[Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces

[John Burton]

 Y'Know...

One of the neat things I've found in comparing mouthpieces IS to find
out what Bill Kilborne is playing.  If you like his style, snag a
mouthpiece like his!  But as Charles mentioned below, if you do this too
ofen you'll end up with a $1000 worth of mouthpieces that don't work.

If you like the sound of Bill Kilborne, sure, emulate his equipment, but
keeping in mind that having the equipment won't make the player.  

I'm one of the few that is happy with a Schilke 59.  Felt the 60 was
just a hair too big (what is it, .5 mm wider?) and never liked the Bach
1.

You'll find just the combo that makes the music you're looking for...

     --==jb==--


~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= 
 
john burton
Bach 50B3 Bass Trombone
Kanawha Valley Community Band / Slide-by-Slide
South Charleston, West Virginia

-----Original Message-----
From: trombone-l-bounces at samford.edu
[mailto:trombone-l-bounces at samford.edu] On Behalf Of Charles DePaolo
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 5:57 PM
To: trombone-l
Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces

Hi,

I often get this question here at Hickeys.  I feel the single most
important thing a customer needs to know about a replacement mouthpiece
is not model number, brand, cup depth, etc.  Instead, I feel they need
to know specifically what problem they are trying to solve in their
playing.  Or put another way, what are they trying to add that they
currently do not have.  Are they trying to improve high range? low
range? articulation? fuel economy? flavor?!  If the customer doesn't
know exactly what they're trying to fix or improve, then they probably
don't really need a new mouthpiece at this time.  In such cases, usually
the practice room is the solution (yes, I've actually talked folks out
of buying something).  Knowing specifics about construction, weight,
shape, et cetera can be confusing and misleading unless you are a
mouthpiece engineer.  You can find yourself with a drawer full of barely
used mouthpieces, the combined value of which can easily exceed that of
a decent flat
  screen TV.  Typically, one main measurement (rim diameter for
instance) is accompanied by other geometric issues, such as cup depth,
rim shape, bore size and more.  None of these get mentioned or are
estimated, loosely described or are simply unknown.  All these elements
combine to create a unique playing experience, often one that is
unexpected given the particular number assigned to the model.   You have
experienced this a bit with the Griegos.  Apparently, Griego has made
other adjustments to his designs that either compliment, supplement or
even offset the basic cup diameter number.  

My advice is to decide what you want to fix, and then approach
mouthpiece selection with that goal in mind.  Someone who really knows
mouthpieces will be able to help you choose a replacement, based both on
the problem you are having and the mouthpiece you are currently using.
Later, when going through the trials, see if anything else is lost as a
result (your experience with the 6.5AL shows a loss of tone for instance
with a gain of range, not an uncommon situation).  If you find that no
mouthpiece gives you an additional playing asset without significant
liabilities, then it's possible you don't need a new mouthpiece as much
as a different approach to practice and playing.

Hope this helps!

---Chuck

----- Original Message -----
  From: Dave Demko
  To: trombone-l
  Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 4:26 PM
  Subject: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces


  Listers,
  I have a question related to the discussion, a little while back,
  about moving students up from a 12C to something larger, even a 5G.
  Thanks to Newell Sheridan, who travels with more and better trombones
  and gear than some stores have in stock, I was able to try some
  mouthpieces with my horn (and some very nice horns with my
  mouthpiece). The experience reinforced for me the importance of
  verifying by ear and feel whatever differences size, shape, weight,
  and so on are supposed to make according to the spec sheet.
  For example, I tried a Griego 4.5 and 3.5, both a bit larger than my
  5G, expecting them to help my tone quality at the expense of my high
  range. But they didn't make much difference in either. A 6 1/2 AL does
  help my high range while making my tone thinner.
  I'm not asking for specific mouthpiece recommendations so much as
  advice on an approach to evaluating mouthpieces. I'm not even sure I
  want to change, but I'd like to explore the possibilities in a
  systematic and sane way. Any suggestions?
  I'm planning to spring for some lessons for the sake of "course
  correction," and I'm thinking that a teacher's ears and guidance will
  be very useful in evaluating mouthpieces.

  Thanks,
  Dave D.
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