bigtiny

thanks to everyone for the answers to my question. As I expected, the discussion of these heavyweight mouthpieces is much like ALL discussions about mouthpieces...highly subjective. The reason I play a 3c mouthpiece is because way back when, after watching friends in high school flit from this JetTone to that Schilke, I decided I was NOT going to play that game. I had always played Bach mouthpieces and at the time was playing a 7c. I knew that the 7c was not giving me the tone that I wanted and I assumed I'd need to work toward a deeper cupped mouthpiece to eventually acheive the tone I liked. I started reading articles and interviews with all of the players that I liked and of the ones that used standard (non-customized) setups, the overwhelming majority played a Bach 3c. I worked my way down to one and have played one since then.

So, the question about the Megatone was simply asked because I'm about to buy a new mouthpiece and I was wondering if the heavier piece might help with a little more darkness without having to totally change mouthpieces.

From the answers here and based on my own experience in general, I'm going to have to go with the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" strategy....

bigtiny

tatakata

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hagertheherald

Switched from 7C to 7C Megatone a year ago. Easiest, best mouthpiece switch ever made, and I really hate to give mine up. Megatone seems to slot well, the extra metal just feels better, more one with the horn. Darker, well, maybe slightly, but I hear a deeper cup will do that perhaps better if that is what you are going for on a regular basis. Play mine on a Bach Strad, silver mpce, silver horn. Severly dislike mouthpiece changes. Believe in taking one over a long period and making it do your will. :>)

AngelofMusic

My experience with megatone mouthpieces is that they are bad for your tone, and they make it harder to play the upper register, not only that, but listening to the trumpet players around me I can tell who is playing a megatone mouthpiece, and who isn't, and it's not in a good way for the megatone mouthpieces... I really wish my second chair trumpeter would change from a megatone, he sounds so much better when I let him borrow my 3c.

OG

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hornished

This was my experience with extra mass mpc.: After twenty years of using a Bach 1,5C I switched to a Megatone. I was inmediatly surprised with the differences. Read again what GordonH wrote, those three items and specially a loss of resistance feeling and greater volume is exactly what you will notice. But then, after some years of using the Bach mega I tried the Marcinkiewicz CH -also extra mass-(CH for Concert Hall) and I founded it was much better, specially in high notes consistency. Sense then I can´t change it. From time to time I try any of my standard mouthpieces and as I feel dissapointed in every aspect I put them back in the pouches.
Watch out! This could happen to you.

DaveLindgren

I would suggest trying out a Curry 3BC. It has a 3C type rim with a Bach style B cup, bigger throat, and bigger backbore that gives a bigger, richer, darker tone. I play this model and love it.

I don't really care for the Megatone mouthpieces myself. I feel like they just take too much effort to get from note to note.

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Dave Lindgren
2nd Trumpet, American Philharmonic Sonoma County www.apsonoma.org
Mouthpiece-Curry 3BC
Bb- Silver Bach ML37 w/MK Drawing nickelsilver semiround braceless tuning slide, curry heavy caps; Olds Studio(someday will have a Bach 72* bell installed)
C- Raw Bach L229GH w/Blackburn 20 leadpipe and rounded tuning slide, Reeves alignment, Bach heavy caps
Piccolo- Laquered Getzen 940

tboss49

I have never played a megatone mouthpiece. But I have experimented with adding weight to my conventional mouthpieces. I used some washers with rubber inserts.

I found the extra weight does make finding the slots in the horn easier, especially over high C. This was really helpful to me when I was playing in a rock band.... since it's so loud and I had to play more by feel.

But add too much weight isn't a good thing. Like said in some earlier posts, the sound of the horn goes dead... though the slots were easier to find. Oh well, sound is the most important part and we have to play musically.

A friend of mine experimented with me on adding weight to the mouthpiece. We found that the horn, mouthpiece and of course player have different effects on the sound. So the combination that worked for him, wasn't the best for me and vise versa.

So I never bought a megatone because I was afraid that it wouldn't be the right configuration and I can't "adjust" it like I can with this system.

Just my 2 cents.