TromboneChat

Hi, I have one soprano trombone...

Can you recommend me mouthpieces to use with it?


Thanks

I've been meaning to try out the Jim Nova signature series Greg Black soprano mouthpiece... I've tried all of the other ones that I'm aware of that have a trombone rim and a trumpet shank. They just... really don't work for me. Jim sounds great on his so... maybe?

I found myself with a few of the Kanstul copies of Monettes when Kanstul when out of business. They were a great price, and I didn't realize they were of such an unusual design. I've found the "short shank" to work quite well for me on both trumpet and soprano trombone so I have a set of mouthpieces made in the "short shank" style. I also have a strong preference for lexan/delrin. Turns out Matt Frost has a copy of the Monette size 2 rim that he can make in Lexan... so I use a Monette Silver Series 2 rim (ironically in lexan) with either a B2, B15M, or B2L. For soprano, the B15M seems to work quite well.

I've found a degree of success using medium and deep flugelhorn mouthpieces with Bob Reeves' F-T flugel-trumpet adapter. The tuning and timbre are both good.

I tried using the Wycliffe one, but at the end of the day only a trumpet or flugel style mouthpiece and a completely different approach will give you the real range that the instrument is capable of.

Thanks to all of you!!

harrisonreed wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 4:52 pm I tried using the Wycliffe one, but at the end of the day only a trumpet or flugel style mouthpiece and a completely different approach will give you the real range that the instrument is capable of.

I agree! I have done lots of research and trial and errors in the struggle to find something that produce a more trombone-like sound. Flugelhorn mouthpieces work but register is very limited. Hard work just to keep register to high f. After I started to play trumpet more I changed approach. I think the soprano works best for me with a standard trumpet mouthpiece. Easier to tune and easier to have the stamina that is needed. The hard work on a flugelhorn mouthpiece along with tuning issues makes it to hard. If I could settle with very limited playing (one and a half octave), yes, but that's not what I want. The crossover mouthpieces with trombone rim works, but the sound is still trumpet with that shallow cup. Interesting if someone could make a mouthpiece that is playable and takes care of both my sound, my register and the tuning issues. Maybe possible only with TOO much practice, so anyway it won't happen.

/Tom

Wycliffe sounds amazing on his mouthpiece, but he keeps everything low. Sounds like a trumpet but stays mostly on the alto/tenor range

So far, I have 3 mellophone mouthpieces, a tenor horn mouthpiece, a Bach 9AT alto trumpet mouthpiece, and quite a few trumpet pieces. I think to be completely thorough I'd need a Schilke 24 trumpet mouthpiece, Curry TF, the Jim Nova piece, and a couple of German flugelhorn pieces. But I'm not keen on dropping all that money on a soprano mouthpiece safari unless nothing I have works.

I've already made some findings, but I need to do some more testing and record some comparisons. I think the Benge Mello 6 or Hammond 5MP might have the best shot at the moment. The 9AT sounds FABULOUS, but is very hard work to play high (so much that there's no meaningful range advantage over an alto). I think something about that size (19mm) with a shallower cup and the right shank (the 9AT's is a bit oversized) might be perfect, but I don't know if that exists.

heldenbone wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 2:57 pm I've found a degree of success using medium and deep flugelhorn mouthpieces with Bob Reeves' F-T flugel-trumpet adapter. The tuning and timbre are both good.

Yes. I finally settled on a Curry 3TF (trumpet shank, flugel cup) to keep it from sounding like a hosaphone.