mctrumpet

Is there a amount of time that it will take to adjust to your first one?

rowuk

MCT
Depends on you, the level of bad habits (breathing, chops, body use) and the pitch center adjustment of your present horn.

11 years ago, I received my mouthpieces on a Friday and played them on a concert that night and the Saturday/Sunday following (with a Bach 72*Bb and a 229H C). I never switched back. When I received my Prana mouthpieces 3 or 4 years ago, I needed a week to acclimate - no instant everything better - rather an instant need to relax more when playing. After the week, I had NO desire to go back. I have never had a student that has needed more than 2 weeks to feel perfectly at home.

B15M

I don't remember how long it took but, it was some time. The Prana was longer.

Jimi Michiel

mctrumpet-

Robin nailed it on the head. When I got my first mouthpiece, I had been studying with a guy who had played Monette equipment for years (one of the very first Raja Samahdi's was made for him). In the weeks leading up to the delivery of my mouthpiece, we focused on relaxing and playing at the very center of the pitch. When I finally got the Monette, I had a Eureka! moment where everything just made sense.

As Robin and Joe mentioned, the Prana mouthpieces are a little different. If you are playing relaxed and centered, they'll do anything you want. However, many people (myself included) find them less forgiving of stress and tension. It's easier to get into a fight with a Prana mouthpiece, and you can't really "out-muscle" them. I've love them for my Monette instruments, but I've actually stayed with older Monette mouthpieces for the Getzen/Bach/Yamaha/Schilke instruments that I play, because I often times have to use small amounts of tension and muscle to play evenly and in tune, and the Pranas just don't respond as well for me with them.

-Jimi

Pedal C

It'll be different for everyone. It took me about two weeks to feel comfortable on my first one. One thing that'll help if you're not too comfortable at first is to just stick with it. Switching between the Monette and another for a couple weeks will usually just make you hate both! So don't panic if it's squirrley at first. Relax, breathe and give it a good run.

On the other hand, after about eight months playing on the standard Monette I borrowed, I felt at home on the Pranas after about two minutes and have never wanted to go back.

Sterling

I switched from a Bach 3C to a Monette B6 about a year ago. It was an immediate improvement with almost no adjustment. Relaxation is the key. I am having a bit of a love/hate relationship with my Prana B6 Slap mouthpiece. I think that Jimi has it correct about non Pranas on non Monette equipment.

rowuk

The Slap is a completely different geometry than the standard Prana mouthpieces.

I use the standard Prana mouthpieces for my rotary horns, picc and Bach C-trumpet and the Prana Slap (B2DS, B2MS, B2LDS and B6S) on the P3. I use an old standard B2 on my other (less well in tune) piston horns. If the pitch center on the horn is off, it is not worth the struggle, although when you get your horn looked after (valve and gap alignment) life becomes beautiful again!

mctrumpet

how do you know if the pitch center on your horn is off and how can you check it?

BflatAnklan

David G. Monette Corporation

Read towards the bottom of the page. When you have the time, you should read all of the articles on the Monette site. They're full of useful info.

Sterling

OK. So I probably should have gone from a B6 to a Prana B6 instead of a Prana B6 Slap. I have found that the pitch center is much different on my Schilke P5-4 with a Monette A6 mouthpiece.