New mouthpiece

[Beanboy128]

Hey yall. I've been putting in my practice, getting my lessons, but I think it's time i get myself a big boy mouthpiece. I know monette is pretty popular. I've also seen people recommend pickett, warburton and lotus among other things. Any suggestions for a nice mp?

[mafields627]

All of the ones you mentioned - plus many more - are great mouthpieces; so, the question really becomes about what you want to gain from a switch. What are you currently playing on? What does it do well? What does it do poorly? Pick a manufacturer and contact them directly for a consult. It might be hard right now, but if you can actually try a mouthpiece before buying you might save a lot of money.

FWIW, I've been through various GRs, a couple of Storks, a really nice Laskey, and have a Reeves 42M for commercial playing. Right now the one working the best for me is a Bach 5C. So, you don't have to spend a lot to find something that works for you!
_________________
--Matt--

No representation is made that the quality of this post is greater than the quality of that of any other poster. Oh, and get a teacher!

[delano]

Go for The juiciest, darkest mouthpiece.

[Beanboy128]

[HERMOKIWI]

Any mouthpiece that works for you is a "nice" mouthpiece regardless of the brand or model. There is nothing automatically better for you or better for anyone based on brand name alone.

Here's a link to a list of player/horn combinations that also lists mouthpieces. It's readily apparent from the list that there is an enormous variation in the mouthpieces played by great players.

http://www.ojtrumpet.net/playerhorn/

There are a lot of misconceptions about mouthpieces and there is a lot of "snake oil" used in marketing them. Certainly, it's in the best interests of mouthpiece sales to get players obsessed with the idea that their problems are being caused by their mouthpiece and to convince them that there is some mouthpiece that will cure all of the problems. Factually, unless you're playing a mouthpiece that clearly doesn't fit you and is clearly impeding your results changing to something else is a process of tweaking results rather than experiencing a total epiphany.

My recommendation is always to first identify a cup diameter that fits your embouchure, one that is wide enough that you don't have to cram things in but narrow enough that you're not falling into it. Usually there is a range of cup diameters that adequately fit your embouchure. You just have to try them to make an accurate evaluation.

The next step is to determine where you want to be in the spectrum of bright to dark. Cup depth affects those results and, again, you really have to try them to make an accurate evaluation.

One thing you need to keep in mind is that there is a big range of differences in players so two different players can play the same mouthpiece yet get much different results in terms of ease/difficulty of play and sound. So, you can't really rely totally on recommendations or reports of experiences.

The makers you've listed all make quality mouthpieces. So does Bach. It's not how much they cost that determines whether one is better than another. It's how well they fit you and what results you get.

I've played Reeves mouthpieces for over 45 years. I've played only 3 models during that time: First 42S (for about 25 years), then 43M (for a couple of months) and then 43D (for the past 20 years or so). I made the changes to get a bigger, fuller, more resonant sound. I'm not interested in playing the lead book in a big band (I was mostly playing big band for the first 25 years). I'm an improvisational jazz soloist and I want a big, full, resonant sound. I've achieved that to my satisfaction with the 43D. I'll never change to anything else.

Every player is different so I encourage you to try mouthpieces out and reach your own conclusions. That being said, it's not uncommon for a player to try a mouthpiece and declare it "the answer" and then, a month later after the "honeymoon" is over decide it's not for them and then continue searching. If the mouthpiece fits and is giving you good results but not what you consider to be perfect results you should still consider giving it more time as you continue to adapt to it. It can take patience.

Just remember that there is no mouthpiece that will be perfect for you every day and every time. That's because your chops change from day to day and as you play in terms of hydration, swelling and other factors. So, the fit is constantly changing, making all mouthpieces variable rather than rock solid consistent in your response to them.
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HERMOKIWI

[Brad361]

[HERMOKIWI]

It's interesting what people want, or think they want, in mouthpieces and, for that matter, in trumpets. For what it's worth, and this just applies to me so it may not resonate with others, the most important thing for me in a mouthpiece or horn is the ease of playing, the responsiveness and flexibility.

My sound is my sound, just as Wynton's sound is his sound, Clark's sound was his sound, Maynard's sound was his sound, Clifford's sound was his sound and your sound is your sound. Yes, the sound can be tweaked by the mouthpiece or by the horn but the sound is still essentially the sound of the player. I might add, the audience probably can't tell the difference and if they can they probably don't care because they don't even realize that there is a difference.

So, what I'm saying is that when I choose equipment I'm choosing it for me, not for an audience, and the #1 thing I'm interested in is ease of playing, the responsiveness and flexibility.

To the extent a mouthpiece or trumpet promotes ease of playing, promotes responsiveness and flexibility, these things depend on the player and the combination of the mouthpiece and horn. We don't all agree on what the combination or even the individual components are because we are all different in our physiology, playing approach, etc. If there was a magic formula that applied to everyone we'd all be playing the same mouthpiece and horn, at least in the pursuit of ease of playing, response and flexibility.

I'll give an example. I recently purchased a Schagerl Killer Queen flugelhorn from Trent Austin. I went to his shop to play test a Ganschhorn because he didn't have a Killer Queen flugelhorn in stock and I at least wanted to get a feel for the ergonomics since the Killer Queen and Ganschhorn are similar in that regard. The ergonomics were reasonable and, of course, the horns are very cool. So, I ordered the Killer Queen without testing one. I wasn't concerned about playing characteristics. I'm a "pick it up and play it" player, I can play any decent horn in good working condition. The Killer Queen turned out to be awesome. I'm extremely happy with it.

When I arrived to see Trent he had a lot of horns laid out for me to try. They were all satisfactory horns for me. I have over 50 horns in my collection so I wasn't really interested in buying another horn other than maybe a Ganschhorn or a Killer Queen. Still, it was nice to be able to experience a variety of horns.

That all being said, it's really an eye opener to all of a sudden pick up a horn that is so easy to play, so responsive and flexible, that you play two notes and bust out laughing. My wife was there, too, and of course she listens to me a lot. I picked up one of the horns (which I'll identify in a moment), played just a couple of notes and got a "whoa" reaction from her. I had the same reaction.

The horn was the BACB collaborative trumpet. A shocking difference. FOR ME this horn was effortless and instantaneously responsive. FOR ME.

I don't know why this particular horn was so ridiculous in terms of ease of play, response and flexibility FOR ME. That's the operative expression: FOR ME. Horn? Mouthpiece? Player? Combination? I don't know. I have trumpets (a very few) that are similar in ease of play, response and flexibility. But FOR ME, if I was looking for a new horn, I'd be taking a hard look at the BACB collaborative even though I can't tell you the specifics of why it was so easy to play. Maybe Trent can.

My point, is that FOR ME ease of playing, response and flexibility is #1 by far. That's what I'm looking for above everything else when I choose a mouthpiece. I'm looking for a sound concept as well but getting the sound concept but not getting ease of play, response and flexibility is not a satisfactory solution for me.

So, to the OP, the most important difference in mouthpieces is the ease, response and flexibility you get in playing them. If you try out a mouthpiece and it isn't easier, more responsive and more flexible than what you're already playing on why would you want it? No mouthpiece gives you high chops you don't already have and if you can't play the new mouthpiece as well as you played your old mouthpiece, if you don't have better ease of play, response and flexibility with the new mouthpiece then, in my view, all the sound difference in the world won't matter.
_________________
HERMOKIWI

[delano]

[Brad361]

[wilder]

Do what your teacher tells you. jw

[deleted_user_687c31b]

[delano]

[quote="Brad361"
“Looking for you”?? Because I have disagreed with you more than once? Honestly, WHY would I take the time to “write a few pages”, your opinions are just not that important to me.

If that’s how you see this, whatever man.
Brad[/quote]

You cannot disagree with me because I did not give ANY opinion in my post so there is no possibility to disagree.
My post was a subtle hint to the OP. If you had opened the link I gave, you could have seen that the OP asked therein for advice about 'the juiciest darkest mouthpiece' so I gave that back to him on this occasion. It was not an opinion, far from that.

But the second layer of my post is the possibility that the OP is trolling and therefor I feel pity for all the members here that write pages full of 'good advice' about mouthpieces, pearls before swines. But my sympathy goes with the OP.

[HERMOKIWI]

[delano]

[deleted_user_687c31b]

[delano]

wilder wrote:
Do what your teacher tells you.

hibidogrulez wrote:
When it comes to mouthpieces, that's probably the worst advice to give, second only to 'person X plays this mouthpiece and so should you'.

It seems that your initial post needs a translation.

Above: 'the worst advice' seems to mean: there is certainly a substantial role for the teacher in mouthpiece choice.

You tried 'some' mouthpieces. And AR Resonance came out as best. 'Some mouthpieces? Big Boys mouthpieces? Did you try Monette, Lotus, GR, Picket? Or just Bach? AR favorite compared to what?

But now my main reason for this long post: so you came up with Bach, they are 'not your thing'.
This is a cliché that has some popularity here (in the traditonal TH Bach-bashing play), but the collection of Bach mouthpieces covers 89 standard models, 10 Artisan, 8 commercial and 15 megatone models. And you can get every mp with 9 special back bores and 8 different throats. How many did you try?

BTW mr. Vincent Bach is the creator of the modern brass mouthpiece ( so not only for trumpet) and almost every great player from the past played for at least some time (with exception of the high notes specialists) a Bach mouthpiece. Chris Botti, Thomas Gansch and Arturo Sandoval still play them in completely different styles and with different sounds so they will not be too bad even for different tastes.

If I remember well you played for years and years on a Bach 1 1/4 C with no good results. The AR Resonance came for you as a miracle. But a 1 1/4 C is a very big mouthpiece, not for the faint-hearted. Did it ever came to your mind to try a more middle of the road one? I am not surprised that the AR came as an improvement. But I think that a lot of big band and commercial trumpet players have more benefit with a smaller throat than a #21 or a #19 and also with a more tight back bore, let's say something like a Warburton 5 or 6. The reality is that 'big boy' mouthpieces need big boys to play them.

For the record I play mostly Yamaha mouthpieces on trumpet and cornet, sometimes Warburton on both. I consider them Bach variations. On rotary trumpet Breslmair, on rotary flügel Bruno Tilz.
And yes, I know that the OP's question is not serious.

[deleted_user_687c31b]

[delano]

I am not accusing you of anything. But I have the strong suspicion that your choice for the AR Resonance has no good foundation, more specific that you also went for a big boy mouthpiece instead of orientating yourself about what's optimum for you.
And I am a soldier against the Bach mouthpiece bashing.

[deleted_user_687c31b]

[theslawdawg]