A little mouthpiece story.

[trumpetchops]

I have been looking for a better lead mouthpiece for a long time.

When Trent was closing his store I took a ride to say hello. I told him what I was playing and what I thought I wanted. He gave me 4 or 5 to try. 2 of them were really easy to play and I went up to an F over high C with no effort.
You know I bought one.

I came home and didn't have time to practice. I had a lot of gigs so I couldn't mess around with a new mouthpiece. Well, I did give it some time and then took it to a rehearsal. We played a chart that went up to F and N.G. What the heck? At home it worked.

I still worked at home with it to get used to it.

I brought it to a rehearsal this morning playing lead. The parts didn't go to F but still D and E. The mouthpiece worked well. Still, not better than the old one but not worse either. I just have another mouthpiece.

So, my conclusion. A change seems to help for the short term but, it's really the player.
_________________
Joe Spitzer
Monroe Ct.

[trumpethead]

Yes, that's the same story most of us have I would think.

I bought a Curry 30M last week and at home, fitted me perfectly, everything was great and performed like some magic mouthpiece.

Did a gig with it last night and almost nothing worked with it...

Trumpet really is a tough mistress.

[trickg]

I've always wondered at people who buy a new mouthpiece and are immediately like, "man, this thing is great! I was nailing triple Q's and R's all night with it last night lol!"

For me, a new mouthpiece (or horn, for that matter) is always a fairly lengthy acclimation period that lasts somewhere between 4 and 8 weeks if it's a big enough change.

I changed a few years back from my longtime lead mouthpiece, a Schilke 14A4, to a Warburton 4SVW/KT. It took me about a month before it started to feel "right," but I got it for a specific reason, and I believe it accomplished what I was hoping to do, and that was to be a bit more accurate on it than I was my 14A4.

The same thing was true when I switched from a Schilke B6 to my Jupiter 1600i, except that acclimation process took almost 2 full months before the horn felt like "home."
_________________
Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler

"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP

[jaysonr]

I've learned that given time I will sound like me and play like me no matter what is in the end of the horn.

So now, I play what is most comfortable and makes things the easiest.
_________________
Isaiah 40:8
3 John 2

[trumpethead]

[cheiden]

There's almost some honeymoon period. You can't draw any meaningful conclusion until you truly acclimate.
_________________
"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

[trumpethead]

I think it's very similar to trying out horns too.

One doesn't REALLY know until you use it on a gig situation.

[trumpetchops]

For the new mouthpiece to work better than the old one, something has to change. Physically something is moved. If we can figure out what it is, maybe we can keep it. I haven't given up.
_________________
Joe Spitzer
Monroe Ct.

[jaysonr]

[TKSop]

[CJceltics33]

Same happened to me. I tried my band comductor’s Patrick mouthpiece and my range went from a high C to a fairly big High G. I freaked out over it. Weeks later I tried it again and couldn’t get a nice tone above the C. So I learned my lesson!

[dr_trumpet]

When you find a mouthpiece you like, be sure to note how it is sitting in your trumpet, and replicate the location exactly. You can also find the spot by "dialing in" the mouthpiece. That means you pick a point on the mouthpiece as a reference (say the "B" in Bach, or the "Y" in Yamaha), and put it at 12 o'clock (straight up) with the letter as your "dial". Play an excerpt or exercise. Then, move the letter to 1 o'clock, and repeat. Some prefer to every couple hours to make a bigger swing. On every mouthpiece I have owned, there will be a sweet spot that you find that works best with the piece and the leadpipe you have. It takes a little time, but then you will find the area, then work to the exact spot in that area. Once you find, memorize the spot and always set your mouthpiece in that spot when playing it on that horn. Each trumpet and each mouthpiece will differ, so your 1C will work best in one spot on the Bb, but might be another on your C trumpet. Your 3C will work differently, and again have to be "dialed in" for each horn you play.

I had an old Giardinelli 3M that I had dialed in on my Bb many years ago. Sent it to Stork to duplicate, and he found that the mouthpiece was slightly out of round on the rim, and the widest spot was the spot that I had dialed in as my best spot. He duplicated the mouthpiece at that spot, and it worked great. I knew that other 3Ms had not worked as well and felt small. I then knew why, and the duplicating process became of value. I dialed the new piece in and used it. The old one is retired, saved as a back-up. A tiny witness mark is on it to remind me where the mouthpiece played best back when I used it a lot.

All of this to say, try dialing in the piece on your horn before you give up on it, Those minute changes can be all it takes to make a mouthpiece feel better and work as it did originally when you bought it.

And, never sell your 7C....still have a NY 7C here that is the best 7C I've ever played. It will sell in my estate sale someday! But not today..

AL
_________________
Dr. Albert L. Lilly, III DM
Artist/Clinician for Vincent Bach Trumpets (Conn-Selmer)
Principal Trumpet, Hendricks Symphony (Avon, IN)
Arranger/Composer; Lilly Music

[trickg]

I wonder if that's the difference between having a good night on the horn, and a slightly off night on the horn on the gig. At one point I had clocked one of my mouthpieces, but I never really put too much time or thought into maintaining it. I might have to do that again with my current equipment.
_________________
Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler

"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP

[Dale Proctor]

Yes, there's a honeymoon period with mouthpieces and horns that initially seem too good to be true. There doesn't seem to be one with those that leave a bad first impression, though (probably because the wedding is quickly annulled). And as said previously, playing at home doesn't equate to playing in the "heat of battle". The best way I know of to evaluate a horn and/or mouthpiece is to take it to a rehearsal with a good group. You will discover pretty quickly if it works for you, or at least if there's a reason to continue the evaluation.
_________________
"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham

[starkadder]

I've found that using a shallower mouthpieces to hit a high note is useful to a point. I played the Curry 30M in the past, but concluded it is too bright for every day use. Where it is useful is when I'm aiming for a high note on which I don't feel secure. When the note starts to lock in, I switch back to my regular mouthpiece.

So, the 'bent dime' can be useful to overcome a mental barrier, more than a physical barrier.

[iiipopes]

[trumpetchops]

[jhahntpt]

That whole "dialing in" thing works with poorly made mouthpieces that have scaring on the inside of the throat or backbore. Any mouthpiece using modern manufacturing processes has totally smooth on the inside and will not change in any meaningful way when rotated.

Curry are the best affordable option that are smooth, I know my Monette pieces are smooth, and every ACB mouthpiece I ever owned was too.

I remember Trent showing me a cross section of a Bach mouthpiece and I was horrified by the gashes left in it from the manufacturing process.
_________________
Bb: Yamaha 9335NY Gen3
Bb: Yamaha 8310Z
C: Shires 4S/W1B
Piccolo: Yamaha 9830
Flugel: Yamaha 8315G
Cornet: York Eminence

[Dale Proctor]

Clocking a mouthpiece works in two different situations:

1) Your mouthpiece was machined a little crooked, and it plays better for you in a certain position.

2) You horn plays better with the mouthpiece maker's name on top, no matter which mouthpiece or horn you're playing...
_________________
"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham

[jaysonr]

Re: Clocking the mouthpiece,
I just keep the model number of whatever mouthpiece I have in on the bottom so I can see it easily by holding the horn vertically.
_________________
Isaiah 40:8
3 John 2