Ive been playing the trumpet for a few years now (4 or 5)
and im looking at new mouth pieces... Wow what a shock
7c 3c 1c 9c3 14a4 14a4a 6a4.... the list goes on forever and ever... so now which one?? im looking for that little extra edge... a little more blare, a little higher register
im currently looking at a Bach megatone 1c or a schilke 14a4a or a 14a4 any advice??

You should really do some research of your own. Trust me, you dont want to grab a mpc that works for someone else, it just might not work for you. There is a big misconception about mpc`s especially about the size of the inner diameter. Some people swear that a bigger diameter makes you stronger, or that the sound is better on a bigger mpc. Some say that the smaller diameters allow a better or easier upper register, the problem is that not everybody is the same, and it doesnt mean it will work for you. Instead of giving you what size mouthpiece you should get, ill send you in the direction of manufactures that in my expieriences I have come to admire. Bach, its just the standards, especially the older models. Yamaha, I currently use the bobby shew lead, its great, I have learned to pull Bb`s above high C on that thing. However recently I think I am growing out of that piece, I think I want to find something similar to it but something needs to change I am not sure of what though, looks like I am going to have to look into a custom piece for me. GR mouthpieces. A very complex tool to use, its not like the standards. You have to tweak how you approach in order for this mpc to work at 100%, its very easy to work against yourself on those things. Now the people to stay away from(in my opinion). Marcinciewiz, they are a very light weight brand of a mpc, the overtones are horrible, I blame the blank for this, its just oddly shaped. If you like that meat around the center this one will not work for ya, I use one for marching band and I hate it. Schilke, their mpc are very uncomfortable, its seems the shape of the rim in the cup just really hurts. Not that it causes pain, but that its just not a common feeling on those mpc`s...unless you use em already then by all means.....Monette, actually I havent tried them its just that those pieces really work best on their horns. So unless you own a monette then dont look that way. The Iffies. Warburton, I dont like their V cup anymore. Denis Wick, I really want to try their cornet 4.

Now here is some advice. If you currently play on a big diameter mpc i.e. 17mm its not bad to move to a smaller diameter like the bach 3 which is about 16.5 or something like that. Your embouchure is really the mechanics of how you sound and all that fun stuff, if the lips arent working right changing the mpc wont do that much unless you are working on developing your set up. If you have a good set up the transition to a 3 wont be bad it might even surprise you, I know I was when...well thats a story for another time if youre interested. Anywho if you really want some websites for research go:

http://www.grmouthpieces.com/questions.htm
http://ibowtie.com/xcart/pages.php?pageid=1
http://www.mouthpieceexpress.com/specshub/index.html

Really alot of good info if youre willing to decipher it all. If you want some suggestions go ahead and post what horn youre using and your current mouthpieces. Ill see what I can find that will match your equipment. Oh btw, what made you want to go with a 1 bach dameter? Anywho have a great day!

go to a music store and tryout mp`s. listen to how you sound NOT how high you can play. i don`t reccomend those 14a4a`s or anything schilke that is a shallow mp unless you play high all the time and you need a brighter sound. even than you shouldn`t have to use those mp`s unless you`ll be playing 6 or 7 hour gigues. and those shallow mp`s won`t be acceptable in a concert band. it`s not possible to get as many overtones and your sound gets too bright. not to mention that if you aren`t very experienced you will barely be able to play on it because your bottom lip will keep hitting the cup and yhou will sound like you`re flaring. just try out some mp`s at a store and talk to pro`s about what each will get you. if you can`t find enough to try out than you can order 4 from wwbw.com and they will send them to you to try out. but you`ll have to talk to other people about how you sound. you will be an impartial judge. don`t tell them which mp you are playing and keep asking which one you sound the best on.

thank you both very much

what about jet tones? what do those do?

can anyone help me out?

jet tone = evil unless crazy lead player for maynard ferguson

I talked to someone about em, however the only person I could find where I am at who had messed with one was a little immature. He said it was super cool, that it instantly gave him range like maynard.....BS. I dont think ever a mouthpiece can grant instant range so I am going to disregard that crap. However, he said it was really small, cup and diameter. He also said he had major head aches but whatever. Honestly, Jet tone sounds like a bad idea, I mean come on look at the name.....JET TONE. Do you want a tone that jets? LOL.

well a jet tone gives you a really bright edgy gross sound... they are hard to control unless you`re a crazy pro. it will help your range but it will also hurt your chops if you`re not highly experienced in trumpet playing. and if you`re highly experienced than you don`t need one anyways unless you want to play like maynard. (high but a no good sound) hope i helped

I`m a band director and trumpet player / teacher. Your lips are a muscle that will adapt to many different sizes and types of mouthpieces. Over the years I`ve used the mp that came with my Olds Ambasador I think it was an olds 3 or 4. Somewhere along the line my band director gave me a Bach 8 1/2 then in college everybody was using a Bach 1 1/2 C so I had to have one of those and it took me about 6 months to get my chops to accept the bigger rim. It just seems to me that if I play any mp long enough my chops will adapt to it. However there is a distinctive difference in the tone of my horn with different mps. Deep cups give a warmer darker tone where shallow cups give a brighter tone. The size of the throat also seems to have a big effect as well. A small throat will cause more resistance making it easier for some to play while a bigger throat will make the horn seem more free blowing and allow for more volume. I`ve ended up using a Bach 1 1/2 B and can`t seem to get away from it, but that is me.

Well, I kinda came in contact with someone here at school who had a Maynard Jettone model mouthpiece. Actually it wasnt too bad actually. LOL. The hardest thing on that mouthpiece was playing in higher dynamics. I guess maynard would be the person to go to about that....LOL. Range was funny, I still had a lower register, compared to the guy who owned it, he couldnt get very low at all. I was slotting double c`s on that thing much easier then the Shew Lead I own for all of my lead stuff. I enjoy the blank of this mouthpiece over the marcinciewicz model, more "meat" on the mouthpiece. I think I might look into getting a jet tone for a marching lead mouthpiece. The piece would have to be heavy enough for the whole overtone concept and not so small that after the lips has swollen (a bit) it would still be possible to play in the upper register while moving. Marching marcinciewicz too me was a bad idea, didnt like it at all. Now time for me to watch a few videos of maynard, find out how he approached a mouthpiece like his...lol.