Are custom leadpipes really worth the extra money? And which ones are the best for all around playing?

They are worth it if you find one that suits what you want to sound like.
The best ones are the ones that work best for you.

Basically they're for balancing the flexibility, resistance, and sound when you want to change how your trumpet responds, not really necessary for most people but can make a difference ... if you know what you really want

Originally Posted by 88trumpeteer3

Are custom leadpipes really worth the extra money? And which ones are the best for all around playing?

If you own a horn, and are not convinced, why did you buy it? If you own a horn, but think the original company couldn't figure out what would be the best leadpipe, why did you buy it?

If you change the mouthpipe, you change the sound, response and in many cases intonation.

I am not saying that 3rd party leadpipes are not good, useful or anything else. I am just saying that you should have a good idea what is wrong with your horn before you try and "fix" it. There is always a tradeoff when you deviate from the original design.

The best leadpipe for all around playing, is the one that came with the horn that you adequately researched, play tested and bought.

No brand of leadpipe is universally better than the original. It depends on the player, mouthpiece, horn, relocation of the braces and a thousand other things.

Originally Posted by 88trumpeteer3

Are custom leadpipes really worth the extra money? And which ones are the best for all around playing?

If you know what you want to change about the horn, resistance, brightness etc. it may be easier than a mouthpiece safari to make these changes and with less time to get adjusted it.