Bach 1 and 1/4G v. Schilke 59

[Bach5G]

I’m cycling through the handful of bass trombone mouthpieces on my mpc shelf and am collecting my thoughts on the 1 1/4G and the 59. My impression is that there are still a fair number of players who play a 59 but far fewer who play the 1 1/4. I seem to recall a short lived Who in their right mind thread re: the 1 1/4 but it didn’t go very far IIRC.

I’d be interested in a Hammond 20 if anyone is interested in selling.

[hyperbolica]

I've used a handful of pieces in that size. Of the two I prefer the Bach. I like the DE stuff better, and the Ferguson L was also pretty good. But I've been in turmoil about my bass mouthpiece, and I'm leaning back to the 1.5 size in Stork and DE. I'm not convinced that my troubles are hardware related, though.

[Burgerbob]

I think the point is moot, there are SO many better pieces out there now. The Markey 85 would be my choice in that size.

Hammond 20 is good, but it's a much more niche piece with a huge throat.

[Kevbach33]

I used a Schilke 59 in high school (went back and forth between it and a 60 depending on repertoire). Never had a chance to try the Bach equivalents (1¼G/M or 1G), nor do I plan to now.

My current bass piece, a Pickett 1.5S, is in this size range and does an excellent job in big band, far better than the Schilke.

[tbonesullivan]

I think the point is moot, there are SO many better pieces out there now. The Markey 85 would be my choice in that size.

Hammond 20 is good, but it's a much more niche piece with a huge throat.

Definitely agree with you on all those points. The Hammond BL is the size of the Markey 87, and bigger overall, especially with that huge throat. I can't even imagine the BXL, but some people use it.

I can say that once I got my Markey 85 and 87, I pretty much lost all interest in my Laskey 85MD, which is a bit between them in terms of size. They both are more comfortable and play better. Could just be that I don't have the "best" example of an 85MD, which I believe varied a bit from piece to piece.

[Cotboneman]

I used a Bach 1/4G when first started playing bass trombone part-time in the 80's, but I was never satisfied with the inner rim bite. The 59 has been in my case since the early 90's, feeling much better on my face. I've never gone back. It's my go to for standard orchestral repertoire. Everyone will have a different experience though.

[Kbiggs]

If you only have the two to choose from, I'd go with the Schilke. I played one for my first ten years on bass. But like a lot of others have posted, there are other mpcs around that size that will probably work better.

Your experience might be different, but when I played a Hammond 20 (BL and BXL), I really liked the sound I produced in the middle of each note: full, rich, and it projected well. But right after the "attack" (the left side of the note) and before the "release" (the right side of the note), I had problems. I tried for a long time to work on air, stability, relaxation, etc., but wasn't able to get the sides of each note stable. I would "scoop" into a note or crack it on the left side, and I would sag the right side or pinch it to prevent sagging. Again, YMMV.

I like the Markey series. I play an 87, which is a little larger than a 59. It feels more stable and more flexible (I don't know how Christian and James worked that out!), more consistent sound throughout the registers, and much easier to keep the left and right sides of the note stable.