Drilling a mouthpiece question

[bigbandbone]

I posted this at the end of the "Has anyone else drilled their 11C" thread, but since it's a more general question I thought I'd repost with it's own header. Any insights are appreciated.

What happens if you go too far when drilling out a mouthpiece? I've got my Bach 5GS small shank enlarged to .270 with an eased throat and feathered shank. I'm really liking it. I'm tempted to go one more drill size up to .276, but am afraid of ruining it.

[baileyman]

Isn’t the purpose of drilling to be able to bang low partials with less backup? And isn’t a risk the loss of overtones of higher partials? It must be one heck on a sonic situation to need more than a quarter inch tube.

[bigbandbone]

Actually I'm in a weird situation! I'm covering the 4th book in a big band and need some trigger low C's, but also need to do some solo work. I don't want to go all the way to a .462 full bass and I don't want to have two horns on stage. My litmus test is the bass bone part on Intermission riff. Slur from low Ab to trigger Db. I'm almost there with the .270 back bore, but not quite! Also, at .270 I still have a solid high Bb.

[BGuttman]

There are lots of mouthpieces with larger apertures already in them. If you like the smaller rim look at a Wick 9BS.

As to playing a high Bb, I can do it with my Doug Elliott 112.5/L/L7 setup (a little bigger than a 1 1/4 G; more like a Yamaha Yeo).

The problem with drilling a mouthpiece is that you keep going a little, then a lttle more, then -- oops, it's too much. Paperweight!

[Driswood]

The problem with drilling a mouthpiece is that you keep going a little, then a lttle more, then -- oops, it's too much. Paperweight!

Here, here!!

[harrisonreed]

Isn't the bore size on the CL pieces like .333 inches? Keep going!

[Posaunus]

Isn't the bore size on the CL pieces like .333 inches? Keep going!

Christian Lindberg 5CL: 0.266" throat; 4CL: 0.303" throat
#2 pencil: ~0.277" across flats / ~0.286" across peaks

[harrisonreed]

The 2CL is even bigger if I remember correctly.

[Posaunus]

The 2CL is even bigger if I remember correctly.

Yes the 2CL is a "bigger" mouthpiece - even though the cup I.D. (near the rim) is similar, the cup is probably deeper, and the throat is HUGE. Would probably accommodate a Mont Blanc pen!

Unfortunately, the dimensions of the CL throats seem to be a trade secret - not published in the mouthpiece specs. You'll have to buy one and measure it!