Basic Guide to Common Cornet/Trumpet Mouthpieces
-UNDER CONSTRUCTION-
A basic guide to some of the most commonly used cornet/trumpet mouthpieces:
3C
5C
7C
10½C
...plus some other "specialty" mouthpieces I own.
The following table lists mouthpieces measured by the Vincent Bach standard (exceptions noted), with info taken from this guide. Please note that I have not tried all the mouthpieces I list here.
Common mouthpieces:
"Specialty/unusual" mouthpieces (my flagship mouthpieces are bold/underlined):
Mouthpiece model
3
Conn "Improved Precision" type 4
[not on Bach scale]
5A
5B
5V
7CW
Getzen OEM
[model unknown; not on Bach scale]--slightly smaller than 10-11¾ [with A cup?]
see this archived eBay listing for info
Cup depth
Deep
Medium or medium-shallow (appears slightly deeper than 3C cup)
Actual depth: 0.420 in
"Shallow bowl" according to 1956 Conn accessory catalog
Very deep
Medium-deep
Very deep
Medium
Deep-very deep
[estimated from Bach scale]--0.44 in/11.3 mm - A-depth cup?
Cup diameter
16.30 mm
≈15.80 mm? (cup diameter appears smaller than 10½C! measurement is an estimate)
16.25 mm
16.25 mm
16.25 mm
16.20 mm
15.50 mm
Rim shape
Medium-wide
Outer diameter is 1.057 in
Rim width is 0.220 in
Medium-wide rim
Medium-wide, rounded inside edge.
Medium-wide, lowered toward the outside.
Medium sharp edge.
Medium-wide, lowered toward the outside.
Medium sharp edge. [honestly feels narrower and rounder-edged than 5B rims, more like a 5A rim]
Slightly wider, gradually lowered toward the outside.
Medium-wide, sharper inside edge?
[estimate]
Description
Fairly large cup with full, rich tone.
Standard mouthpiece for Conn "Director" student cornets (1950s-70s). Similar to the Conn E-Z Tone mouthpiece.
This is the most commonly found Conn "Improved Precision" mouthpiece model.
Not in the Vincent Bach Mouthpiece Manual, as it is not to any particular Bach standard. Any other information would be appreciated.
A fairly large cup with a dark, full, mellow tone.
A precise rim and a fairly large cup. The tone is vivid and full.
V-style cup with larger #20 throat and #25 backbore. Free blowing, very flexible.
The same as 7C with a comfortable cushion rim contour. Very practical for strenuous work and players with large lips.
Standard [?] mouthpiece with 1950s Getzen trumpets--this came with my Getzen Pro 90...the mouthpiece could be similar to the Bach 11¾A due to the deep cup and small cup diameter.
My opinion
In my humble opinion, this is one of the closest cup-mouthpiece you can get that produces the tone of V-funnel mouthpieces. Very warm, full cornet tone--mellow while maintaining the volume of a cup-mouthpiece (as opposed to funnel-shaped mouthpieces).
Do note that it requires a good embrochure and technique to play high notes well with this mouthpiece. It's easier for me to play this than a 10½-cup.
Overall great mouthpiece, one of several models that I learned to play on (with my vintage Conn 15A cornet).
Great mouthpiece! The deep cup makes it a bit harder to play high notes, but it's fine once you get used to it, although this is [diameter-wise] the largest standard-issue Bach mouthpiece with an "A"-depth cup. The tone is nice and full--approaches the classic, mellow, cornet tone while still maintaining the volume of a cup-mouthpiece (as opposed to funnel-shaped mouthpieces).
Great tone, a bit easier to play/less fatiguing than the 3, and the tone is only a fraction thinner! Requires more developed embrochure to play high notes on this one, but not quite as much as a 3.
The closest Bach mouthpiece to a French horn-style or traditional cornet mouthpiece--the 5V has a large, straight-sided funnel "cup", almost as deep as Bach's deepest flugel cup. Bach claims that the rim is the same as a 5B, but it feels narrower, with a more rounded edge [5A-type], to me. Nice, mellow sound, but with much less support than a cup mouthpiece. If I play this mouthpiece and switch to a 5B, playing loudly and high-up are made easier.
I practically never use this mouthpiece. I just happen to have it. The rim provides more cushion, but I really don't need cushion (although I don't want a cookie-cutter cornet mouthpiece either!).
Not the easiest to play, in my opinion, due to the fact that I am accustomed to 3-ish Bach-type mouthpieces, and this mouthpiece cup is smaller than a 10½...
Brand I have
Conn (cornet)
Conn (cornet)
[2 of them]
Vincent Bach
(cornet)
Benge (cornet)
Vincent Bach (cornet)
Conn (cornet)
Getzen
(trumpet)
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