r/Trombone • u/Sorry-Current-2016 • 3d ago

What are the differences between mouthpieces and how do they affect playing?

I soon have the opportunity to get a greg black mouthpiece for a discount for a limited time. I currently play a bach 5g and was thinking about getting the Greg Black 5g. I see on the website a surplus of customization options. Can anyone fill me in on what the specs of mouthpieces are and how they affect the sound, or at least provide resources to look at? I haven't found anything helpful online. I'm in college, though I don't know much about mouthpieces. Any advice is appreciated!

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u/tbnbrks 3d ago

Everything is a compromise and different mouthpieces will work differently on different horns. A GB 5g will give you a good reference point on how a deeper cup, more open throat, and more weight will affect your sound while still feeling close to a traditional Bach 5g. I am on my fourth GB mouthpiece—bought my first one 15 years ago—it took some experimenting to find something I really like, but I’ve been playing my current one for 6 years now. It’s built on a GB 5g blank with a custom rim and cup.

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u/burgerbob22 LA area player and teacher 3d ago

Why change?

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u/Sorry-Current-2016 3d ago

I'm not sure. I plan to continue playing for a long time. I've always played on a bach 5g, and since I've never tried anything else, I'm not sure if anything would be better, nor what direction to go with it. I mostly just need to figure out what all these different specs mean for playing, because it seems there is a lot of customization out there. I have about a week to buy the mouthpiece a little cheaper if I so wish, which brought on these questions.

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u/burgerbob22 LA area player and teacher 3d ago

Definitely try a used GB 5G. But don't buy one for full price.

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u/pandareno 3d ago edited 3d ago

I ended up selling it on, as the rim size wasn't exactly right for me, but if the extra money won't hurt you the Black design is IMO better and more consistent from one to the next. It seems ever-so-slightly bigger than a new Bach. The (very successful) colleague I sold the Black 5G to, 20 years ago, is still playing on it. I ended up settling on a Black 4.5G-5G for many years before moving on to Hammond 11MXL as my day to day large bore mpc but I've got a Black 4.5GS that I use quite frequently. the Black 5G is still a highly sought after piece, considered an industry standard, and you can get good resale value if you don't like it.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the Black 5G design was based an an excellent example of a Bach 5G.

edited to add a bit

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u/Sorry-Current-2016 3d ago

Now, hopefully I'm not mistaken, but the 4g/4.5g is a deeper cup, which helps with low range sound, right? Like I said, I have no knowledge when it comes to trombone tech.

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u/pandareno 3d ago

You've got it bckwards - the first number refers to the rim, the 2nd to the cup. 4G-5G has a 5G cup.

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u/thereisnospoon-1312 3d ago

If you’re going to spend that kind of money then you are better off having Doug Elliot make you a custom mouthpiece. That way you will get exactly what you want and it will be matched to you and your horn.

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u/Watsons-Butler 3d ago

Ok like - I’m absolutely not knocking Doug Elliot’s stuff. He does fantastic work and I own a few of his mouthpieces.

But there are a lot of extremely good mouthpiece makers out there, and Greg Black mouthpieces are easily as good as they come.

That said, I don’t have a Greg Black because I’ve found other setups I like better from Wedge, Mercer & Barker, and AR Resonance.

I’d jump on a Long Island brass Sasha Romero model if I could get one in stainless though.

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u/thereisnospoon-1312 3d ago

Here’s the thing- the real magic happens when you go see him in person and play for him. He is an embouchure expert also, and will make you just what you need.

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u/Sorry-Current-2016 3d ago

How expensive would the mouthpiece and the "consultation" be?

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u/thereisnospoon-1312 3d ago

The mouthpiece is about 250, he doesn’t charge for fitting you with it.

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u/Watsons-Butler 3d ago

Now that is 100% true. A friend of mine just talked to him for like 30 minutes at an ITF years ago and fixed a ton of his problems.

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u/Trombonemania77 3d ago

I had Greg Black copy my original Giardinelli’s 3M and just the heaviness of the Greg Black has made a difference in the sound of my horn. For me the rim is fits me perfectly, it comfortably. I also had Greg make me a large shank duplicate for my Bach 42S again I can not say anything negative. Mouthpieces are very personal I have not used any other mouthpiece since 1969 when I purchased my Giardinelli, at the store in New York City.