________
Bill Bergren |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stuartissimo
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2021
Posts: 1310
Location: Europe
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2025 4:30 am Post subject: Re: Longer throat on mp helps intonation? |
|
|
| davidkoch wrote: | | Tpt_Guy wrote: | | This is why makers such as GR and Monette advise against drilling their mouthpieces. |
It might also be to sell you more stuff. |
I seriously doubt that. The mouthpieces, including the throat length, are designed to be precisely balanced around the various other aspects. Messing with any part of it would be like adding another engien to a F1 car. Sure it's possible, but it would mess with the balance of the car, handling, fuel consumption, as all that. For something that is precisely designed in great detail, chances of messing up the balance are large.
| Billy B wrote: | | mike ansberry wrote: | | I read here that a longer throat in your mouthpiece will make the high range and low range closer to being in tune with each other. Is this true? |
No |
Agreed. It'll probably affect intonation, but longer (or shorter) by itself is meaningless. It's relative to all other the other mouthpiece parameters (and to some extent, the instrument it's being used on, and the player's technique as well) that will make it play in tune. Depending on, say, the cup depth, you might want a different throat length to get the octaves relatively in tune. For any well-designed mouthpiece I'd expect a change to make it play less in tune; as you'd expect if the mouthpiece played better with a longer throat, it would have been made like that at the factory.
_________________
"...even in their mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed."
1975 Olds Recording trumpet
1997 Getzen 700SP trumpet
1955 Olds Super cornet
1939 Buescher 280 flugelhorn |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JWG
Veteran Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2011
Posts: 296
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2025 3:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
You should e-mail Mark Curry about such things: He has made a lot of mouthpieces with custom specifications and could predict what enlarging a throat by "x" thousandths of an inch would do to the playing characteristics of a particular mouthpiece.
In some cases, enlarging the throat might have a positive effect, in other cases, no effect, and, still other cases, a negative effect.
At most, if either the back bore or throat of a mouthpiece seemed at bit unfinished or rough from the manufacturer, I would attach a cotton Q-tip with some silver polish on a drill and polish the finish, remaining mindful of not removing the silver plating or exposing the brass underneath
Even polishing the interior finish of a throat and back bore can change the playing characteristics of a mouthpiece . . . you do not need to drill the throat to achieve a noticeable effect.
If the polishing effect feels undesirable, you can reverse it with a soft bristle wire brush to re-roughen the finish.
_________________
Flip Oakes Wild Thing Bb with 1.5 Flip Oakes XT, C-O, O, & L mouthpieces
Flip Oakes C with 1.5 Flip Oakes TC & C mouthpieces
Bach 183S (undersprung valves & straight taper pipe) with 1.5 Flip Oakes XF |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
