Mouthpiece for tenor doubling

Post Reply
americanbozo
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2022 6:24 pm
Location: DFW

Mouthpiece for tenor doubling

Post by americanbozo »

I play bass trombone as my main instrument but I'm required to play tenor trombone for marching season and certain ensembles . I currently play on a Greg Black 1 1/2G on my bass trombone, but my tenor mouthpiece (Schilke 51D) Feels too small. Which tenor mouthpiece or even bass mouthpiece could I use on my tenor to make switching between both easier.
Posaunus
Posts: 4002
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:54 pm
Location: California

Re: Mouthpiece for tenor doubling

Post by Posaunus »

Whew. A Schilke 51D is too small? This mouthpiece, designed (or at least usually used) for euphonium, has a very large cup volume, and is usually considered too large for tenor trombone. Apparently you are accustomed to a large (1½G) sized cup diameter. If you like Bach mouthpieces, you could try a Bach 4 or Bach 3 - both have larger diameter cups (but very small 5.85mm diameter throats). Or perhaps a Hammond 11 or 10 (ML or L), [older] Schilke 53, or Denis Wick 4BS (all have larger throats).

Or you could contact Doug Elliott for a custom setup that meets your preferences.

Good luck.
User avatar
Burgerbob
Posts: 5163
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 8:10 pm
Location: LA
Contact:

Re: Mouthpiece for tenor doubling

Post by Burgerbob »

Posaunus wrote: Fri Dec 23, 2022 12:36 pm Whew. A Schilke 51D is too small? This mouthpiece, designed (or at least usually used) for euphonium, has a very large cup volume, and is usually considered too large for tenor trombone. Apparently you are accustomed to a large (1½G) sized cup diameter. If you like Bach mouthpieces, you could try a Bach 4 or Bach 3 - both have larger diameter cups (but very small 5.85mm diameter throats). Or perhaps a Hammond 11 or 10 (ML or L), [older] Schilke 53, or Denis Wick 4BS (all have larger throats).

Or you could contact Doug Elliott for a custom setup that meets your preferences.

Good luck.
The 51D has a large cup, but the rim of a 6.5 or so. It's not large on the face.

As for OP, try a 4G.
Aidan Ritchie, LA area player and teacher
User avatar
spencercarran
Posts: 645
Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2020 1:02 pm
Location: Chicago

Re: Mouthpiece for tenor doubling

Post by spencercarran »

I had this exact same dilemma in high school and college, never really found a satisfactory solution. Doug Elliott can make a shallower mouthpiece with 1.5G sized rim for you if you want - that didn't quite work out for me as a marching band tenor piece, but it does for many people. I wound up switching to sousaphone for marching band, which somehow didn't bother me as much as switching between tenor/bass sized mouthpieces.
LIBrassCo
Posts: 492
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2019 5:34 am
Location: Long Island, NY
Contact:

Re: Mouthpiece for tenor doubling

Post by LIBrassCo »

Check out our new Pollard Sarastro line of mouthpieces: https://www.librassco.com/pollard-signature-series
User avatar
harrisonreed
Posts: 5259
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:18 pm
Location: Fort Riley, Kansas
Contact:

Re: Mouthpiece for tenor doubling

Post by harrisonreed »

Alessi 1B or DE XT106N/F/F8
User avatar
Burgerbob
Posts: 5163
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 8:10 pm
Location: LA
Contact:

Re: Mouthpiece for tenor doubling

Post by Burgerbob »

Just want to point out that this is for marching band... I'm sure a $240 mouthpiece is good, but not what I would use for marching band for a season.
Aidan Ritchie, LA area player and teacher
User avatar
harrisonreed
Posts: 5259
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:18 pm
Location: Fort Riley, Kansas
Contact:

Re: Mouthpiece for tenor doubling

Post by harrisonreed »

Future proofing! :biggrin:
Kdanielsen
Posts: 513
Joined: Sun Jul 28, 2019 9:35 pm
Location: New England

Re: Mouthpiece for tenor doubling

Post by Kdanielsen »

americanbozo wrote: Fri Dec 23, 2022 10:56 am I play bass trombone as my main instrument but I'm required to play tenor trombone for marching season and certain ensembles . I currently play on a Greg Black 1 1/2G on my bass trombone, but my tenor mouthpiece (Schilke 51D) Feels too small. Which tenor mouthpiece or even bass mouthpiece could I use on my tenor to make switching between both easier.
A Bach 2g can work pretty well.
Kris Danielsen D.M.A.

Westfield State University and Keene State College
Lecturer of Low Brass

Principal Trombone, New England Repertory Orchestra
2nd Trombone, Glens Falls Symphony
Pezza
Posts: 165
Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2021 6:30 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Mouthpiece for tenor doubling

Post by Pezza »

I used to use a big MP ( 2G or 3G) in a tenor because I was a bass bone player. Now I use a 6 3/4ish in a small bore, 5G in medium bore & am playing tenor better than I ever did!
Am I a trombone player who plays euphonium, or a euphonium player who plays trombone? :idk:
User avatar
deanmccarty
Posts: 188
Joined: Tue May 01, 2018 10:20 am
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: Mouthpiece for tenor doubling

Post by deanmccarty »

I know quite a few people who prefer, or almost have, to use the same rim on all of their mouthpieces. I knew one guy who played his Schilke 60 sized rim on a small cup, played alto phenomenally. That could be you… Doug Elliott can set you up with the same rim on different cup sizes.

I’ve never had that issue… I can switch rims with no problem. I play a smaller bass rim than the norm, like you. I always tried to go larger for larger bore tenor and never found “the right” mouthpiece. Finally, I went the other way… I went a little smaller, and PRESTO! The horn sang… it may be worth trying… I would start with a standard 51 (slightly shallower)… The 51 is basically the same size as a Bach 5G… I ended up with a 6.5 sized rim and a deep cup… Elliott 100G
Dean McCarty
“Have a good time... all the time.” - Viv Savage, Spinal Tap :cool:
VoigtBrass Artist

Rath R9D-Ferguson-L
Jürgen Voigt 189-FX, Elliott 100G8
Rath R10-Elliott 95B
Jürgen Voigt J-711 Alto-Elliott 95B
Jürgen Voigt J-470 Contra-Lätzsch 3KB1+1
Post Reply

Return to “Mouthpieces”