Drew Wilkie Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 As a trumpet nerd that has played almost every single brand of trumpet mouthpiece out there, I think I may be of some use with this particular topic... A soprano bugle, in the context of trumpet playing, is a huge instrument. I know Kanstul's Powerbore is a .470, which rivals Schilke's X4 and Jerry Callet's .472 Soloist model (though the bugle has a much larger bell tail). Therefore, a mouthpiece with some resistant characteristics would be the best choice, especially for lead playing on the football field. A mouthpiece with a tighter throat and/or backbore will help to keep you from blowing your brains out on an already-free-blowing instrument. Some good lead mouthpieces to choose from (for this context): -Bob Reeves 40, 41, 42 series rims (Bob has many different backbores to choose from) -Warburton 5, 6, 7, 8 series rims (Terry Warburton has the largest array of backbores in the business) -Schilke 6-13 series rims (Schilke has a pretty decent lead backbore, their "A" backbore) For soprano players not playing lead, your best bet would probably be Bach, simply because their pieces are cheap and subsequently, easy to experiment with. They aren't very specialized pieces, so they will function just fine for section players on the field. For mellophone players, DO NOT get a mouthpiece that is too deep. Doing so will kill the projective qualities of the instrument, and it will sound very dead. Yamaha makes a good mellophone mouthpiece with a trumpet shank (14F4), that has the perfect blend of qualities for a rich sound that will project with clarity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spamula Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 (edited) As for havin a mellophone mouthpiece that is too deep?? I actually prefere mine deeper because I get a better tone out of it. I used to use a bach 6v(which our whole line uses) and I switched back from euph and needed a wider piece. I baught a GR 66FD, and it fits perfectly in my horn. Granted, its a rather deep flugal piece, but I love the sound on it, and IMHO - prefere it to the 6v. Personally, I dont like yahama... because the trumpet shank is longer than a mellophone or a flugal shank, making it out of tune on some horns. Plus, a trumpet mouthpiece makes the mellophone sound too much like a "razorphone".... not quite what they are suppose to be. Look for the Empire Statesmen mellophone line this summer.... we got the sound, the tone, and the power to knock your socks off PS - Good job in Wildwood, glad to see Cabs are back Edited June 19, 2006 by spamula Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchromik Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Yeah, I'm not sure I am buying the 'kills projection' arguement. Maybe coming from a lead sop point of view, but projection is rarely an issue for a mello. Yes a shallow mouthpieced 'razorphone' could probably cut through a brick wall. But it certainly wouldn't project a proper 'mello' tone. With that big bell the mello voice rarely has a problem filling in the middle. From my experience in our 70 man lines, our 14-16 mellos could actually overpower the 20+ sops at will if tone quality was not an issue. The Yamaha 14F4 works well on the Yamaha F mellos with are quite compact and beefy. The trumpet shank isn't a problem with many of today's F mellos, but there are many mellos out there that are designed for the smaller 'cornet' shank. Most of those really shine with a mello6 or 6V. Currently I am really pushing folks to try the Currey TF cup. It is a hybrid cup that is both concave and convex and very deep. Wonderful full tone with just a smidge of 'edge' to give it some sparkle. And unlike many mello pieces, is available in several cup sizes (diameters). The shank is unique, a short trumpet shank that seems to work in mellos built for either the trumpet shank or the cornet shank. Try one, you'll like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idontwan2know Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Not sure if they still do, but I know back in 2003 Phantom's mellos used Bach 1.5Bs, which is a toilet bowl by high brass standards. I'm pretty sure they projected just fine. Tone quality can be argued, but there were no problems hearing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMBob Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Currently I am really pushing folks to try the Currey TF cup. It is a hybrid cup that is both concave and convex and very deep. Wonderful full tone with just a smidge of 'edge' to give it some sparkle. And unlike many mello pieces, is available in several cup sizes (diameters). The shank is unique, a short trumpet shank that seems to work in mellos built for either the trumpet shank or the cornet shank. Try one, you'll like it. I like a bigger diameter mouthpiece, so I used a 1TF my second year at Gold and loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuCharlie Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 There are many different makes and models of mouthpieces out there and it can be tough to find exactly what you're looking for. I have a desk full of mouthpieces that didn't work out for me. Your best bet is to have an idea of what feel and sound you're looking for and try stuff out until you find what works for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchromik Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Not sure if they still do, but I know back in 2003 Phantom's mellos used Bach 1.5Bs, which is a toilet bowl by high brass standards.I'm pretty sure they projected just fine. Tone quality can be argued, but there were no problems hearing them. At least they were trying for a big cup, but I find the Bach B cup is not that much deeper then the C cup. I use a Bach 3C on trumpet. If a 1.5B is a toilet bowl, then a Curry 1TF is more like a well! From what I seen, heard, and felt, the cup shape is more important then the total volume of cup when it comes to a mello piece. The old mello 6 is not that large a piece in either diameter or depth, yet it remains the benchmark of mello mouthpieces due to the tone. With mellos there is still alot of room for experimentation. Just depends on what sound you are going for as a line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchromik Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 I like a bigger diameter mouthpiece, so I used a 1TF my second year at Gold and loved it. I've tried the 1. In fact the first TF I ever tried was a custom built 1TF heavy blank. It was a great piece, but I don't play enough to have the stamina for it. Had to settle for the 'chick model' 3TF. The 06' Star United mello line, all four of us, proudly feature an all TF line! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMBob Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 I've tried the 1. In fact the first TF I ever tried was a custom built 1TF heavy blank. It was a great piece, but I don't play enough to have the stamina for it. Had to settle for the 'chick model' 3TF.The 06' Star United mello line, all four of us, proudly feature an all TF line! I also found that I can get a greater range of dynamics while maintaining control with the TF mouthpiece. I wonder if you experienced the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchromik Posted June 25, 2006 Share Posted June 25, 2006 I also found that I can get a greater range of dynamics while maintaining control with the TF mouthpiece. I wonder if you experienced the same thing. Yes. IMHO it is mainly due to just being on a large volume/large diameter mouthpiece in comparison to the mello 6/6V. When I was a freshman in HS I dumped my old 7C for something larger, maybe a Warburton 4 or so, and it was like somebody lifted a shade in a darkened room. The improvement in dynamics and tone was fantastic. The switch to the TF was not as dramatic, but similar. I actually like the way the TF sounds on trumpet as well. Sort of a cornet-like dark tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.