Hey people
I've just changed my instrument, it appears to me that I need some time adjusting to it. So who's using what instrument and what mouthpiece? And how does it feel?

I'm now using yamaha 47 and yamaha 354s, I'm playing mostly high register.

Be careful not to let your range get too one sided. Focusing entirely on high register without working you way down also will not do wonders for you or your sound.

I deffinatley agree with steve, never let the range become partial to high or low, play it all. Thats why i play on a bach 6 1/2 AL mouthpiece. Its not really a big mouthpiece, nor is it small. its right in the middle, as to keep ranges on both sides in shape. I play on that with the bach 42 with a thayer valve. does the trick for me.

Hey guys
Thanks for your advices.
I 100%ly agree with you guys. Low notes are very important, especially to me; because I'm actually playing bass trombone in the band (Denis Wick 1AL Mouthpiece). However, I also like high registers very much, that why I got hold of a YAMAHA 47 mouthpiece and YSL-354s to play around a bit.
My playing range is actually the bottom G to the F 2 octaves above the middle C, so don't worry. Any way, I do recognize your opinions, and I would like all the trombone players to recognize the importance of low notes as well!

yaze

Justjoshin,

The overall consensus among many of the better players in my area is that a 6 1/2AL is kind of small-ish for a Bach 42. Have you tried a 5G? You may get better results in terms of sound quality.

Most of the people that I see playing large bores play 4G and 5G sizes. The 6.5's are mostly reserved for the Bach 36 (.525) size horns.

What I use is a Doug Elliott LT104/G8. It's basically a 3G rim with a 5G cup. It's the perfect match for me. So much so that all of my other mouthpieces are sitting in the junk drawer in my room.

yeah i see your point. that'll be later down the road. im an all-state trombone player and i really dont see a problem though with my sound or anything. i dont want to move stuff around too much ya know? i think the 6 1/2'll suffice for the mean time.

That's fine. For now the 6.5 is probably OK. But as you improve and your chops get stronger, you might start to find that the 6.5 doesn't let you put as much air through the horn as you need to, and you'll need something bigger. As you begin to play with better ensembles, you'll find that they'll want a bigger sound from you and the ability to play louder without the sound breaking up. The biggger mouthpieces let you do that, but your chops have to be well-developed in order to control a large mouthpiece.

In high school, I used a 6.5 also. But when I got into college and started playing real orchestral stuff and more advanced band pieces, the conductor was looking for a much bigger sound out of me. He told me to check out some of the classic Chicago Symphony recordings, and I realized that he was right. So I moved to a bigger mouthpiece and that helped me get the sound that was required. It also meant much more time in the practice room, because my endurance, high register, and air control suffered quite a bit on the bigger mouthpiece. Eventually I got used to the 5G, then moved down to the 4G, and even a 3G. I decided that the cup and backbore of the 3G were too big, but I liked the rim size, and the Doug Elliott mouthpiece allowed me to get the best of both worlds, so it's a nice compromise.

I tried almost every single brand besides Bach, though. At one time or another, I was going through Schilke, Stork, Greg Black, Griego, Laskey, Elliott and other brands that I can't even remember! At the end it came down to a choice between the Greg Black/Alessi 3.5 medium weight, and the Elliott piece I'm playing now. I had been switching between the two of them constantly, not sure of which one I should use permanantly. Using two different mouthpieces on the same horn messes with the chops, so I had to choose one. With the Black/Alessi, I got a huge, dark sound and the ability to play extremely loudly without breaking up, but since the mouthpiece was very heavy, it was hard to color the sound and tougher on the chops. With the Elliott, I can't play quite as loud, but I find that the sound is much more versatile, and the mouthpiece seems to be more efficient, so I don't get as tired when I play. So I decided to stick with the Elliott and eventually sold the Black/Alessi to somebody else. Six months later, I'm still convinced that I made the right choice, and I'm sticking with the Elliott forever!

Good post Bob.

In high school I played a Dennis Wick 5, and when I went to college, I also found that I neede d something bigger. I tried larger Wicks, Schilkes, Bachs, Marcinkowicz, and a few others. For about a year I actually played a Marcinkowicz George Roberts Custom bass piece for lead work in Wind Ensemble and Orchestra. Eventually, I found it was a bit to big and was effecting my chops, so I went with a Warburton 5, and then a Warburton 7ST which I still play.

I am again interested in new pieces, even though I love my Warburton. I think I just need something a bit more open, so I would love to try out some Greg Black and Doug Elliot pieces. Eventually, that is...

I agree with Bob. The small-bore mouthpieces do limit your volume. I can go very loud using my Denis Wick 1AL without cracking; but for the Yamaha 47, you cannot push too much air through it, the resistance forces your lips to crack the sound. However I find YAMAHA 47 a better onethan other mouthpieces because yamaha mouthpieces tend to be a little bit heavier. The heavy weight reduced vibration of the mouthpice itslef but pushes all the sound to the bell, this make your sound louder than most small-bore mouthpieces.

Moreover, mouthpieces do compliment with the instrument. A Besson 944 gives you more resistence than a YAMAHA ysl-354s, hence even though you use a large-bore mouthpiece, the sound doesn't usually go much louder than the 354s.

I think if you want to get a loud volume, you might want to try Denis Wick Heavytop series (I personally prefer Denis Wick and Bach, my band doesn't have American brands...), they really focus you sound and magnify it without limiting you airstream.

Yes, I agree that many players (myself included) use considerably larger mouthpieces. But if a 6.5AL is truly what works for HIM, who are we to push him to change it? He hasn't mentioned the desire to go to college and major in music, has he? Who says his goals are orchestral? While there are trends, many great players play outside the general consensus. Personally, for my small horn lead playing, I use a mouthpiece rim that most would consider rediculously big for the job (Doug Elliott XT103). But it's what works for me.
Is it not possible, that if the 6.5 rim is what is comfortable for Josh's face, that the bigger darker sound could be accomplished with a mouthpiece of the same rim but with a different shaped/ deeper cup and/ or a more open throat and back bore? Maybe it would work... maybe not. We don't know if he's an upstreamer, downstreamer, high placement, etc.
The fact is, we just don't know. We don't know Josh's future goals with bone playing. We've never seen or heard him play. Point out the general consensus if you feel you must, but let's remember that there are a lot of factors we are just not privy to.
To answer the original posted question...
I use a Doug Elliot XT103 lexan rim.. with a G cup and 8 shank for my large tenor. Same rim with a C cup and 3 shank for my small tenor.
Do any of you who have never heard or seen me play care to tell me I should change?

Thanks steve. As i do take all each of you say into consideration, i do not see a need for change at the moment. i get a large enough, dark enough sound for my current purposes. however if i need to look into a change later down the road, ill be sure to consult the few of you. I often wondered about changing my mouthpiece, the benifits drawbacks etc, but as ive problably said before, nothing seems in need of help at the moment. thanks all of you, your input is much obliged.

Josh, you seem smart for a high-school aged trombone player. Many players that age seem to think that there's this one magic mouthpiece that will solve all of their problems and get them first chair in All-State, but it doesn't work that way. The most important thing right now is to stick with what you've got and learn how to play the horn very well. After a few years, if you find that the equipment may be holding you back, then it's time to try new stuff.

In my case, I wasted too much money trying to find the perfect horn and mouthpiece. Looking back, I wish I had just stuck with my Bach 36 and 5G for much longer.