TromboneChat

I'm interested in the 4g & 3g sized rims. Anyone have experienced with these mouthpieces?

You want Yamaha equivalents of Bach mouthpieces?

4G is approximately a Yamaha or Schilke 52
3G is approximately a Yamaha 57 (but a Schilke 53)

I have a Yamaha 57 that I tried for a while and replaced with a Bach 4G. It had a wide rim and I didn't like the response.

I rarely see mention of the Yamaha mouthpieces of this size; mostly Schilke.

Actually, according to Yamaha a 52 is ID of 25.65 so not a 4g equivalent. I'm interested in the 54 & 55.

Yamaha's inner rim diameter measurement is not quite the same as other manufacturers'. Or should I say, each manufacturer has their own measurement method. Different rim profile would feel different even with the same inner rim diameter. For example, Yamaha 51 is listed as slightly smaller than 48 (25.23 vs 25.25), but it feels larger because of the rim profile. So the comparison of the inner diameter does not really tell much.

Yamaha 57 is not produced anymore; now the bass trombone line starts with 58L, which is equivalent (in paper) with Bach 2G. The equivalent of 3G should be 55L and 4G should be around 53L. I have tried 55L. It feels like an enlarged 48L. An all-rounder without any particular strong or weak point.

Be aware that Yamaha revamped their mouthpiece line some time ago, and the rim contour (and other aspects) of a mouthpiece without suffix (the old ones) may be different from that of the new ones with S or L suffix.

The 53L rim feels a lot like the Schilke 51 rim. It's about the same size as the 51 and about as uncomfortable. It is therefore a bit smaller than the current Bach 4G. It plays a lot darker than either the 51 or the 4G.

The 54L feels about the same size or maybe a whisker bigger than the current Bach 4G. The rim is more rounded and comfortable than the 53L.

The 54L also plays a lot darker than most other pieces of that size. It's a good one for a 3rd part on a large tenor. Solid in the low register.

Phil

And 52L?

With proprietary methods of measurement it is really hard to objectively compare different mpcs. One measurement you can take is mouthpiece volume. Carefully fill a mpc with water until it is completely full then either weigh or measure the water poured from it. This will give an idea of comparison of cup volume as well as the backbore. Of course, it does nothing for rim measurements.

PhilE wrote: ↑Wed Dec 19, 2018 6:38 am The 53L rim feels a lot like the Schilke 51 rim. It's about the same size as the 51 and about as uncomfortable. It is therefore a bit smaller than the current Bach 4G. It plays a lot darker than either the 51 or the 4G.

The 54L feels about the same size or maybe a whisker bigger than the current Bach 4G. The rim is more rounded and comfortable than the 53L.

The 54L also plays a lot darker than most other pieces of that size. It's a good one for a 3rd part on a large tenor. Solid in the low register.

Phil

I'm getting to this late, but your observations are very valuable, and I think spot on. I look for various cheaper mouthpiece alternatives to help out "returning adults" in local community bands, and Yamahas are a target brand. I am very familiar with the Schilke 51 as it was my go-to piece in the symphony (that, and an old fashioned 6.5AL and Bach 1 on Bass.) I recently tried the Yam 53L and yep, it is like the 51 in the rim fit. (It's darker than the 51 because of a yet still deeper cup.)

The Yam 54L appeared to be on spec with the "new" Bach 4, and you have validated that here. The "old" Bach 4 (Faxx 4g has cloned) is significantly smaller that the new one, by up to .25mm. I felt I was swimming on tenor (rim wise) with the new Bach 4. Again, thanks for your insights!

I just came into a Yamaha 57. So far I really like it.
Great response and I really like the sound