BergeronWannabe

I've been doing some research and am confused about something. Perhaps you can help...is the throat also known as Venturi drill?
If 27 is the standard, what does 'opening' it up to a 24 do for you? Could it affect range and endurance?
Thanks-
Andrew

Tootsall

Go to GRmouthpieces.com and read their "101" section on mouthpiece parameters and the effect that changes can make. It's one of the better explanations out there (perhaps not as wordy as some but certainly to the point).

rowuk

BW,
A good mouthpiece is a precision object where all of the factors - Cup, Rim, Throat, Backbore are related to one another. If one of the variables is changed, you need to change the others to keep the mouthpiece "balanced". Opening the throat does not make a mouthpiece necessarily more free blowing. It will change the intonation and slotting for sure, and not always for the better. Your range and endurance will not get better just by opening the throat unless you have a badly designed mouthpiece!
I am sure that there will be several posts to the nature: "I did it and it was like pulling the plug out". I have had several students with that attitude and we did a blind test a couple of years ago (real blindfolds!) and EVERY SINGLE ONE preferred the originals to the bored out ones. Comments: more core, better slotting, more even response, more consistent sound. Without a blind test, I do not believe anybody anymore.
Here is another site to check for detailed, scientific research:
Welcome at the pages of the IWK (Institute of Musical Acoustics)
then click on research, then mouthpiece forms, then variation of the bore.
The graphs are pretty much self explanatory. The german word for mouthpiece throat is "Bohrung" or "Seele" (translated:soul-I think a much better name).
What is immediately apparent is the change in intonation for almost every note on the trumpet. That is why some people perceive a darker tone - because it is sharpened when bored out and they have to lip it down which steals brilliance!
Please note this is a university research project with no commercial interest. It corresponds to my personal experiences VERY closely.
Moral of the story: do not bore out your mouthpiece unless you are sure that the deficiencies will be compensated for by that action (almost never the case!). There are a lot of players working much harder than necessary because of this easy to perform but not too intelligent "modification". The numbers do not lie - even if the player is strong enough to compensate. That energy would be better placed in making music and not fighting the equipment!

Bay Area Brass

My advice would be to do the modification to a back up mouthpiece-that way you haven't ruined your main mouthpiece if you don't like the change. I would also say that going from a 27 to 24 is a big change-try somewhere in the middle first. It usually takes a couple of days to adjust to the change in throat size, so play it for a few days before you make up your mind. best of luck!

trumpetnick

I jumped from 27 to 87 and was quite delighted though it did not make a lot of difference...the high register became slightly more open but had to blow a bit more than before...well that's probably too a subjective perception but it is what I felt. Did not need a lot of time ot get used to. I play VB 1 1/2C

Pedal C

87? You must be using a different scale... A number 87 drill would be about the size of a pin hole!

As for your question, it might effect range and endurance, but drilling out a back up mouthpiece is probably the only way to know without taking the chance of ruining your main one.