Hammond 12ML

[Elow]

How different is the hammond 12ML from a schilke 52D? I bought a euphonium recently and it came with the schilke, but the rim just isnt comfortable. Might switch to a larger mouthpiece down the line, but i like the depth right now.

[BGuttman]

To match the 52D you would need an 11, probably MXL depth.

[Finetales]

Hammond 12ML is equivalent to a Schilke 51 (no D).

For euph the Hammond XL (no M) cup works best, so you'd probably be happy with an 11XL. The Hammond rims are significantly flatter than Schilke rims, so if the roundness is what you don't like about the Schilke, you'll probably like how the Hammond feels.

[tbonesullivan]

Maybe try a Wick 4AL? It's one of the standard Euph Mouthpieces. Nice flatter style rim with a pretty angular rim transition on the inside. It's not as sharp as I thought it would be though, so it wasn't a huge change going from a Hammond 11L to the Wick.

[ajeasley]

The Hammond rims are pretty comfortable for me. I switched to a 12XL on euphonium from a Schilke 51D. To my perception, the Hammond 12XL feels more open than a 51D (flatter rim, as mentioned above), and a smidge less deep. This is devoid of any exact measurements from me.

I would concur with the comments above re: the XL cup on euphonium - a 12ML on euphonium would be a bit on the small side, but you could manage with a good euph concept in your head and you need to get by as a doubler or something like that.

I would also concur with the Wick 4AL recommendation. If you can get over the 'Wick fuzz' (somehow I only noticed this in 2018 after I was nearly a decade removed from undergrad...) they're great, as are the Steven Mead variants that I've used over the years. I particularly like the Heritage line; the rim is somewhat polarizing, but it's one of my favorites and I find that it works well for my idea of playing 2nd trombone in a wind band or orchestral setting.

[BrianJohnston]

I have a 12MXL best mouthpiece i've ever played on.

[imsevimse]

Hammonds are great for medium and large bore horns. I use the 12M for .525 and .547 horns. The 12MXL is also a good mouthpiece if you need a deeper sound. I did use the 12ML at first, but to me both the M and the MXL sizes are more clear compared to the ML.

/Tom

[tbonesullivan]

I have a 12MXL best mouthpiece i've ever played on.

That's halfway between the 12L and 12XL right? For me, I find that the ML setup is best for most tenor trombone uses, with some L if you want more lower resonance. I was using an 11L for euphonium until I got a Wick 4AL.

[Kevbach33]

I have a 12MXL best mouthpiece i've ever played on.

That's halfway between the 12L and 12XL right? For me, I find that the ML setup is best for most tenor trombone uses, with some L if you want more lower resonance. I was using an 11L for euphonium until I got a Wick 4AL.

I thought I read somewhere, maybe on the old forum, that the progression went ML, MXL, L and XL? (This would be somewhat like, in Greg Black terms, the GS, GSD, 5G, 5GD and 4G depths if I'm not mistaken.) In any case, the MXL cup is a custom order as I recall.

[BrianJohnston]

That's halfway between the 12L and 12XL right? For me, I find that the ML setup is best for most tenor trombone uses, with some L if you want more lower resonance. I was using an 11L for euphonium until I got a Wick 4AL.

I thought I read somewhere, maybe on the old forum, that the progression went ML, MXL, L and XL? (This would be somewhat like, in Greg Black terms, the GS, GSD, 5G, 5GD and 4G depths if I'm not mistaken.) In any case, the MXL cup is a custom order as I recall.

Correct. Slightly smaller than the 12L

[imsevimse]

The 12MXL is custom order and that costs a little extra. Karl picks a 12M if I renember correctly and modifies it. I have had three of my friends listen as I switched between the 12M, 12ML and the 12XML. I repeated the test three times. Played the mouthpieces in random order. One player picked the 12M as the most clear and best sounding every time. The two others picked the 12M as the best mouthpiece two out of three and the 12MXL one out of three. The 12ML did not get any votes. This correlates with my own belief after the test too.

Of course this test only shows what's the best fit for me.

/Tom