marzsit

selecting a mouthpiece is like finding the right pair of shoes... everyone has their own opinion of what feels right. if your current bach 3C is comfortable to play, you can hit all of the notes you need to hit, but you're looking for better tone, then you might want to experiment with different backbores to improve your tone. this is why modular mouthpieces with interchangeable cups/backbores exist. if your tone is good at low volume, but breaks at high volume, you might need a larger backbore. if you have trouble hitting high notes, a smaller cup might help. i'm a low brass player who plays trombone most of the time, so that's what my embouchure is built on. i use a bach 3, very large backbore for a tenor trombone or corps baritone, most people play a bach 12C or a bach 6-1/2AL.. when i play soprano/trumpet, i use a bach 1B. for contra/tuba, i use a bach 18. i never could find a decent mellophone mouthpiece that worked for me..

the american command horns were designed by zig kanstul, and built by benge when zig was the manufacturing manager of the benge plant. when zig left benge for king, he took the designs with him and the king k-series horns are virtually identical to the american command horns. benge was never known to make junk, these horns are excellent. the ultratone II horns were built by olds after zig left to work for benge, zig left olds because he saw the manufacturing quality drop severely when new owners took it over.... needless to say, olds horns made after zig's time are not so good..... and the company eventually folded up because of it. i played an ultratone II baritone when i marched in 1978-79, i preferred my piston-rotor ultratone I over the ultratone II... the valves were not smooth, the tuning slides easily jammed and the finish (chrome in those days..) was wavy and grainy..

for me, it's the fit and finish.. my dynasty 3-valve g baritone makes terrible clanking sounds on all 3 valves. i've replaced the plastic guide blocks and pads, but it makes no difference. just a bad design..

one of the best 2-valve sopranos that i've seen is the zig kanstul designed, made by benge (when zig was in charge of manufacturing..) american command brand that was made in the late 70's before zig went to work for king. they were chrome plated. those designs were later made by king, silver instead of chrome..

i agree it's leaky, the slide is as loose as the slide on a trombone. the slide on my mellophone is chromed and polished and very sloppy... so, i'm assuming the ring brazed to the bottom of the slide is the tuning ring, and the knurled nut is the adjuster? or is it the other way around? i've never seen an ultratone user manual....

later production olds ultratone p/r sopranos and mellophones almost always had the slip-slide, it was very useful for solos :) these were g-f-f# horns, not g-d.

i've got 3 of them myself, an ultratone mellophone, long french horn, and a baritone. really would love to find a contra in decent shape...:)

1973: Seattle Shamrocks + Bellevue Sentinels = Seattle Marksmen.