TromboneChat

RustBeltBass wrote: ↑Thu Jul 20, 2023 3:12 pm You asked, I will answer. I played both of these mouthpieces for years and have some thoughts on both. Others will too, I am sure.

Just be careful to not try to manipulate yourself by thinking of other people’s experience when YOU are playing these mouthpieces. Ok, here goes:

Both are in the Schilke 60(ish) size range. Both are extremely well made and are the mouthpiece of choice for some very famous orchestral bass trombonists.

The Greg Black to me blows very freely, is very even throughout the entire range and has what I would call the “Greg Black Sound”, in lack of a better word. For me there is a quality in gb pieces, that is really unique and I believe I hear this in every Gb I ever played, regardless of size. I do think it is a bit tricky sometimes to “do things”, changing colors is a bit of a challenge. The strength is the weakness.

The Laskey 93 is absolutely awesome and absolutely terrible.
The rim allowed for me to make the cleanest articulations ever and helped me tremendously in that regard. I think it is a very flexible as a mouthpiece compared to the GB and changing character felt easier. However, all of that only happened when I was in really great shape. And when I was not in great, pre-audition shape I felt this mouthpiece makes my life harder.

This is based on memories, as I have not played both in quite a while, also super subjective. But that was my experience.

TheBoneRanger wrote: ↑Thu Jul 20, 2023 8:16 pm

RustBeltBass wrote: ↑Thu Jul 20, 2023 3:12 pm You asked, I will answer. I played both of these mouthpieces for years and have some thoughts on both. Others will too, I am sure.

Just be careful to not try to manipulate yourself by thinking of other people’s experience when YOU are playing these mouthpieces. Ok, here goes:

Both are in the Schilke 60(ish) size range. Both are extremely well made and are the mouthpiece of choice for some very famous orchestral bass trombonists.

The Greg Black to me blows very freely, is very even throughout the entire range and has what I would call the “Greg Black Sound”, in lack of a better word. For me there is a quality in gb pieces, that is really unique and I believe I hear this in every Gb I ever played, regardless of size. I do think it is a bit tricky sometimes to “do things”, changing colors is a bit of a challenge. The strength is the weakness.

The Laskey 93 is absolutely awesome and absolutely terrible.
The rim allowed for me to make the cleanest articulations ever and helped me tremendously in that regard. I think it is a very flexible as a mouthpiece compared to the GB and changing character felt easier. However, all of that only happened when I was in really great shape. And when I was not in great, pre-audition shape I felt this mouthpiece makes my life harder.

This is based on memories, as I have not played both in quite a while, also super subjective. But that was my experience.

In my experience, this is a pretty accurate description.

The Laskey is a fraction bigger diameter at the rim, but not enormously so. It's crisper and cleaner, yet more malleable than the Greg Black. But it does take a little more taming at times.

The Greg Black does have a sound that's hard to obtain elsewhere and is certainly compelling. The .312/#2 option tightens it up a little and offers a little more colour and focus.

Andrew

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Thu Jul 20, 2023 8:35 pm The 90D is technically closer to the 1G, but seems like a bit smaller mouthpiece in general.

I played the 1G .312 #2 for a long time, and tried the 93D many times- even had a couple magic ones.

The GB does have that GB sound, for better or for worse. For me as a doubler playing many styles, the GB ended up being the wrong choice long term- it made my horn choice and sound choice very limited.

The Laskey is more versatile, but I couldn't ever get on board with them for long periods.

I play a "compromise" piece now, the Markey 87, and sometimes I do miss the more hardcore stuff like the GB or the real Laskeys... but I also don't miss them.

roeltrombone wrote: ↑Fri Jul 21, 2023 12:43 am Thanks for sharing your experiences, these were the feelings I had too.
May I also ask what you are playing now?

roeltrombone wrote: ↑Fri Jul 21, 2023 12:47 am
Thanks for your reply.
What exactly do you mean by 'compromise', the feeling, the sound, or both?

roeltrombone wrote: ↑Fri Jul 21, 2023 12:43 am
Thanks for sharing your experiences, these were the feelings I had too.
May I also ask what you are playing now?

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Fri Jul 21, 2023 8:21 amif I only played orchestral bass trombone, I would probably be on a Greg Black still. But with the varied playing and instruments I use, the Markey makes more horns work and gives a wider color palette to choose from. It's also much easier to play after not playing bass for a while.