Here’s another thing: sizes 6, 7 and 8 are all listed as having the same rim size. What? 10? The difference between a 1C and a 2C, with nothing in between is the same as the difference between a 2C and a 10C with six different sizes in between. So which mouthpiece do you suppose would have an internal diameter of 16.00mm? Maybe a 3? No, the answer is 10. This pattern continues the 2 and 2C both have 16.50mm internal diameters. The various other 1 sizes, including 1-1/4 and 1-1/2, are listed as 17.00mm. So here’s the important observation about internal diameters that nearly always gets overlooked when people talk about the various Vincent Bach mouthpieces. what is perfect for one may be entirely unsuitable for the other” (page 3).
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A possible second reason is one of tradition, though it may be better described as mythology or even superstition. Because of the playing habits of a few big names in orchestral playing (Adolph Herseth, Georges Mager, William Vacchiano), trumpet players have unneccesarily copied their choice of equipment in the hope of recreating their achivements. The mouthpiece manual actually advises against this: “Do not select a certain mouthpiece because another player uses it. Firstly, most new trumpets are supplied with a mouthpiece labelled 7C. When people move on from their 7C wanting a better sound they assume that this requires getting a mouthpiece with a larger internal diameter and look upwards on the chart (For reasons that you’ll discover later, this is usually a mis-informed choice). When looking at the various sizes of mouthpiece internal diameter it is most people’s habit to consider the 7C as the smallest option and look upwards in the chart from there.
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I don’t know the exact reason for this one could speculate that initially there were spaces left for sizes that were never designed, but that is pure speculation. Some numbers ( 4 & 13-16) are missed out. For most numbers there are a few half-sizes and even some quarter sizes. The internal diameter of the mouthpiece is described with a number. All major brass mouthpiece manufacturers to this day use a derivative or similar system to describe their products. As I address each part of this system I will explain how it works and then mention interesting things about it that are often overlooked. The first notable influence that Vincent Bach had was his system for describing the various shapes and sizes of mouthpieces. An achievement of at least equal importance, though, is his contribution to the design of mouthpieces.
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His Stradivarius trumpets are a standard of quality in the industry favoured by many of the world’s professional and amateur brass players. Vincent Bach is one of the most celebrated brass instrument designers and builders of the twentieth century. I will also address some well known inconsistencies that the comparison chart does not mention, changes to the manual over the years, and I will discuss how Vincent Bach’s designs and opinions may have influenced the path of brass playing during the last century. This section may be most useful for those in search of information regarding Bach mouthpieces be sure to at least read the sections about internal diameter and cup shape.
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I will begin by addressing information that is provided in the mouthpiece manual.
![mt. vernon bach trumpet serial numbers mt. vernon bach trumpet serial numbers](https://musicalinstrumentcity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Bach-Stradivarius-Mt.-Vernon-Model-239-Trumpet-1961-Serial-21448-15-768x576.jpg)
![mt. vernon bach trumpet serial numbers mt. vernon bach trumpet serial numbers](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zo5YW8Q1cng/maxresdefault.jpg)
This article is intended to address factual information that is often missed or over looked in reference to one particular brand of mouthpiece, I will also present further information based upon my experience and research with the hope that people can make better-informed choices about mouthpiece selection. That is in part due to the fact that although the number of mouthpieces I frequently use is decreasing it is always in a state of flux, and that may not ever change. Until now I have resisted the urge to offer my opinion about mouthpieces on this blog. Many are similar, generic copies or variants of the same designs made and manufactured for making profit and not for facilitating a developing trumpet player. Many are vastly different and designed for specific purposes (although individuals may use them for other purposes). The subject of trumpet mouthpieces can often be seen as an endless mind-field. The version most referenced by this article is labelled AV6001 “What Every Brass Instrumentalist Should Know About Mouthpieces” A discussion by Richard Colquhoun about Vincent Bach Trumpet Mouthpieces. It is freely available online from here, or a quick google search for “Bach Mouthpiece Manual pdf”. Please note: It will be helpful to obtain a copy of the Vincent Bach Mouthpiece Manual for reference before reading this article.