trickg

As the title of this thread suggests, I have a dilemma regarding my current legit mouthpiece situation.

Here's my situation:

At the beginning of the month of August, I'm scheduled to perform in a church where I need to play some Baroque and other "legit" music. I currently have 2 mouthpieces that I can use to play legit. Becuase I haven't done much legit playing in a couple of years, I haven't really botherd too much with just which mouthpiece to use. It just wasn't that important because I wasn't doing that kind of playing.

Anyway, they are:

Bach 5C
Scott Holbert Custom Mouthpiece

The Scott Holbert custom mouthpiece was created for me with the intention of giving me an all around mouthpiece - something that I could play 4th book in the big band, yet also use as a lead piece. It functions for the former much better than for the latter. I have good endurance on the mouthpiece, but it's a bit big to use for lead and the backbore is pretty open - comparable to the backbore on a 7C. This mouthpiece plays and feels pretty good, but it's sound could be fuller, and it's just slightly diffuse in a legit setting- something that I would like to avoid. But all things considered, it was great to use for the big band because I had to have a sound that was full enough, yet cut just slightly to both support the lead and be heard outside of the section. It has a full sound that is open and brassy. (not so smooth)

The best sounding of the two is by far the Bach 5C. It has a very clear, full, smooth, compact sound that in my mind is just about ideal for the music that I am going to be playing. (Vivalid Concerto for two trumpets, and maybe a couple of other Baroque tunes or hymns and descants.) On my horn, it just has that cutting brilliance without being too bright. In fact, it's a pretty dark sound, but it's brilliant and cutting at the same time. Dare I say it is the quintesential "Bach" sound? Does that sound strange? You might be asking yourself "Ok, so it sounds great, what's the problem?"

The problem with this 5C mouthpiece is it's playability. I'm using this mouthpiece not because I went out and bought it, but because it is just one of those mouthpieces that you acquire along the way, and I don't have anything better. Anyway, for my chops and teeth, I think that the 5C is just slightly too narrow or something, and although it sounds like the way I like it to sound, I have some accuracy issues while using it. Call it slotting or whatever, but if I'm not dead on in the center of the note with this mouthpiece, I can totally miss the partial I am aiming for, resulting in some pretty ugly spleeahs or just total misses to a different partial in what would otherwise be a nice line of music.

So I'm torn. Do I use the 5C and hope that I have the time in my schedule to practice enough to get this mouthpiece under control, do I use the Holbert mouthpiece that I know will work, but doesn't really have the sound I'm seeking for this task, or do I punt and purchase another mouthpiece in the hopes that I will find something that will sound like the 5C, yet won't have the accuracy issues? In the past, I have found that a Bach 2 1/2C is a pretty good fit for me, but it's been long enough since I have played one that I don't really know how I sound with it. I have also played on a 1 1/2C and for me, that has a very big sound - full, but not nearly as smooth or brilliant as what I'm getting on the 5C.

HELP!!!!!!

ALL comments and suggestions will be read seriously and with great interest.