Shires Mouthpieces

ttrumpett · Regular Member Joined: 14 Oct 2007 Posts: 36

Has anyone tried/does anyone own Shires mouthpieces, made by Pickett? Thoughts? Opinions? Thanks!

gord-o · Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 4:34 am Post subject:

I have a Shires 3c. It's not like a Bach 3c rim, and I don't yet have a Pickett c cup piece to compare it to, but its a really nice piece. It feels a little tight blowing for me (compared to my Stork 2d daily mouthpiece) so I am considering having the throat and back bore opened. I'll probably just leave it as is. It's a nice playing piece, but it isn't replacing the Stork as my all around piece.
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Trumpet_Charles · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 3:10 pm Post subject:

The Shires mouthpieces are pretty much limited to 1.25C, 1.5C, 3C, 5C and 7C. There's talk of a 10.5C but I haven't heard anything on that lately.

These are made for us by Peter Pickett, who is one of the best in the business.

The rims are very Bach-like but more comfortable. The mouthpieces play very well, great intonation, easily colored by the player, and the finishing work is superb. Great value, too. They can be had for under $70 each.
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Charles G Hargett
Account Manager, Eastman Music Company, incl.
Shires and Eastman Products

jadickson · Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2019 2:59 am Post subject:

Resurrecting an old thread. I contacted Shires for more info about these mouthpieces, and was told that they are modeled after the Mt Vernon Bach mouthpieces. And yes, they are manufactured by Pickett.

I bought the 7C from mouthpieceexpress to give it a try. Yes it definitely feels like a Mt Vernon 7C, they did not mess with the design much. Cup diameter is similar to the MtV 7C's I have tried, which is smaller than the modern Bach 7C. Very comfortable rim, wider than the modern rim, like a Mt V 7C rim. The blank is longer than a Bach, looks like 3.5".

Going to try the 3C next.
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jadickson · Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 6:36 am Post subject:

The Shires 3C is clearly modeled after the Bach Mt Vernon 3C. If you like the Curry 3C or the Austin Custom Brass Mv3c, then you will like this. Larger diameter, bigger cup, and fatter rim compared to the modern Bach 3C.

The rim has more bite than other MV3C-ish pieces I have tried like the Curry 3C and the Austin Custom Brass MV3C. I prefer the Shires bite, as I am playing mainly classical / wind ensemble music these days. Articulation is more clean for me.

The diameter "feels" closest to a Curry 3C to me, whereas the Austin Custom Brass MV3C "feels" slightly larger to me.

The Shires blank gaps the same as the new Bach pieces I have. Fit and finish are perfect, as you would expect from Pickett manufacturing.

The sound quality is similar to Bach, you would definitely blend with a section of people playing Bach mouthpieces. Tone is maybe a little warmer and more even bottom to top. I personally find it easy to play.

Shires has obviously designed great mouthpieces here. Essentially copies of Mt Vernon Bachs with modern improvements to intonation and response. And they are not expensive.

I hope this info is helpful to the community.
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Justin Dickson
Middle school band director. Still learning.
www.BandmateTuner.com

O00Joe · Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 6:46 am Post subject:

Thanks for the info. I'm definitely interested in trying their 5C
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1981 Bb Bach Stradivarius 37/25 ML raw - Laskey 60C
2003 C Bach Stradivarius 239/25A L silver - Stork Vacchiano 4C25C
2006 Bb/A Schilke Piccolo P5-4 silver - Reeves A adaptor - Stork SM SP6
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Roland JD-Xi
Casio MT-68

gdong · Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 9:13 am Post subject:

Hi all. Just to corroborate and add my 2 cents. I have both the Shires 3C and the 1.5C. They have a similar inner diameter but the 3C has more bite and a thicker rim (like a MV 3C). I had the 3C measured and it is 0.647 at 0.1 (measured by Frost). Indeed both are in the 1-1/2 size range.

The main differences between the 1.5C and the 3C are the rim shape/thickness, throat entrance, and cup shape. On the face, the 3C actually feels wider due to the rim shape.

The 1.5C is in the MV category (flatter and thicker than modern rim) and is very bowl shaped with a tight throat entrance. Fairly low "alpha" angle and medium sharp bite makes a nice clear mouthpiece. Reminds me of a great large letter 5C but bigger ID.

The 3C is also in the MV category, but has more bite than either the Curry or ACB versions (think Parke). It is most compatible to the modern curry 3 rim. The throat entrance is pretty open (like you would expect from a 3C) and the cup is more 1-1/4C shaped (higher "alpha" and flatter bottom. It is still more bowl shaped than a modern 3C but less so than the ACB MV3C.

In my opinion, the Shires 3C is a really great option for those who waffle between 1-1/4C and 1C/5B setups and never feel at home on a 1-1/2C design. I'm planning to put "3C" students on these without telling them they are bigger than their 3C(!). For those who like the MV3C and are classical players, I think this is an excellent design as most MV3C copies are really designed as "jazz" mouthpieces ala the great Mr. Sandoval and don't have the clarity of attack needed.
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