Bach Megatone 7c to....

AeroStud1026 · Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2003 3:47 pm Post subject:

Hey guys....im getting a new horn pretty soon thank god...anyways the mouthpeice im playing on is a Bach Megatone 7c.....ive been using this one since i was a high school freshmen...now im a hs senior and my megatone is well kinda scratched up and all...from being pulled and all several times mostly due to me being ignorant in my early hs trumpet years and a couple times dropping my student horn purely by accident....it wouldnt have gotten so scratched up cuz the mpc puller my director has really wasnt made for megatones and the teeth kept grinding it...

well i was wondering if it would be wise to switch mpc's...to a different size......should I not ruin a good thing by switching? what would be a good size to switch to? im a advanced player not a average highschool trumpeter

I like the 7C but it feels so elementary type...part of me thinks i might do better on a different size

I was thinking about switching to a Megatone 1-1/2 C or a 1 1/4C what do u guys think?

[ This Message was edited by: aerostud1026 on 2003-12-26 19:04 ]

Bootleg · Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2003 4:20 pm Post subject:

why did you start playing megatones in the first place? was it a personal choice or a mouthpiece you simply had laying around the house?

since i am assuming your playing in a regular concert band, you might wanna try out a 3C, and if it's not big enough for you, or you don't like the tone, try a 1 1/2C but first try non-megatone mouthpieces and see how they play.

BullJive · Veteran Member Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Posts: 175

Hey Aero,

That's great you've stuck with one piece for such a long time. Are there some particular changes you'd like to make in your sound? Some people say larger mouthpieces will help you achieve a bigger sound, yet at the same time lots players with small mouthpieces have a huge sound. It all really comes down to what works best for you, and this might be a good time to see what some other mouthpieces feel like. I personally don't have much trouble switching mouthpieces, but I prefer to stay with a Bach 3c for about everything (I sometimes use a Laskey PIC in the piccolo). I have played with some mouthpieces on either end of the spectrum and they have helped some aspects of my playing, but at the same time they have sacrificed other aspects. The 3c is pretty much in the middle for me and it allows me to play about any style. I'm really not advocating the 3c per se, however I think it is a good idea to find one mouthpiece that you can do most things with and stick with it. Too many people are too busy switching equipment when they should work with what they have and focus on their sound. Anyways... good luck and I hope you find something that works out great (or maybe you'll want to stick with the 7c). Definitely don't feel like you NEED to switch either. Lots of great players use something smaller than a 7c.

Kent

AeroStud1026 · Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2003 5:08 pm Post subject:

well what started me on the megatone was my frosh year my HS got a new band director...and he had one] and everyone including me didnt know about other mpcs till we heard how he played on his....he played excellent and everyone was like OOoOOo...AHHhh.....including me so i bought one. I stuck with it till now and now I think it may be time to switch sizes...my director says I have a great sound thats whats hard about switching...im afraid ill lose my sound. I want to stay with megatone because i really feel comfortable with the style it is....I also like the heavy and warm tone they give off. When i go get a new horn ill try out different mouthpieces the 3C,1-1/2C and 1-1/4C if im not satified ill stick with my 7C.

drunkiq · Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2003 6:21 pm Post subject:

you will always sound like you after playing on a new mouthpiece for long enough, so that is really not an issue. However moupieces can add brightness (less cup volume) or darkness (more cup volume) to your sound. They can also change the resistance of the blow of the horn and make the horn sound more open (bigger backbore - requries more air to play) or centering your sound (adds more resistance to the blow).

when it comes down to it, unless you are trying to adjust something in your sound for blending purposes or for resistance purposes or a fundmental issue you are having with the rim, then I would not worry about changing mouthpieces. The biggest rut horn players gets into is the classic mouthpiece safari, basically it never ends untill you finally stick with something. Unless you have identified somthing specific that need to be adjusted then just stick to what you currently use.

Jon Arnold · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 2026

In my freshman year of high school I went from a 7C to a 3C and it served me well. I would play on a standard weight mouthpiece. They sound better than a megatone. I had a megatone and sold it. They make great paperweights.

da_roadrunner · Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2003 9:50 pm Post subject:

I personally am a 5c type of person. but if i were to do it all again i'd pick up a 3c. there's a reason it's the most popular piece out there. but i've spent too much on my GR pieces and my custom piece to risk changing sizes (for now...)

musiclifeline · Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2003 9:59 pm Post subject:

Try a GR65 series (M or MS cup). Check out http://www.grmouthpieces.com. They're great mouthpieces, and they also come in larger blanks (called Fatboy) to simulate a Megatone-type feel. But the standard blanks sound great. And bring a friend when you try out new equipment--doesn't matter if they know about trumpets or not, though it certainoly couldn't hurt. Things often sound very different from the other side of the bell...

If you e-mail Brian Scriver at info@grmouthpieces.com, he'll help you out, and he's extremely good at it.
-Mike

[ This Message was edited by: musiclifeline on 2003-12-27 01:00 ]

Jon Arnold · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 2026

GR mouthpieces are great. I had a 66MS and the only problem was the bite. It was too sharp for me. The tone was even and the pitched locked in easily.

AeroStud1026 · Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 5:31 pm Post subject:

I might switch to the 3C...depending on if I like the tone or not....I feel like the 7C is holding me back....

Bootleg · Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 5:36 pm Post subject:

firstly, since your only in high school, unless u are fairly serious and got quite a bit of cash to blow, i'd say away from GR pieces simply and only because of the price. It's fairly expensive.

As for you feeling your 7C holding you back, I am absolutely certain you'll hear the difference when you play on a 3C. Especially slurring from a low G to a high G and from playing from high G up, your tone will be MUCH better. You might even find it easier to play because there is less metal to vibrate. But certainly try out the 5C too as some people have trouble to switch sizes soo quickly. You can also sell your 5C and then move down to a 3C. But definately try a couple of the mouthpieces out at a shop. Make sure you bring your own trumpet so you can compare the differences in feel and tone.
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"If brute force doesn't solve your problem, then you're not using enough!"

AeroStud1026 · Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 7:09 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the info Bootleg.....I figure ill try out new mouthpeices when i go get a new horn.....but that leaves me with another question....since i want to get a new mpc and horn the same day how would u go about doing so....like take my old horn....try out the new mpcs on my old horn...find one I like then use that new mpc to try out new horns? and play it like that?

Bootleg · Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 11:15 am Post subject:

Since you've been playing your old horn for a while, it will be a lot easier to compare the tone if you didn't get your new horn first to try out mouthpieces. you know how you play with your old horn and your old mouthpiece, so try out mouthpieces first and find one that you like, bach 3c, 5c, or wutever you think feels and sounds good. You should be able to have a very even tone throughout the range of the trumpet and the mouthpiece should be responsive and it shouldn't waiver in tuning from note to note.

After you've gotten your perfect mpc, then you can take it and look around for a perfect horn. However, the mouthpiece on your old horn will obviously sound different from your new horn and if your new horn is of good quality, the tone will obviously be better. But there are some people who say their Bach 3c doesn't fit in with their Yamaha, and perhaps also vice-versa. So take your mouthpiece and try it out with various trumpets and see how each of them fit in.

Once you've found the perfect mouthpiece to go along with the perfect trumpet, your in trumpet bliss. lol

G'luck!

cujazztrpt · Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2004 3:32 pm Post subject:

Well its really up to you, is that 7c megatone hindering your playing in anyway?? There is nothing wrong playing this size MPC, there are no set rules that 7c is only for begginers and advance players will have to play on a 3c or 1 1 1/2 or spend mega-bucks on a custom mpc. If 7c works for you that means it works. Myself I try to keep the rim on every mpc that I use, again its really up to you.
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FlugelFlyer · Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:31 pm Post subject:

Just FYI,

Conrad Gozzo played a modified Bach 7C
Sergei Nakariakov plays a Courtois 7C (probably the first mouthpiece he ever had)
George Graham plays a modified Bach 7C
I believe Doc Severinsen at one time played a Bach 7C and still sounded like Doc
also Freddie Hubbard used a Bach 7C that came with a horn through his prime

...but who really cares about them? All we care about is that I play a Bach 7C, and isn't that right? j/k

, just a week or so ago I happened to be curious and play my large-lettered Bach 7C for more than three seconds again, a mpc that was collecting dust since I stopped using it the beginning of my freshman year of highschool. I found that the sharp, narrow rim forces me to use more airstream and embouchure strength instead of pressure to get a sound out, and it has paid off tremendously in how I sound compared to other mouthpieces with softer rims. Of course, the current backbore is trashed from years of abuse despite my attempts to repair it with one of those DEG truer tools, so I'm going to have the backbore sawed off and the top threaded for Warburton backbores at the end of the month and experiment with those seeing as that I have nothing to lose with the condition of the shank compared to the cup/top area.

_________________
FlugelFlyer: Trumpeter, Pilot

Equipment:
---
Trumpet: Bach Stradivarious LR18072
Mouthpiece: Bach 7C, hopefully threaded to Warburton BB's soon
Aircraft: Cessna 152

Cheers
-Mike

[ This Message was edited by: FlugelFlyer on 2004-01-02 21:42 ]

Ruechel · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2004 2:39 pm Post subject:

try a bach 1 1/2 C on for size. it helped me a lot when i made the transition from a 7c. it made my sound fuller and darker.