mchs3d

Hi Manny,

About a year ago I upgraded to a Bach 3C megatone mouthpiece and was just wondering what benefits the megatone has over the normal 3C. Thanks in advance for any replies!

Manny Laureano

I couldn't tell you truly as my experience with those mouthpieces is very limited and I've never compared them side by side.

Bach added more mass to the mouthpiece as an option after Dave Monette introduced his STC 1 weight mouthpieces. You'd have to ask someone who played a Bach mouthpiece and then switched to the same size with the Megatone option for the difference.

I guess that would be you. So, what's the difference as you see it?

ML

mchs3d

Thanks Manny!

My experience with a megatone mouthpiece is that the added weight helps stabilize and darken the tone a little more, allowing my tone to be a little more rich. Here's a good PDF explaining megatone mpc's.

loweredsixth

I used to play on Bach mouthpieces, so I'll chime in here.

When I originally switched from my Bach 2 to a megatone 2, I was very pleased with what I thought was a more stable response. I played on that megatone for a year (assuming that it must be better than the standard Bach 2!)

One day, just for fun I put in my standard Bach 2 and I was blown away with its ease of playing. My flexibility was improved, the higher range felt more relaxed and stable, and my sound was more resonant. I couldn't believe how much I liked my standard mouthpiece more than my megatone. Well, that was pretty much it for my megatone. I sold it on eBay.

I think that the megatone mouthpieces are not very well designed. They really do make things difficult in the upper register and deaden the tone. Bach tried to compensate for this by opening up the throat but I don't think that really did much good.

That's just my take.

Joe Lewis

Manny Laureano

And that's the problem with trying to copy what, on the surface, seems obvious. The reality is that it never is quite as simple as some would make it out to be.

ML

JazzBird

I used to play a Bach 3C. Then I tried the Megatone 3C. I too like the darker sound at first...but then I started realizing that my flexibility was not as good (or harder) and my sound lost brilliance. I flipped it on eBay a month later..

JB

cornetguy

my experience with megatone is the same as the other, loss of flexability and deader duller sound, however it did inprove the c trumpet intonation, but i think though that was due to reciever expansion and it was the only mouthpiece that fit right.

butxifxnot

My director uses a megatone 3C and says that it is overrated and a waste. He, being a tuba player, doesn't need the benefits that the megatone is supposed to have anyway...

BflatAnklan

I don't use a megatone mouthpiece, nor have I ever. One trumpet player that I encountered who had a very bright sound, so much that he stuck out no matter what he was playing, purchased a megatone and it brought his sound down to earth and he ended up blending with us very well.

I suppose if your natural sound tends to be very bright and you are looking to warm it up, this mouthpiece could be useful. I don't know. Just a thought.

I want peanut brittle.

Mikey

In reality, Bach made the megatone by taking off less metal, since they start with round brass stock. So the megatones involve less maching, but they are charging twice the price. And they did not do their homework regarding how the backbore and throat should be to balance out the heavier weight.

Monette has been copied often, but never equaled.