New Mouthpiece: The Wedge

[DrDave]

OK, it is time to let the cat out of the bag. Some of you might remember a few weeks ago I posted about modifying an Asymmetric mouthpiece to improve its playing characteristics. Well to make a long story short, that got me experimenting with modifications of conventional mouthpieces based on various theories of embouchure formation, how tooth angle affects range, and the anatomy and physiology of the lips and face. In the end I came up with a new mouthpiece design that I am calling The Wedge, for the following reasons.

1. Sloping lateral rim shoulders
The lateral shoulders of each side of the rim, which lie over corners, slope sharply away from the center of the mouthpiece. That portion of the lateral rim in close contact with the lip is therefore significantly narrower than the superior and inferior portions of the rim. Hence The Wedge name.

2. Varying rim contour and high point
The rim high point and contour varies throughout its circumference. The superior and inferior portions of the rim, those parts that make contact with the central part of the upper and lower lips, have a high point shifted to the outside by a pronounced rounding and cupping of the inner rim, producing a very soft bite. This soft bite is actually enough to slightly increase the volume of the cup. The high point of the lateral aspect or the rim is shifted medially to a point very close to its inner aspect by the sloping shoulders of the lateral rim.

3. Shifted lateral rim contour medially toward the centre of the mouthpieceIn proportion to the degree of slope of the lateral rim, the plane of the metal removed impinges on the inner border of the inner cup. This has the effect of moving the inner cup border medially, and contributing to a slightly oval shape to the cup. The longitudinal axis of the oval is oriented in a superior and inferior direction when playing.

4. Lateral dip of rim contour
This sloping of the lateral rim also introduces a lateral dip in the side profile of the rim, which is more acute than the corresponding contour of the lips and supporting teeth. This dip is designed to transfer pressure from lateral to superior/inferior rims. The cup volume is slightly reduced due to the dip in the rim, but this is offset by the increased volume from rounding of the superior and inferior rim, so the net effect on cup volume is minimal.

5. Variable inner rim bite
The variable rim contour produces a variable inner rim bite, being sharper and narrower laterally than superiorly and inferiorly.

6. Oval shape of the cup.
The cup is an oval shape due to a combination of the medially shifted lateral rim contour in conjunction with the pronounced rounding of the inner rim contour superiorly and inferiorly.

Playing Characteristics
The rim contour of the Wedge interacts with the player's anatomy and physiology in a unique way. The sloping lateral shoulders leave space for improved lip range of motion. This improves range, endurance, and flexibility. The increased space for lip movement also improves the ability to open the corners of the lips for a breath, and to then replace them to their original position without the difficulty associated with conventional rims. The central portions of the upper and lower lips are pinned in place by the relatively wider upper and lower rims while the lateral lips are able to move while breathing.

The arterial blood supply of the lip courses from lateral to medial. Venous and lymphatic drainage of the lips courses from medial to lateral. Pressure of the lateral rim of conventional mouthpieces impairs blood and lymph flow at this point, resulting in impaired blood supply, oxygen and nutrient starvation of the central lip tissues, decreased lymphatic and venous blood drainage, and lip swelling. Impedance to flow is a function of the degree of compression of vessels, and the length of the vessel over which that restriction is applied. These factors produce player fatigue and impaired endurance and general playing ability. The sloping lateral shoulders of the Wedge offloads pressure from the lateral rims. The decreased pressure acting over a shorter length of vascular structures improves blood and lymphatic flow, which decreases lip swelling and fatigue.

Transfer of a greater proportion of surface area of contact from lateral to the relatively wider superior and inferior portions of the rim, which lie over the smooth surfaces of the teeth instead of the sharp teeth edges, also improves comfort for any given degree of mouthpiece pressure. The pronounced soft bite and cupping of the upper and lower rims produces inferior/superior lip compression, rather than cutting off the note as moderate pressure is applied.

The slope of the lateral rim can vary in contour, degree, and orientation. The contour of the sloping shoulders can be flat or rounded. The slope will affect the overall width the mouthpiece and degree of oval shape of the cup. The orientation of the slope of the two lateral rims can be parallel or angled with respect to one another. Angled orientations will produce an inequality between the lengths of the rim upper and lower rim segments. In playing the instrument the wider or narrower rim segments can be placed on the top or bottom lip depending on player preference.

The net effects of these modifications is improved comfort, endurance, range, and flexibility without any sacrifice in tone or other paying characteristics of any given mouthpiece cup. The slight decrease in cup volume is minimal and does not appreciably affect the tone. For example, a modified Bach 3C will easily outperform a Bach 3D or 3E in terms ease of playing and range, but maintains the tonal characteristics of the 3C. In my case it has changed my usable range from high D to high F. And the F is huge. I can do shakes from high D to F, and do sustained lip trills on high C without difficulty. I am not able to do any of these things on a conventional mouthpiece. The Wedge feels different, but very comfortable, and takes no time to learn how to play.

Because my patent application on the Wedge was just filed I have only been able to let a very few players try the mouthpiece, but so far each player has reported a similar effect. I should have feedback from a few more in the next few days. At this point I am still in the prototype phase. I have made mouthpieces based on modifications of Bach 1 ½ C, 1 ½ B, 3C, and Warburton 3SV, 3M, 3MD, 3D, 4SV, and 4M. The results are the same in each case, about a 3rd increase in usable range, better flexibility, with minimal or no change in tone.

What’s next?
I will be meeting with local machine shops this week to see about CNC machining of a limited run of production models based on popular Bach sizes. A regular lathe is not going to cut it for these things. Hopefully I will be able to get some completed pieces, or at least some prototypes in the hands of players so that I can get some honest feedback from TH members very soon. Then we will just have to see what happens. Either the few players (two of them are pros) who have tried the Wedge are anomalies in terms of their reactions and this thing does not really work, or this could be a very interesting development. I know my own playing will never be the same.
_________________
Dr. Dave
www.wedgemouthpiece.com

[tptfrbrains]

Sound very interesting. I myself have often wondered why we continue to think of mouthpieces almost exclusively as round objects, since the face is not symetrical, nor is it flat.

r.

[thedevilisbad]

Will this work well with people with off centered embouchures?
_________________
Do or do not, there is no try.

David Koch Custom 1958 Olds Ambassador
1951 Conn 80A
A lot of other crap.

[oxleyk]

King made mouthpieces similar to what you describe...I think. Here's a link. http://www.hnwhite.com/King/Mouthpieces/1932%20Complete%20mouthpiece%20list%20Large.jpg

Kent

[DrDave]

By off center do you mean shifted to the right or left, or something other than 50% top and 50% bottom lip? It is too early to tell for sure who it is going to work for. I am about 1/3 top and downstream. I know it works for one player who is shifted to the right, and one who is 50/50 top bottom and an upstream player.

Some people also find it works better played upside down compared to how I orient it.

I had a professional patent search done and there are indeed many variations and attempts at custom rims. However, the specific set of contours of the Wedge is quite complex and unique, and I was amazed in working it out how a fraction of an inch of metal taken off at the correct spot changes performance. I think the test of whether or not this is really different will be what you guys find it does for you once it is in your hands. It will come with a money back guarantee, including return postage.
_________________
Dr. Dave
www.wedgemouthpiece.com

[mulligan stew]

[Craig Swartz]

It's a good thing all mouthpieces don't come with a money back guarantee or we'd have to remove one of the largest TH Marketplace categories. How are you going to make money if you actually make something that will work for a trumpet player or they can return it?! That would take all of the fun out of the endless experimenting for many. Then, perhaps, mouthpieces will become like Christmas fruit cakes- there'd only be one and people would just keep sending the same one around to someone else to try...

Good luck on your design!

[Bri]

[LeeC]

Someone needs to post some graphics of the original wedge mouthpiece. A picture being worth more than a thousand words. Sorry but although the topic is interesting it lost my attention because it needed a graphic reference point.

I believe that mouthpieces will become less symmetrical over time. Maybe even the existing round ones becoming more the exception. The Lynch piece isn't a particularly novel idea and his rims have a dreadfully sharp inner bite to them. He simply was one of the first to popularize them. In my opinion he's not headed the right direction with them at the present time. Sales over substance.

The problem for right now is that very few people have a clue about how an embouchure works (although plenty claim to). Want to know if your "chop doc" knows anything of substance on physical issues (either mouthpiece or embouchure)? Ask him how many people he's known with a neck puff injury. How did he treat it? etc. It's sort of a barometer of expectation. A good high note/embouchure techie will come across a fair number of neck puff injuries.

If he doesn't know diddly about it? Well I won't name names but I know two "well regarded" ones who claimed they never came across the problem.

[DrDave]

I will post some photos in the next day or so in order to show people what I am talking about. It is very hard to describe. Most previous variations have tried to match the shape of the mouthpiece to the player's lips. The Wedge actually is designed in the opposite direction, which is the major difference, and I admit not very intuitive. In any event, the only thing that really matters about the design is whether or not it provides a significant advantage compared to what has gone before. I think it does, but what I think does not matter much. You folks will determine if it is the real thing.
Cheers,
Dave Harrison
_________________
Dr. Dave
www.wedgemouthpiece.com

[thedevilisbad]

[Accordion Ron]

My wife's uncle, an Old Timer probably born around 1880 had a King Cornet with an Oval shaped mouthpeice. Has anyone ever seen anything like that? It played quite well
Ron.......I was hoping he would leave that cornet to me in his will. He didn't!

[Craig Swartz]

Hey, kid- (thedevilisbad), we're all students in some capacity if we're alive... Just some won't admit it.

I still reiterate: a mouthpiece with a money back guarantee? Maybe DrDave will indicate whether it is guaranteed to be as advertised or guaranteed to work for the buyer and be better than what he/she is currently using. A horn maker couldn't offer that kind of promise. Again, DrDave, good luck!

[DrDave]

Hi Craig,

Some other horn and mouthpiece manufacturers do offer to accept returns. Edwards Trumpets, John Lynch, and I think Curry, come to mind. Dave Monette has also been very good to me in that regard.

If the purchaser does not feel that the mouthpiece is an improvement over what he or she is currently playing and does not want to keep it I will accept it back within a week provided it is in new condition. Light insertion marks are OK. That only seems fair. I personally would not want people to spend their hard earned cash on a mouthpiece that did not suit them.

To be honest, this is a very easy offer to make. I am so convinced that this mouthpiece is a significant step forward that I think very few people who try it will want to part with it. Now, I might be completely wrong on this, but quite honestly I don't think so. I am frankly amazed at what the Wedge can do. I should add that I would be very skeptical if I heard about such a thing myself and I do not expect people to accept this on blind faith. But try it. I am not talking a about subtle "Gee, I think I hear a difference" sort of thing. Stick this thing in the horn of a 12 year old kid who has an E in the staff and she has a G and better flexibility with no change in what she is doing, and no penalty in terms of tone. Amazing, I know. But people will just have to decide for themselves, and if they decide to return it, I will thank them for giving it a try. If they like it I will be happy that the Wedge was able to open up some musical doors for them.
Dave
_________________
Dr. Dave
www.wedgemouthpiece.com

[bigmoney1103]

Hey Dave,
Do you have any mouthpieces that are in the .630 to .640 diameter (Warburton 7)? Will you post some pics? Thanks

Blake

[Craig Swartz]

Good for you, DrDave. In that light I can't imagine why anyone who thinks a change in mpc is in order would not take you up on their offer. Again, good luck with your project.

[DrDave]

Hi Blake,
To answer your question about sizing, I plan to offer an equivalent to a Bach 7C and Bach 7E, both of which have about a 0.64 inch rim. The Wedge feels a bit narrower on the face, mostly I think because it is elongated in one dimension, and because the high point of the lateral rim is shifted medially, not because it is smaller. I think if you like the .62 to .64 rim, the Bach 7 Wedge equivalent might feel right. If not, you could send it back. I find that a modified Warburton 3 feels best to me, and that is my unmodified size. My brother (a pro trombone player in Winnipeg who doubles on trumpet) is playing a modified Bach 3C, and it is a good fit. 3C is his regular size in an unmodified piece. I have noted that I need to pull my tuning slide out a bit on the modified lead piece. The rim encourages a very closed lip set up and lots of lip engagement, but I am not bottoming out.

Here are some images of a Warburton 3SV prototype. It is unplated. This is my current lead piece. The same rim contour seems to work on any piece I have tried so far. This is now the 4th or 5th generation.







_________________
Dr. Dave
www.wedgemouthpiece.com

[oldlou]

I have the old Conn Clarke Model cornet mouthpiece and the York stencil cornet that my grandfather used for many years as the principal cornetist with the Burkey and Gay Furniture Co. band. I can see very little if any difference between your piece and what my grandfather used from 1906 to 1965. BTW, I like it on that old short cornet.


OLDLOU>>

[DrDave]

Hi,
That is indeed very interesting.

Is the long axis of the oval shape of the cup oriented up and down or sideways when the mouthpiece is played?
Cheers,
Dave Harrison
_________________
Dr. Dave
www.wedgemouthpiece.com

[oldlou]

I have no way of knowing what the designers intent was for the method of usage by a player of the Clarke Model Conn mouthpiece, but for me, it is most comfortable with the protruding portions of the rim fitting into the gap between the lips. I have tried to use it with the protrusions oriented top and bottom which caused the tone distortion and discomfort to dramatically increase.


OLDLOU>>