How do you find the perfect mouthpiece

topo3man

I have a new trumpet and I have been searching for the best "legit" and lead mouthpiece for the horn. I have been searching e Bay and picked up multiple pieces from different manufacturers in an effort to find the perfect pieces (this includes GR, Jet-tone, Marcinkiewicz etc). I have also been in contact with Brian at GR. Problem is that I play all of the pieces well for a while and then they seem to go south. Is there a methodology to properly break in a new mouthpiece. What is the time factor involved and how do you tell the difference between the "right piece" and a "honeymoon" piece?
_________________
1939 NY Bach Stradivarius
1948 Chicago Benge C
Bach 19037 Stradivarius
1939 Conn Cornet

da_roadrunner · Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2004 7:20 pm Post subject:

From personal experience, all I can say is pick a piece, stick with it, and forget it's what you're playing on for a few months. If at the end of that, you find something wrong with it, change. I used a GR 64M for 6 months, my lower register wasn't speaking and my sound wasn't resonant enough for me. I switched to a 3c, and so far so good. I'll let you know in 2 more months if i still like it. But right now, I don't think of equipment, I just worry about sounding as good as possible.

blasticore

"How do you find the perfect mouthpiece?"

You give up. That's how.

Most people spend too much time looking for the perfect mouthpiece. They try so many out over such a long period of time and perhaps lose sight of the music they play, focusing more on gear than anything else. I'm not saying you;re doing this, but I did for a long time. Play on the one you like best for a while and see if it works out for you. You probably will go through that honeymoon period, and maybe a small decline in some area for a while, but it'll soon build back up to where it was/where it could be.
I'd venture so far as to ask what models you bought, and what mouthpiece you're coming from. All these factors can answer some questions you have. Drastic changes in size or rim configuration can take a while to adapt to, while similar mouthpieces tend to lessen the adjustment period.
All the mouthpieces you mentioned (well, the brands) have people playing successfully on them. GR's are my personal favorite, out of the bunch and altogether, but they all have their nice qualities. Marcinkiewicz (which I'm unable to spell by the way, so thank you for including it in your post) makes very nice signature line mouthpieces, though I don't understand their sizing systen at all. Jet Tone lost some fans a few years back when things changed with their production, but I know quite a few guys who love the way they play. If I could recommend any of them to you though, it'd probably be the GR. I think the benefits of them are worth the adjustment period. There's becomes a lot less to worry about in your playing after a short while.
And that's my rant. Happy playing, be be sure to tell us how it all works out.

Edited for spelling. Keyboards and I get along sometimes, but we're working out our difficulties tonight.
_________________
Chris King
http://www.cktrumpet.com
http://www.ckbrassworks.com

topo3man · Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2004 7:34 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the replies. I guess I am getting a little frustrated. So far I have been really impressed with the GR mouthpieces. I have tried probably 10 or more and have had varying degrees of success with each. I understand that I really need to play on the pieces for a while to get used to them. Problem is that if I demo a piece, I can only do it for 10 days or so before I have to return it. It is really tough to get through potential "honeymoons" in that short a period and although I really like the people and reps from GR, at $125 a pop for a mouthpiece, I want to be fairly certain it is the right piece. That's why I was wondering if there is a more scientific way to go about this (you may have guessed I am a scientist by trade).
_________________
1939 NY Bach Stradivarius
1948 Chicago Benge C
Bach 19037 Stradivarius
1939 Conn Cornet

Chaser · Veteran Member Joined: 01 Nov 2003 Posts: 441

The way I select a mouthpiece:

Do I like the sound? (If no, then it's history at this point.)
Does the rim feel nice and comfy (especially after my chops are wore out)?
Does the inner rim or bite inhibit attacks/tonguing, is it too sharp or too soft?
Does the Alpha angle (or rim drop) suit my tastes?
Is the rim the correct diameter (for me)? My rule of thumb is to use the smallest diameter I can. I can tell if the diameter is too small as when playing higher/louder, my chops try to pull out of the piece or 'thin out' to get the roon to vibrate. If my chops are 'making a fist' as I ascend/play loud, then the diameter is fine for me.)
Is the cup the right depth?
Does the bore/backbore give me the resistance (or more accurately, lack of) that I am looking for, and does it balance/complement the cup and rim diameter (I hate small, tight backbores, especially with shallower cups.)

If I go through this list and the mouthpiece rates better than what I am currently using, then I switch and don't look back. Your embouchure and playing in general will fluctuate, so I try to give it 3 - 4 'tryouts' while fresh and 3-4 while tired over a perios of a couple of weeks. If it makes the cut, I am confiedent that I am switching for the better and don't have the 'switching remorse', boubt, and confusion that some feel. I know that while I may not play that particular piece forever, I am always 'trading up' and getting closer to my Nirvana piece. I have seen a guy in the past go from Bach 10.5E to Schilke 15 to Bach 3C to Giardinelli 12S to Jet-Tone Dave Stahl to Shilke 14A4a to Schilke 6A4a to a Marcinkiewicz Model 13 (which he finally settled on. The Marcinkiewicz 13 in very similar in size/cup depth (but not shape) to a Bach 10.5C He spent the better part of a year chasing his tail, having a wildly fluctuating performance level, and having some serious self doubts about his ability (he was good, but he could't adapt to the array of mouthpieces he ran through at the pace he would switch.) I have switched 3 times since my senior year in high school (1987) my level of performance remained steady, and I never had the self doubts and mouthpiece-itis that he went through.

Good luck. The quest can make your playing easier and you a better player or it can completely destroy you.

edited for poor HTML usage.

nextbrassguy · Heavyweight Member Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 1428

razeontherock · Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2004 9:49 pm Post subject:

2 manufacturers are missing from your vocabulary: Bob Reeves and Greg Black. Check 'em out before you settle!

razeontherock · Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2004 9:49 pm Post subject:

2 manufacturers are missing from your vocabulary: Bob Reeves and Greg Black. Check 'em out before you settle!

cjdjazztpt · Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 7:53 am Post subject:

Druyff · Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 1:30 pm Post subject:

The Jk Exclusive line is pretty terriffic too.
They come in 7 cupdepths from ultradeep to super shallow.
In sizes from 16mm to 17.6mm in the most systematic system I've ever seen. Theyre very freeblowing with a huge sound almost too much.
They also have a bigband line with smaller throats and backbores.
You can even order them in plexiglass!
The standard rim feel practically identical to the curry 600 series.
They cost about the same.
http://www.jk-klier.de/de/m_s8_1.htm

Mr.Hollywood · Heavyweight Member Joined: 14 Dec 2002 Posts: 1730

To the guy looking for the perfect mouthpiece.........When you find it, please let the rest of us know so we can all run out and buy it.

Chris

DaveH · Heavyweight Member Joined: 20 Nov 2001 Posts: 3861

There is no such thing as the "perfect mouthpiece."

Every mouthpiece will offer and require some kind of compromises.

This is best accomplished with some help from someone like a private teacher. Someone who can look at you personally, listen to you, and make a recommendation from the basis of experience and knowledge as a player/teacher.

This is very difficult to do on the Internet.

Again, forget the "perfect" idea, and find the "optimum" equipment. You should consult someone who can help you personally.