| "As a classical freelance trumpet player, I've been struggling with one big dillema my whole career now. I can't seem to find a mpc. that will give me a bigger sound then my Bach 1-1/2C and, at the same time, won't cost me my endurance. I've always been very comfortable on the Bach 1-1/2C, it just seems to be the mpc for me (rim shape, diameter, all good!). I've tried lots of mpcs that are a little bigger (various 1-1/4C's and 1C's), but, in the end, I always keep coming back to the 1-1/2C Bach. Do you have any suggestions?"
Dear Jeroen,
I'm not sure I see a problem.
For what it's worth, when I played Bach equipment many years ago I played the 1 1/2 C and it was a good mouthpiece for me. I moved to larger sizes because I wanted to see what my limits were and I moved a quarter size at a time until I reached a point where the high register was not reliable and then I went one step back. For my case I stopped at the 1B set up based on what I heard about Bud Herseth's set up. That was plenty comfortable until I started to play Dave's mouthpieces. I had the same cup depth but greater clarity and brilliance and more fundamental. I knew I was on the right track because the violas were complaining more!
The point is that perhaps you have found the ideal size and if you have you are in a better position than the majority of trumpeters! If your lips are thinner than mine then you should be able to produce a sound that is robust enough to keep up with another good player playing comparable equipment.
So, Jeroen, we're all jealous of you! You have found your mouthpiece niche early in life.
ML |