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Originally Posted by Cornet1  Note;....The 'shanks' shown have nothing to do with low/high pitch, they are the Bb shank seen fitted and an 'A' shank above. It is (was) not possible to effect a good change to low pitch using just a shank change.....Incidentally, the mpc in the photo is the wrong size for these instruments,...it should fit much further into the shank leaving only about 1/4" of taper showing. This is important to get the right sound and easy playing feel to these cornets.....This type of cornet is instantly recognisable to UK bandsmen of my era...ie, those who learned on these 'junk' instruments..... |
You're correct, the mouthpiece shown is the one that came with the cornet when I bought it, and didn't fit well. I played it with a smaller mouthpiece that did fit correctly. The longer shank shown is a Bb shank, for modern low pitch. The shorter shank shown fitted is also a Bb shank, for old high pitch. I suspect that the cornet was designed as a high-pitch instrument, and as you say, did not play well in low pitch without any other modifications.
Too bad I didn't instantly recognize it as a "junk" instrument!