Bugleboy21

I have a player in my section that needs help in choosing the right Monette mouthpiece. He is 42 years old from Puerto Rico. Currently, he playes on a Reeves 42M on a Bach 72*. Generally, he has a compact, powerful sound, and is slightly bright. He also has excellent range up to double C. His passion is latin music and he plays alot of lead salsa gigs in TX. In our army band, he performs with the concert band and the marching band. His wish is to broaden and darken his sound a little more for his classical playing. Monette sent him a B4S to match up to his Reeves, but he feels that the diameter is small. Please send comments/suggestions based on these two different ideas:

1. To achieve a broader and darker sound, which Monette size would help?

2. My opinion is that if he broadens the sound more, it will allow him more flexibility to make his own sound darker at will. What Monette size would help broaden the sound?

I would suggest a B4, B4M, or a B3. I can't really speculate if the 4 series is just too small of a diameter for him, but I know a B3 won't be. However, the B4's cup seems shallow (despite the product description), and a B4M may have enough cup volume to work for him. The B3 may be too large, I fear.

Again, it is his wish to use Monette equipment. Let's keep this discussion as professional as possible, to save time. Thank you!

Pickle

If he likes how his rim feels, they can thread the bottom (Monette) part so that the rim can go on it. Then he'll have a mostly Monette mouthpiece with a rim that feels good to him. A good compromise, I think. Good luck!

Alex Yates

Hey SGT! I would suggest your friend just call the shop and talk to them about his quandary. I am sure they can help him. Even an email might shed some light on the situation for him. If it is possible, you should also try to find the closest distributor of Dave's mouthpieces and have your friend try several back to back to see what happens. It is really difficult to help someone make this kind of decision otherwise. Good luck!

fundenlight

This post seems a little funny (not in a bad way). I switched from a Monette B2 to a Reeves and the only music that I play is classical. The main thing my instructor tries to impart into his student's heads is that sound does not reside somewhere in the horn or the mouthpiece, it is inside your head. When I feel that my sound is going towards being brighter than I would like I get a comfortable chair and sit down with recordings of Charles Schlueter. Afterwards my sound is darker as that is the sound that I now have in my head.
This is nothing against Monette mouthpieces, trust me, I wish the Reeves was more in tune. However, I think that sitting down with some good recordings and trying to imitate them will do wonders.

gchun

Yes, I did read that your friend wants to play Monette equipment...

But-

If the only problem he has with the Reeves is that he wants to broaden out the sound, has he considered calling the Reeves shop and seeing if they can find a solution? Your friend has isolated what quality he is missing in the Reeves, so perhaps they can help. If he had a whole bunch of issues with the Reeves, it would be another situation.

While Monettes are indeed qualitiy mouthpieces, it seems to me that jumping to a Monette (or any other brand) would be introducing a whole new set of variables to the situation.

I would recommend calling Reeves and see if they can solve the problem. If not, then by all means, search elsewhere.

Hope this helps-
Garry

Bugleboy21

He has several Reeves models ranging from 43D to 42S, both in standard and dynamic mass. His experience on his Monette B4S is that he likes the constant pitch center and doesn't have to pivot as much on the Monette. However, as stated before, this diameter is too small for him. I let him try my B1-2, but the flatter rim is too flat for him. I like the idea of using the rim of a Reeves on a Monette, since it would let him keep the rim shape/feel. He has a 42D and gets a darker sound with the same rim, but he really has to work hard on it.

gchun

Laurence-

Has your friend experimented with non-stock backbores? I find all of Reeves stock backbore (no.2) a litle to stuffy for me and I had to go to a custom made model. I tried the hit and miss approach to Bob mouthpieces. It took a long time and a lot of money. I finally found one I like which I have used for 15 years. I wished I had just consulted him in the first place. Without the consult with the Reeves guys, finding the right piece can be a long journey.

Otherwise, the screw rim suggestion sounds like it could be the solution.
Good luck,
Garry

Bugleboy21

Garry,

I'll ask him about the other bb's. Good thing about the Army is that they supply us with our equipment. We ask and it gets purchased...well, to an extent. I am trying to approach this with as much info as possible to save the amount of money spent by the US Gov't on trumpet stuff (e.i. taxpayer's money). For this reason, I'd like to hear more info on Monette solutions as well as Reeves solutions. I'm awaiting a call back from Monette to discuss the options

Pedal C

If your friend liked your B1-2 except for the flat rim, he could try the B1-5M. It's a similar size but with a more rounded rim. If that's too big, the B2 has a similar rounded rim with a smaller diameter. Monette also makes lead versions of both these mouthpiece. I think Tom Raney at Monette is probably the person that could give him the best advice. Good Luck!

KMT

On sort of a related note, at least in regards to Bob Reeves mouthpieces. I was in Rayburn the other day and they were selling off their stock of Reeves mouthpieces for $40 a piece. Not a bad deal, I picked up a few.